I wrote an article last week titled, “Family First?” that got a lot of response from many of you on my facebook page, because it hit a nerve with a lot of you and your commitment to your personal lives and families. The point of the article was to challenge you to see if your actions were backing up your statement that “family always comes first.”
The ultimate message was really about being authentic and honest with yourself and the people around you. This week I am going to do the same thing when I make the statement, “Stop being a fraud!”
Here’s the background: I am smack dab in the middle of what I call “convention season,” where I am getting to speak to and meet tens of thousands of real estate professionals from all around North America in the course of two months. What concerns me is just how similar so many sales people are; concerning for the same reason that I believe that all people may be created equal, but that doesn’t mean that they end up equal.
As you know, each of us is created with a unique DNA that was meant to separate us as individuals and allow us to stand out. Unfortunately what happens as we go through professional training, however, is that we go through so many classes and subconscious “social norms” lessons, that after a while, we all just seem to act and talk like a traditional sales person “is supposed to talk.”
Here is my advice…STOP IT! I experienced this same training when I started speaking full-time. There was a particular way that I was supposed to act, dress and talk. For a while I conformed and then I made an important realization, which I will pose to you in the following question:
If you are just like every other real estate professional out there, what is the advantage of someone working with you over your competition, or seeking your services again when they need a sales agent in the future? The truth is that there is no clear advantage…unless you embrace your individuality.
On any given day, you can find me dressed in a pin stripe suit, or mowing my lawn in what appears to be rags, or working out with my hat on backwards or just chilling out with casual clothing on. And guess what—they are all a part of who I am. If you see me at an event on my way to the gym, I’m not worried anymore because that is a part of who I am. And that is a part of you too!
The days of making sure that our clients always see us dressed “like a real estate professional” and holding back a piece of our personality because it is “not professional” are over. With social media, Skype and the Internet, we are living in the most transparent time in history. Either embrace who you are and allow others to embrace you, or be honest with yourself and begin to take the steps necessary to become more comfortable in your own skin. But please – don’t be a fraud any longer. I would rather that people like or hate the real me then to never even notice or remember my great acting job.
Jared James is the CEO and Founder of Jared James Enterprises, an internationally sought-after speaker and trainer. James built one of the fastest-growing real estate teams in the country, was inducted into the International Hall of Fame for one of the world’s largest real estate companies and wrote a best-selling book—all before the age of 28. As an acclaimed speaker, James keynotes events for major real estate organizations and conducts regular webinars and training for nationally known organizations like NAR, CRS, Yahoo Real Estate,Trulia and Zillow Academy and blogs regularly for RISMedia.
To stay in touch with Jared James, visit www.facebook.com/jaredjamestoday and www.twitter.com/jaredjamestoday or visit his website at www.jaredjamestoday.com.
