The Rebound Effect

While catching up with my friend Debbie last week, she shared a story about a client who recently decided to work with someone else. This wasn’t just any client. It’s someone she has done many transactions with. She had spent hours helping them prep their current home for sale. At the last-minute, they decided to use someone else. Not fun!

As Debbie shared her story, she asked if that had ever happened to me. As a matter of fact, it had, just last week. As I shared my story, Debbie’s shoulders relaxed and she said “I’m so glad I’m not the only one.”

Now, Debbie wasn’t saying that she was glad it happened to me, or she wished it on me, or that she thought I deserved it. But if you have ever been swooped, or had a client flake out on you, it’s easy to assume that you are the only one it happens to.

The truth is. It happens to everyone.

Debbie is a rock star agent. This had nothing to do with how good she is.

We don’t talk about it though because we are embarrassed and don’t want to seem like a failure. We share our successes, but it isn’t often that we feel comfortable and confident enough to share our failures.

It’s time to have some healthy discussion on this topic.

How do you rebound?

The first thing is to realize that they are not failures. They are learning opportunities and a function of being in business. Spend your energy dealing with them v.s. trying to avoid them.

We all get knocked down. The difference between successful agents and those that struggle is how quickly you can get back up.

In the instant that it happens, you have a decision to make and it can go one of two ways:

• Are you going to view this as a one-off event, lick your wounds and move on

                    OR

• Are you going to decide that this is how all clients and agent operate. They are not to be trusted, unethical, rude, etc?

How you answer that question will determine your Momentum and Success for next 6-12 months in real estate.

Hint: Which answer you choose is solely determined by your Mindset. The market and your clients will respond accordingly.

Why 6-12 months? Because left to your own devices, if you choose the second answer, it takes 4 months to figure out you are off track, another 2 months to figure out the cause and then 0-6 months from there to fix it.

What can you do?

1. Decide how you want to answer the question above. Be intentional about it.
2. Say: “Whew! I’m glad I got my cranky client out of the way. It’s time to move on to the great ones who value me and pay my fee.”
3. Give yourself a specific amount of time to pout. Even if you chose to view it as a one-off event, it still hurts.
4. Exercise. Changing your surroundings and moving your body will shake the cobwebs loose and shift your energy.
5. Take your best client to lunch. You have clients who love and adore you. Spend time with them to remember that.
6. Do something that makes you laugh. Watch a movie, laugh with friends. Whatever it is. Laughter really is the best medicine.
7. Get a coach / mentor: As I said above, it’s a given that you will get knocked down and get off track. The absolute BEST way to take that rebound timeframe from 6+ months to 2 days, is having a coach to talk you through it and hold you accountable.

And remember, tomorrow is a new day and this too shall pass.

To your success!
Nicole