Working in the Face of Tornados
Have you seen this viral photo yet? Here, you see a guy who had a job to do — mowing his lawn — and remained hyper-focused on finishing that job. Sure, there’s a tornado in the background, but he recognized that it was further than it appeared, and that it was actually moving in the other direction.
Notice that he isn’t looking over his shoulder at the danger off in the distance. When interviewed about this photo, he said, “I was keeping my eye on it.” He knew the danger was there — but he kept his peripheral tuned in while staying on the task at the hand.
As real estate agents, we can take a cue from this man. There will always be a tornado in the distance — but it’s how you choose to live your life and do business in the face of the tornado that determines the fate of both your life and your business.
This man was experienced enough with weather phenomena to know that the tornado in the background didn’t pose an immediate risk. When you’re used to danger, it’s easier to remain calm. Sell your experience with the risks inherent in real estate to your clients. Whether you’re trying to convince a prospect to go against selling FSBO, counseling a client through an unexpected twist in their home ownership journey or trying to win a listing, hammer home how your experience benefits them:
“See that tornado in the background? That represents everything that can go wrong in your transaction. I’m the guy mowing the lawn because that’s my job at that time. I calmly stay on task and also keep my eye on the danger. Because of my experience with these things, you have nothing to worry about.”
Your expertise handling the most difficult transactions will reap enormous rewards for your clients — so don’t forget to sell it!
