Today, I had a thought. I was driving from one appointment to another, and my thoughts ran on a conversation I had with a client the evening before. I did not enjoy that conversation, and left confused as to what the client was really asking for. They were confused and frustrated.
I thought to myself, why do some customers act the way they do sometimes? This question may appear humorous at first, but really, why? Why do they act the way they do, often confusing what I see as logical steps. Why do I find myself going over what I feel are simple concepts over, and over again? Why do I feel they have wasted my time?
Then it dawned on me. . am I confusing my client? Am I presenting concepts in an easily understood way, without prerequisite assumptions? Am I wasting their time?
Again, I went over the conversation with my client from the night before. This time, I looked for instances where I could have been confusing. What I found in this case, is that I may have presumed my client understood details I referred to. I found that in doing so, I may have wasted their time.
I spent time this evening determining how I should approach the subject again with my client.
I spent time thinking of how I could present the concept clearly and with only the foundational stuff they need to understand the concept. My mind was on how I could serve my client without wasting their time.
Often I see this in other businesses, but was surprised that I also fell into that trap. We (real-estate professionals) live in a bubble. We use language that only we understand. Often we socialize with associates like us. Sometimes we even feel that we are above our clients. We forget that that we are servants.
My customers engaged me because they did not know the answers to all their questions, and do have the full concept of the task at hand.
Not only am I their builder, but I am also their teacher. Maybe I will be better able to serve them when we converse again.
Comments (0)Subscribe to CommentsComment