RISMEDIA, July 3, 2010—In today’s difficult market, it is especially important for real estate professionals to take the initiative to stand out from the crowd. Differentiating yourself from the competition is one of the easiest ways to find success today. Here, Todd Walker, Senior Vice President, Sales & Operations, The Real Estate Book, discusses why you should strive to be an eagle in today’s market.
Todd Walker
Senior Vice President, Sales & Operations
The Real Estate Book®
www.treb.com
When I need a doctor or an attorney, I want the most highly skilled professional that I can find. After that, my next requirement is great customer service.
Real estate transactions are no different. I believe that the top real estate professionals are highly skilled marketers and negotiators and experts at guiding buyers and sellers through the complex process of buying or selling a home. However, I also want someone to make me feel like a valued customer—even a prized customer.
Harvey Mackay tells a wonderful story about a cab driver to prove this point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.
The driver handed Harvey a laminated card and said: “Hi. I’m Wally, your driver. While I’m loading your bags in the trunk, I’d like you to read my mission statement.” Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: “Wally’s Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.”
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, “Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.”
My friend said jokingly, “No, I’d prefer a soft drink.”
Wally smiled and said, “No problem. I have a cooler upfront with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.” Almost stuttering, Harvey said, “I’ll take a Diet Coke.”
Handing him his drink, Wally said, “If you’d like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.”
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, “These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you’d like to listen to the radio.”
And as if that weren’t enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he’d be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
“Tell me, Wally,” my amazed friend asked the driver, “have you always served customers like this?”
Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. “No, not always. In fact, it’s only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.
“He had just written a book called, You’ll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you’ll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, ‘Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.’”
“I take it that has paid off for you,” Harvey said.
“It sure has,” Wally replied. “My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year, I’ll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don’t sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can’t pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.”
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like a duck and to start soaring like an eagle.
Do you know agents who want to sit around and complain about the market? Do you know others who go the extra mile to get every bit of business available? Which ones are the top agents bringing in the commissions—even during a down market? Which are you? A duck? Or an eagle?
