Is Your Definition of Success The Same As Your Clients?
And other lessons learned while being snowed in…
Today was Ryan’s fourth day without school this week. Tomorrow stars mid winter break, so he’s pretty much never going back to school.
The first few days were great. We took the boys to the gym each day where they spent about 4 hours playing basketball and having lunch with friends. As a parent, 4 hours without screen time on a snow day is a HUGE win. But today, Alex was back in school and I caved. Ryan spend most of the day melting his mind playing video games. #parentfail.
But then Ryan gave me the biggest smile and the sweetest hug and said “thanks for letting me have so much time to play video games today”.
One person’s fail is another person’s day of awesomeness.
It’s the same with our clients. Sometimes we think we nailed it, and they don’t.
Here are some examples of what I mean:
For Buyers:
You write an awesome contract and the Seller signs it without countering. You are super excited because it means your client has secured the home and doesn’t have to worry about another offer coming in during the counter offer timeframe and potentially bumping them out.
Your client, on the other hand, might feel let down. Like maybe they didn’t ask for as much as they could have.
For Sellers:
The house sells in less than a week for full price. You are doing a victory dance because it means they don’t have to deal with the hassle of having people come through their house. And it was a full price offer, so they got what they wanted, right?
But maybe your seller wonders if they could have gotten more. Maybe they wonder if they should have started higher, even if it meant a longer market time and doing a price reduction, because then they know they “tried”.
Not fun. You put your heart and soul into helping your clients, and want them to have a great experience. Which includes feeling good about the outcome as well as the process.
Granted, there are plenty of Buyers who are thrilled to have their offer signed as is, and Sellers who will do a victory dance with you when it sells right away.
But not all. Because we all have our own definition of success.
It’s important to get really clear with your client, from the beginning, about what they view as a successful transaction. You might have to dig a bit on this one. Talk through hypothetical scenarios in the offer negotiation process to find out what’s important to them.
It doesn’t mean that you can guarantee it will go that way, but at least your client will feel heard and know that you are working towards the same end result.
To your success!
Nicole
Signup to receive Nicole's blog posts via email weekly:
Other Posts
Bet On Yourself VS The Market
Last week I shared how the end of August is a weird time – wanting to savor summer, while also shifting back into work mode. Turns out I’m not the only one this happens to! Thank you for all of the notes and feedback. I’ve found that when I’m not taking action, I spend WAY…
I Used To Dread The Last 2 Weeks Of August
Thirty years in real estate has taught me a lot of things. One of the best is this: I can finally see my own patterns. Like the one where I get twitchy every year mid-August. Part of me wants summer to stretch on forever. Part of me is itching for routine, order, and the satisfaction…
Beliefs = Actions = Results – It Matters Where You Start
August is an interesting month for me. I’m savoring the relaxed pace of summer, while also starting to think about Fall and shifting back into work mode. With a shift in focus I naturally start wondering what will happen. Will I be busy? Where will my clients come from? Will they be buyers or sellers?…
What Do You LOVE About Your Business?
I’m back!!! There’s been a lot going on lately, (more on that in a later post) and it’s been a few weeks since I’ve sent you a note. Needless to say, I’ve missed you! I’ve been moving through a lot of ‘life’ lately, and there’s been a common thread in my business that has surprised…
How Do You Want Summer To Feel?
Summer is often a season of expectations not meeting reality. I used to think my perfect summer meant iced tea on the patio while reading every day. For the record, that’s never happened. And for a while, I felt bad about it — like I was missing out, like I was doing summer wrong. Until…
You’re Not Behind, There Are Infinite Options
Your in box is about to fill up with emails about us being 1/2 through the year. You know – the ones that ask if you’re on track with your goals, and offer a solution to whip you into shape for the next 6 months. If you are having a great year – I celebrate…
Letting Go Of The Hustle Sounds Great, But You’ve Got a Business To Run
To be clear, I am 100% for less hustle, more flow, manifesting, receiving, regulating my nervous system, and letting things be easier. But somewhere between: “That sounds amazing” and “I’m a real estate agent – I need to generate clients and sell houses to earn an income” Things can get confusing. Because no matter how…
The Beauty of Not Doing It Alone
Thank you for being part of this community! I learned something beautiful and powerful last week. It was vulnerable to post about recalibrating, and being in the messy middle of grieving. Yet the conversations, emails, texts and notes have meant to much. To know that we are not alone is one of the greatest gifts…
Recalibrate In a Business That Runs 24/7
It happens to me every year about this time. The need to recalibrate. In a business that can run 24/7 – it’s easy to look up one day and realize, your batteries are drained and there’s no break in sight. Side note – It doesn’t have to be a 24/7 thing, but that’s a topic…
It’s Okay For Things To Be Different
I often find myself comparing things. I compare my business this year to years past.I compare my health and fitness to where I was 10 years ago.I compare how I show up and experience different life events. On the one hand – it makes perfect sense. Our brains crave predictability. It calms our nervous system.…