The idea of surrounding yourself with good people has been around forever. One of the earliest known quotes was from the caveman, Thag.
“Thag hunt mammoth with rock-head Grog; mammoth eat Thag for lunch.”
Thag’s quote was later stolen and modernized by the likes of Tony Robbins and Oprah.
Surrounding yourself with the best people seems obvious, but sometimes we get complacent and start accepting that things are “good enough.”
For example, in Marketing the Images, I mentioned that no matter how great your current photographer is, you need to always be on the lookout for one that is even better. The same goes for every service provider you have. Why? Because:
Your BRAND is only as strong as your weakest team member.
“Good” is not nearly good enough. You must strive to be the best.
You want a business with a never-ending stream of referrals, my friend? Remember this:
Every team member and every service-provider you recommend is a direct reflection of YOU.
Maybe you think you hit it out of the ballpark with a listing. You did everything right, and you achieved a fantastic result for your client. But guess which part your client remembers the most?
“The home stager you recommended was rude and impatient.” ☹️
Maybe your home stager is terrific in every other way and gets the job done like nobody else. After all, that’s what’s most important. Right?
Wrong. Your team members and service providers need people skills, the same as YOU need people skills. We’re in a relationship-based business, above all else.
I’m not saying you should fire everyone the first time you have a complaint. Anyone can have a bad day, and sometimes it’s your client who is the cranky and unreasonable one.
But, here’s what you need to do:
- Discuss with each of your team members and service providers and clearly outline your expectations. If they want to be part of YOUR team, you expect them to be professional, polite, friendly, and helpful at all times when dealing with YOUR clients.
- Ask your client for feedback after each interaction.
If you do these two things, here’s what’s going to happen:
- Your team members and service providers will perform at a higher level when they work for you because they clearly understand your expectations, and they respect your high standards.
- The feedback will empower you to make positive decisions towards improving your brand. This could be as simple as having a coaching call with a team member or making a more permanent change for the better.
Bonus: The fact that you ask for feedback in itself demonstrates that you care and adds to your greatness. Even if the experience was less than perfect, showing genuine concern can often turn a negative situation into a positive one.
If it sounds like too much work to follow up after every interaction, you do not understand how important this is. You want a business with a never-ending stream of referrals? Learn how to be more organized and purposeful and customer-service driven. For more information, check out The Agent Skills Master’s Program,
And hey! If you want to be a mammoth-killer, don’t hire any rock-heads.
