It was 20 years ago. AH was referred to me like this: "Sally, AH thinks he is the smartest guy in any room. He doesn't have many friends. But he needs to sell his house. You are the only person I know who is strong enough to handle him. He agreed to call you."
Wow... I can do it. I can handle anything, after all I know what I'm doing..... bring him on. And yeah, I am strong!... Wow... thanks for the kudos... said my puffed up ego as I buffed my nails on my superwoman cape.
In my arrogance, I offered him an easy out clause if he was unhappy in any way. After all... I was going to impress him so much he wouldn't dream of wanting out.
4 weeks into it, the call came. It's 6 pm. I'm managing homework... cooking dinner ... barefoot in the kitchen. Wynonna's belting out Cause I'm a Woooo---man..... W-O-M-A-N.... in the background.
He wants to cancel. Unknown to me, another agent caught wind of my easy-out clause... offered him a reduced commission. He jumped at that one.
I crank up my strength, expand my posturing, sharpen my voice, drill with my words, laser-like logic. My daughter is on the kitchen floor startled. The dog hides. My hubby suspects someone was murdered. Or about to be. Dinner burns.
I hang up. I negotiated a 48 hour reprieve. But I am pissed. He's a jerk. Who does he think.......? blah blah blah.
My house is in an uproar. After all if Momma's upset, everyone's upset. I don't sleep that night, grinding over all the things I should have said.
A week later it hits me. I should have said "Bye bye" at our first meeting. I didn't like him, and I had been warned he was a jerk. As the saying goes "You knew I was a snake when you picked me up."
I have since learned to look at my time like a marina. I have a limited number of slips. Each slip deserves a yacht. I don't have room for any leaky, paint-peeling, dinged-up rust buckets. They just tie up my slip space, eliminating room for the yacht cruising my harbor. There are enough yachts out there, who appreciate my help, value my knowledge, want my expertice, and are loyal. The recognize honesty and hard work. They appreciate it. They appreciate ME. And they tell me so.
So I now reserve my slip space for yachts. I try to ferret them out at first meeting. If not, I have keel-hauled a few clients over the past 20 years... pitched 'em right overboard.
And my home is at peace.
And PS... his name wasn't really AH.... that's just what I chose to call him!
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Check out my other posts that might be of interest.....
HOME BUYERS AND SELLERS..........Buying a Home, Selling a Home, Loans, What Happens if....
LOCAL INFO................................. Fair Oaks, Carmichael, Sacramento, Folsom, Citrus Heights
ABOUT SALLY DUNBAR.................. How I learned to...., Personal stuff, My Wordless Photos
OTHER STUFF............................... Inspiration, Attitude, Humorous Stuff, Charity, the Economy
TECHNOLOGY, BLOGGING ............. Active Rain, Technology
Flicker photos by voyage anatolia and photo8.com
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