Do Something Completely Embarassing And Outside Of Your Comfort Zone …
And then you remember how some of your clients feel when they are buying and selling real estate.
A girlfriend of mine talked me into taking a Zumba class this summer. Zumba is a Latin dance inspired aerobics class, so basically aerobics with a whole lot of butt shakin’! I am a runner and swimmer, NOT someone that takes aerobics classes. My sister is a world class aerobics instructor and has that perfectly fit body with the super peppy attitude that makes you simultaneously envious and motivated at the same time. I have taken a handful of her classes over the years and in all honesty just feel a bit weird jumping around in a room with a bunch of other people. I would rather get into my zone and do my own thing when it comes to cardio, but this Zumba thing sounded like fun so I figured what the heck. Was I ever in for a surprise! The first class, all I could think is ‘what on earth possessed me to do this’!? I felt completely uncomfortable and awkward, but I keep going back each week and while I will not be entering any salsa competitions anytime soon I am starting to get the hang of the whole thing.
I do a lot of yoga and in that you mirror the instructor. So essentially when they tell you to do something on your left side they reverse themselves and use their right so that we are all seemingly going in the same direction. Well in this crazy Zumba class in addition to trying to keep up you do the opposite of the instructor so I am usually fumbling to figure out if I am using the correct foot and what not and then one day she started calling out ‘right side’ or ‘left side’ in the middle of class. That one little thing made it SO much easier to keep up and on track!
As I was leaving class that day I realized that this is how our clients feel a lot of the time ~ completely uncomfortable and embarrassed to ask questions because they do not want to seem unknowledgable. As agents we are desensitized to large numbers. What’s the big deal, it is another $25,000 in purchase price or $5,000 in repairs? Well we deal with hundreds of thousands of dollars a day. It would be interesting to take a poll but I am guessing that the biggest check most people write on a regular basis isn’t much over $200 so you can start to see the disconnect and how our being flippant about numbers could make clients uncomfortable. Also, they don’t always know the next steps in a transaction. Laying out for them, in writing, both ahead of time and each step of the way what is coming next goes a long way towards reducing their stress and making it easier for them to see the big picture and approach things rationally.
Signup to receive Nicole's blog posts via email weekly:
Other Posts
Letter to My Younger Self
Today is my birthday. For me, birthdays are a beautiful mix of celebration, anticipation and reflection. This post is dedicated to reflections. Things I wish I could tell my younger self. Imposter syndrome is normal! You’ve spent so much time doubting yourself. Feeling like everyone else knows what they are doing while you’re still trying…
Read More
Managing the Adrenaline / Emotional Roller Coaster of Real Estate
Closings, getting mutual on a contract, receiving a referral – there are lots of wins in real estate. Each one brings a shot of adrenaline that feels amazing. However, those moments are often short lived, with a lot of space in between. If you aren’t careful that space can fill with self doubt, insecurity or…
Read More
Why Proving Yourself Is A Bad Idea
I competed on a listing this week that I didn’t get. It was a great one too – awesome house, great clients. It was one I really wanted. When I got done pouting I took a few minutes to ask myself, ‘where did it go wrong’? Our first appointment was amazing! The second one, not…
Read More
The Secret To Success: How Awareness Transforms Everything
‘The first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.’ – Source Unknown Last week focused on letting go of the need to play catch up. The only thing that matters is focusing on the present moment. The…
Read More
Don’t Try To Catch Up – Just Start Where You Are
I’ve spent the last few days in Virginia at my favorite real estate conference, Genuine Hustle, where I had the honor of presenting a session on asking powerful questions. It’s the most authentic, vulnerable, supportive and all around amazing group of agents that I’ve ever spent time with. They haven’t released the location or dates…
Read More
This Phone Call Brings In The Most Referrals
Can calls really translate into referrals? Are some more effective than others? When we work with clients it’s easy to go into ‘get it done’ mode. We focus on getting from contract to closing as quickly and smoothly as possible. And to be fair, that’s a big part of what our clients hire us to…
Read More
What if EVERYTHING is Working Out For You?
What happens when you have a ‘set back’ ? Does it send you into a tail spin of fear and insecurity? Do you brush it off and move on? Or – Do you view it as confirmation that you ARE on the right path, realize it wasn’t the right opportunity or situation for you, and…
Read More
Don’t Do This Alone
I was lucky enough to be invited to mastermind with these amazing agents for a few days this week. We talked business, but it was so much more than that. We talked about being intentional with our lives, the hours we worked, the struggles we face, our investment strategies (owning rental real estate of one…
Read More
Collaboration Over Competition, This Is Your Chance To Learn From The Best
What if you could stop over thinking how to run your business? What if you knew exactly what other agents do to attract clients? This is your chance! Season 2 of Secrets of Attracting Clients starts January 27th and I’m super excited for this years line up! We have 12 amazing sessions, all with ideas…
Read More
How Lowering Your Bar Can Help You Reach Your Goals
January holds a special mix of big dreams and deep insecurity for a lot of agents. If you find yourself toggling between the two – know that you’re not alone. We usually associate big dreams with big actions. So we make long to do lists as proof of our commitment to increasing our income. Often…
Read More