When it comes to a career in sales, there is one question
that will govern how you act, who you work with and whether you will enjoy (or
hate) your job.
The short game is all about the here and now. This
deal. This client. This listing. It’s about your next meal,
your next car payment or whether the baby will have milk tomorrow. It’s
contentious, often adversarial and based on conquest
and power trips.
The long game is about ten years from now. It’s about
building a brand. It’s about making decisions on criteria other than
immediate gratification. It’s about sowing seeds instead of chopping down trees.
Truth is, it seems to me a lot
of people in real estate are addicted to the short game. As I have
written about extensively in previous posts, our current market is dominated by two emotions - fear
and greed.
Fear and greed are the essence of the short game.
When you focus on the short game, you focus on the
deal.
When you focus on the long game, you focus on your
client.
When you play the short game, the
payoff is the equity of the paycheck.
When you play the long game, the
payoff is the equity of the relationship.
I’m not here to tell other people how to run their
business. Truth is, their business is none of my business. But way too many agents (and people) these days are operating from a
position of scarcity, a belief that every dollar left on the table is
somehow eternally snatched away, never to return or be multiplied in some other
form.
Abundance is the opposite of scarcity.
Abundance is based on the belief that there is plenty of business, plenty of
opportunity and plenty of money to go around. Those who believe in the theory of abundance know that the universe loves
a cheerful giver, that collaboration beats conquest, and that brand equity is your most important asset.
Scarcity-thinking is instinctual. Abundance-thinking
is a learned discipline.
I often say that every transaction is really three
transactions, if you play it right. It’s the immediate sale, it’s a
future referral and it’s the repeat business that happens ten years down the
road.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you should roll over and be a softie. Skilled negotiation is one of the most important survival tools for a top-performing real estate broker. Believe me, I will fight when it's time to fight. But playing the long game means that the battles I fight will be for my clients, not for me.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you should roll over and be a softie. Skilled negotiation is one of the most important survival tools for a top-performing real estate broker. Believe me, I will fight when it's time to fight. But playing the long game means that the battles I fight will be for my clients, not for me.
How many of your clients are raving fans? How many of
your clients will go out of their way to refer you to someone they care
about? How many of your clients feel a sense of connection that
transcends real estate?
The answer to those questions will determine if your personal brand is an
asset or a liability.
To those in this business stuck
in the darkness of fear and scarcity, I offer this appeal… stop playing the short
game. If you don’t like your clients, fire them. Clear space for
new opportunities. Surround yourself with people you like. Quit
being a desperate, greedy vampire.
Harvesting is for a
season. Planting is for the generations.
Decide today if you’re going to be doing this in ten years,
and if you are, then start acting like it. You don’t need "deals".
You need people who trust you.
Reviews matter. Relationships matter. Outcomes
matter. Happily-ever-after’s matter.