I remember as a kid visiting the Art Museum in Centennial Park in Nashville Tennessee. For those of you that havent been there they have created a full scale replica of the Greek Parthenon and the 42 foot statue of Athena. It is truely an amazing sight and not something you expect to see in Tennessee. One of the things I remember the most was that there was a set of huge doors at each end. Each door was 7 feet wide, 24 feet high, one foot thick and made of bronze. Each of these doors were 7 1/2 tons each yet I could push them easily with a finger. These hinges were holding up doors that were thousands of times their weight. I remember my mother quoting W. Clement Stone to me“Big doors swing on little hinges”
Just like so many things in life, it’s the attention to the “little things” that can have a big effect. So what are some of the “little things” that make a big difference in our real estate careers and in our personal lives?
Listening. The first step to communication isn’t speaking it is listening. Have you ever been talking with someone and realized that your attention was wandering and you had no idea what they just said? Effective listening isn’t just being quiet so someone can talk it means we actually hear what someone is saying. (whether client or spouse they can get real mad when your not listening!) Not such a little thing.
Consistency. People want to know what to expect from you. If you say you will be there at 2:00 are they wondering where you are at 2:15? Do you return your calls and emails? Are you on the ball, can you get the job done? Are you blogging regularily? Do you explain what is happening during a sale to your clients, your lender, your escrow officer, your broker? You never want people to wonder what is coming next. Not such a little thing.
Attitude. No one really wants to deal with a crab or a pessimist or someone that is full of ego and trying to make themselves bigger by walking on someone elses shoulders. We all have an off day but attitude is contagious and it makes a big difference in how you interact with the people around you. Not such a little thing.
Trust. Trust can either be fragile or or incredibly strong. On a daily basis we meet a wide range of people that may be naturally trusting or overly skeptical. If you think about it we are asking a complete stranger to trust us with the biggest and most intimate things in their life. We want them to entrust us with their home, their family, their dreams, their finances. Certainly not a little thing.
Organization. This one might be the hardest thing of all to master for most people. When you are well organized everything moves smoother and easier. Did you loose a clients phone number because it was on a sticky note that went who knows where? Can you find that important document that needs to be sent in the next 2 minutes? Can you remember what time you were supposed to be at the appointment? Does your desk, car, house look like a bomb went off? Do you have everything you need to make a listing presentation or are you going to just show up and hope it works?
This list can be quite a bit longer what things come to your mind? It is the attention to the “little things” that can have a big effect Just remember it is the small hinges that can swing big doors.
