I’ve been thinking a lot about how to build authentic, REAL relationships. It seems that our technology is making us more distant from each other rather than more connected.
Unfortunately that makes our business harder than ever. Not only do we need to build real relationships, but we are also asking people to trust us with one of the biggest transactions of their lives.
In the midst of pondering this, a friend told me about an incredible little book called The Go-Giver. It’s one of those parable-style books that sounds like a fictional story but has powerful lessons.
This book really made a difference in how I look at relationship-building. Let me tell you about it – maybe it will shift your mindset too!
Me-First or You-First
We all know that putting our clients and prospects first is the way to build trust and gain business. Unfortunately, we tend to pretend we’re putting others first when we’re really putting ourselves first.
It’s inauthentic, and everyone else can tell.
You know those endless Facebook ads that all claim to show you the “system of success” – purely out of the kindness of the creator's heart (oh, and $1500 of your money?) We know those folks aren’t about our success. They’re about their OWN success, using us as the leverage.
Can you be truly you-first and still succeed in business? Go-Giver says YES.
The Principles of Being a Go-Giver
A quick synopsis of the story, in case you haven’t read it (but you should!):
A young man is trying to succeed and almost-accidentally gets invited to be mentored by “the Chairman.” Through his experiences, he learns the following lessons:
- Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
- Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
- Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.
- Authenticity: The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
- Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
Of course, as he puts these into place he becomes more successful in his work. It’s not cheesy though – it’s very relatable.
So how can we put these in place as real estate agents?
The Go-Giver Real Estate Agent
Let’s look at each principle and think about how we can apply them to improve our relationships and thus our success.
Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
As a Realtor®, you have a LOT that you can give in value completely for free. Examples include sharing community information (either as a blog or on social media), writing articles about how to prepare for a listing – or even a change in seasons, and much more. These are great ways to build real relationships!
Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
Well this is obviously true for real estate agents! If we don’t serve, we don’t eat. But at the same time unpaid service is also vital. You’ll earn a lot more if you build that trust first (principle 1) than if you win business in an unauthentic way.
Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.
Think about the agents – or even people – you know who have the most real influence over others. Not fame and fortune – that’s a totally different thing. But real, “I’d do anything for you” influence. The reason people feel that way is that they feel like the other person really puts them first!
Authenticity: The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
Who are you as a professional? Are you outgoing, or more of a listener? Do you focus on serving people through technology, or do you love helping them get the most out of their home by staging and decluttering? We all do a bit of everything, but there are some things you really excel at. Consider doubling down and really getting known for those things!
Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
Sometimes it’s easy to give but hard to let others help us. We are proud, we want to seem strong, or we just don’t like advice. However, receiving is vital. Indirectly, we receive when we accept help with areas of marketing we’re less skilled with, or when we allow someone to introduce us to a great producer or service provider. Directly, of course, we receive when we ask for and accept referrals!
Are You a Go-Giver?
There’s so much more to the book than I was able to share that I still recommend that you read it yourself. However, from what I shared here, are you a go-giver? What do you think of the concept?
Share in the comments!
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This post originally shared on PrinterBees' Real Estate Marketing Magazine.
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