A long time ago I learned some basic truths in sales. One particular truth is that sometimes your lines feel clogged. Occasionally I find I have to re-learn the lesson. You probably have encountered that feeling of grinding away with a really unpleasant cl
ient and getting nowhere.
Ever run in to a person that eats up your time and in a general sense is a ‘yucky’ person? I had one of those people on my lines the last few weeks. I had driven three times to show this lady a house that was an hour away from me, spending hours with her between appointments, on the phone and email.
I eventually got her to write an offer and submit it last Monday. It was a garbage low ball offer she insisted on writing and I submitted it against my better judgment because the listing agent was a good friend, and I was certain that a deal could eventually be negotiated.
Then the following day on Tuesday, while we were waiting for a response she called me and decided to cancel her offer because she had not heard from me immediately according to her schedule with an update. This was after I explained carefully to her the evening before that we would know anything until Wednesday as per the terms of the contract, and I would give her a call as soon as the listing agent got back with me with a response.
She was incredibly ugly to me, hammered on me about ‘her schedule for the process’ and I realized she
had been quite ugly throughout the entire process.
I decided that rather than try to spend more hours explaining to her and handling her and make peace once again, that I would just clean the lines and cut her loose. I canceled her contract, sent her earnest money back and graciously terminated any agreements she had with me. I cleaned the lines.
What was the result? I got two houses pending, and also commercial building and I also got a new great listing! All these new clients were happy to work with me! Life was good again!
For two weeks I had ground away with this really yucky person who was eating up all my time and was very critical of Realtors in general, and I did no other business. Immediately when I cleaned the lines and cut her loose, I found fresh deals flowing in and life was great again.
So sometimes it really pays to step back and clean the lines, and move on to fresh clients who respect you as a professional and really want to buy a house. Some people out there are just generally unhappy, yucky people that live miserable lives by their own choosing, but it does not have to be my choice too.
When I was new to sales, and I ran into this situation, I would feel bad about it and spend hours and hours trying to rectify the situation with this kind of person thinking they needed 'special attention'. I learned over the years this rule, very painfully.
Today when the 'clean the lines' rule kicks in with me now, and I see that it needs to be applied I cut them out of my life like a sailor cutting a stuck anchor in an ocean squall. I do not even turn back to watch them sink in my ships wake. I just move on, and I always find nicer people to work with right around the corner, and good times to be had. Kind of like fishing on Lake Michigan (which is what all these photos are about!)
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