One dot. That’s one Realtor. One broker. One vendor. One transaction.
Two dots, four dots, 100 dots. When unconnected, that’s what our industry looks like most of the time, when we don’t work together. When we refuse to work together. When we fight and talk shit about each other.
Maybe you become involved in a game of pen the pig and you’re connected to three other people. You might trap more consumers or agents. But you’re still limited — look at the walls you created.
Scan out to a serious connect-the-dot picture. Not as yet connected.
The potential is there. What’s it going to take? Vision? Or just work?
Time? Or just patience?
Check out the end result.
Isn’t that why we’re here? We’re in a lonely industry. We’re looking for connections.
And a little secret for you — if you’re going to be a BSD with your volume and how awesome you are, you’re not going to be someone that anyone wants to connect with.
Be real. Be you. Be honest. Be open to new ideas. New people. New vendors. Be open to saying no if that’s what you feel.
Open up about something more than houses. Get to know people for who and what they are on a deeper level.
You’re not going to have this happen with 4,000 people. Or even 400.
Instead, how about focusing on 10 people. Creating 10 connections that, when you go home, you’ll actually know them well enough to follow up.
I know that some of you came with 1,000 business cards and you’ll hand them all out as if on a mission from God.
Go on and give me one — I’ll add you to my newsletter before I throw it away — but how am I going to really remember you?
Some of y’all remember me from videos you have watched, some from dinners we have attended together, some will remember me because I’m not perfectly dressed. Dadgummit! None of you remember me because I have ever handed you a business card. Not one.
Guess what. Your clients don’t, either. They, too, are looking for connection.
That’s why I asked you to pull out the polka dots for today. They don’t call it polka dot, singular — it’s dots, plural.
Use those dots as your conversation starter. Start a conversation with someone you’ve never met.
I broke my ankle working out. Which does mean exercise is dangerous — all of you fussbudgets who declare you’ll never do anything now can use me an example. You’re welcome.
Anyhoo, I ran into a quote in a podcast I was listening to. If you’re healthy, you wish for 1,000 things.
If you’re not healthy, you wish for 1.
I’m actually not wishing for a healthy body today. That, I can work for in about six weeks.
What I wish for is five new people who will share the journey with me. Who I can get to know better. Who, like me, are focused on changing this entire industry and will work for that end. Who are old enough to lose the filters that separate us. Who are smart enough to know that they are not the be-all end-all and honest enough to tell me when I’m not, either.
I’m going to focus on more than real estate production or agent recruiting or technology gadgets over the next 3 days. I’m going to find new dots and connect them.
Join me?
Leigh Brown is a full-time residential Realtor, speaker, coach and smartass. She works in the Charlotte, North Carolina, market with Re/Max Executive Realty and can be reached @leighbrown on all networks.