Super-Duper Tips from Andy…Part IV
If you’ve missed the first 3 installments, go to my blog, they're all there!
#4: Thou Shalt be Truthful, Even When It Hurts.
Ok, we’ve all done it. You messed up. Maybe you missed a deadline, overestimated a value, or just forgot to call a customer back when you promised. Many people try to make up some elaborate story so they don’t look so bad, but usually that story gets unraveled and you end up looking even worse.
Even though it is painful, tell the customer the truth. They may be a little upset with you at first, but in the long run your reputation and their feelings will be the better for it.
To soften the blow, maybe you could start with something like this: “Mr. Seller, I feel that in every relationship, honesty and trust are critical, so I really need to share something with you… (explain what happened), HOWEVER, here’s how I feel we can best fix this (share your solution). I know I could have just avoided this or pretended it didn’t happen, but I respect you way too much for that, and it wouldn’t have been professional.
The other part of this is that we sometimes want to hide the truth from a client because we are afraid that it will hurt them somehow (example: “No, I don’t think the purple and orange kitchen cabinets will be a challenge to sell, I think they’re GREAT!). The truth is, you are doing them a DIS-service by not being truthful in this situation.
I often will ask clients right up front: “do you want me to be gentle or do you want to hear the truth” and most of them will say they want the truth. Then later, when you have to spring something on them, you can start with “remember when I asked you…”
#3: Thou Shalt BE the Truthful You. Be yourself.
Be “real” and be yourself. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses, don’t take on a fake accent to sound cooler, don’t try to be what you’re not. I would rather work with one client that likes me for the “real” me than 10 who think I’m something that I’m not.
But here’s the secret…the one’s that like you for the “real” you have friends that are just like them! You will get referrals to more people that you’ll like and enjoy working with!
I am myself. I show up to listing appointments and showing appointments in my Jeep that probably has a nice layer of mud thrown up the side and YES, I’m really wearing jeans, (unless it’s hot, then I might be in Shorts!). I’m known for telling it just like it is with no sugar coating, sometimes that’s good, sometimes that’s bad, but that’s who I am. Not everyone likes me for it, but hopefully they RESPECT me for it.
I think the country singer Toby Keith says it best in his song, “Love Me If You Can”
I’m a man of my convictions
Call me wrong, call me right
But I bring my better angels to every fight
You may not like where I’m goin’ But you sure know where I stand
Hate me if you want to Love me if you can
See you next week with the next installment!
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