Believe it or not, one of the most important lessons I learned in real estate and about real estate has to 
do with the cell phone.
How often do you take your incoming calls?
If you're like most of us, a ringing cell phone is a call to action. If the thing rings I'm scrambling to answer it before the caller hangs up. Might be another client you know. And I can't miss anybody, especially in today's economy.
When I first began in this business two years ago, I wouldn't miss a call for anything. I'd keep my phone turned on and right by my side. I was a like a gun slinger from the old west, only my weapon was my trusty cell phone. And the fact that I kept going over my minutes each month once I began to get busy meant that I was being successful! Look at ME. My phone is ringing a lot! I'm important! Whoo-Hooo!
But then I read a tech tip by Rick DeLuca.
He said, "If you want to last a long time in real estate, turn off your cell phone at family meal time."
WHAT? Are you kidding? I might miss a call if I do that!
But he went on to explain that you can always call the client back. And furthermore, who is really most important in your life? The person you hope to retire with or the person who wants to know about a house that you may or may not get to sell to them?
WOW. I realized in pretty quick order that he was right. I was totally guilty of putting my wife and my family second to my cell phone. And I found out later that it really hurt their feelings when I did that. It didn't matter to them that I might miss a client. It mattered that I was putting them below and behind business. No wonder they felt resentment towards my successful real estate career.
So I took Mr. DeLuca's tip to heart. I began silencing my cell phone during family means or whenever I was eating with my wife, like on a date. And whenever I would return calls after I went back to work I found that people were very understanding. If I told them I was at dinner with the wife, they were always like, "That's awesome! Thanks for getting back to me!"
Did I miss a few clients? Yep, but I gained the respect of my family back. And to me, that's a whole lot more important.
I found out how ridiculous I had been acting one time when my wife and I were out for dinner. We were sitting in a restaurant when a big dog agent (who works at another company) and her husband came in with their son. She was on her cell phone from the moment they walked in until they left. I kid you not, she didn't exchange more than 5 words with the two men in her life who were sitting across the table from her. It was very sad to watch. And I had been guilty of doing the very same thing.
Balance is a key issue in this business.
I know because last November I ran out of gas. I was answering the phone too much and spending way too much time doing real estate. I didn't factor in family time and days off.
Today I'm a changed man. I want to be in real estate AND in my family for the long haul.
So at dinner time and on dates, family comes first!
PS - Just so you know that life isn't perfect...I taught my wife how to text on her cell phone. Now I have a hard time getting her to put the darn thing down during dinner time!!! Oh well, that's how it goes!
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Chair pic and gunslinger pics provided by Flickr free photo sharing. Chair pic taken by emdot. Text added by Bob Haywood. Gunslinger pic taken by freeparking. Ring ring...well that was my idea...
Blackberry pic taken from my computer.
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