You get by giving. If you believe that, you must live it as well. I certainly do; it's the principle I live by and my company philosophy, I try to communicate this message in everything that I do. It stands to reason that if we want our clients to remain loyal to us and to refer us to others, then we must give to them before we get anything in return. If you believe we get by giving, and you should, it's up to you to set the stage to ensure you get back what you need in your business and life.

We have been so immersed in technology, acquisitions, mergers, downsizing, the information highway, the Internet and other changes, that we've gotten away from the heart and soul of our business - service; service to people. Unfortunately, this has not only happened in the real estate profession. It's everywhere.

For example, I've noticed that lately when I go into one of those building stores, the extent of the personalized service I can count on is limited. If I run into a salesperson in the paint department and ask for a can of paint that can be washed off with water, I get an, "Aisle 7, that-a-way." When you reach that isle, and if you happen upon another salesperson and ask, "Can this paint be washed off with water?, what you usually find is the salesperson picks up the can, turns around, leans toward you and starts reading the instructions."

Well, that's one area where I feel the importance of people has gone down the drain. But, there is good news. We are starting to see a slow ripple effect of service coming back into our society. Let's join forces with that movement and put service back into the real estate industry. I believe that if every real estate agent in the world lived by the following ten-rule, client-care checklist and made sure that their clients received these ten commitments from them, their relationship with those clients would remain strong and be life-long:

Client Checklist

1.Deliver more than you promise. Think of one thing more that you can do for them and do it. Why? Because most people deliver less than they promise, and it will distinguish you from the crowd.

2.Don't promise more that you can deliver.

3.Always prepare them for the worst, not the best. When people have their expectations built up too high, there is only one way they can go...down. Don't miss this point. People don't mind that you said it would take "X" and it took less than you said. They are always pleasantly surprised. They do mind when you say it will take "X" less time, money, etc. and they are disappointed because they had to wait longer or spend more.

4.Thank them often. Ring, ring... "Hello, Mr. Wojekowski. This is Floyd Wickman. I was just calling to thank you for being such a great client. Any new activity going on there that I didn't know about? No. Well okay, let's stay in touch and thanks once again." That's all it takes and they will love you for it. See, most of the time we're calling because we want something from them. This communicates that we care about them as people.

5.Listen to them. One-third of agents will forget this unless I remind them. Sellers have complaints. They'll want to know where are the people? Why isn't it selling? What are you doing to help them? Agents who get defensive and try to tell the sellers that there is nothing to worry about are missing the point. A customer-focused agent will not become defensive but instead will go over and let them vent. When you get there don't defend what you do. Just let them know you're on their side. Oh, by the way, why is this good? Because no one else listens to them!

6.Protect them. I've heard trainers refer to their clients in the worst terms. Turkeys, jerks, idiots…If one of my trainers ever spoke about one of our clients like that I'd fire him or her on the spot. Likewise, I'd fire an agent who did the same. Sure, some clients' personalities might need work, but they are clients. Protect them in such a way that if a co-broke brings in a contract where all the details are not where they should be and the I's aren't dotted, you tell them to go back and get the thing in order. Don't just run with it because it represents a potential commission. Protect them and let them know you did.

7.Keep them informed. Call them every week or so even if you have nothing to tell them. "Hello, this is Floyd. I called to let you know that I have nothing to tell you, just like I promised I would. I thought you'd want to hear from me anyway." Also, tell them up front that occasionally you'll take some time off to be with your family. You promised your wife and kids you'd do that. However, if you're not there when they need you, someone else in your company will cover for you.

8.Never, ever lose touch with them. Use a client follow up system of some kind. You can be sure that you'll get repeat business if they hear from you regularly. Next to listings, referrals are the name of the game.

9.Be honest. It's okay if you hurt them temporarily. They need you to tell them what they need to know to make good business decisions, not just what they want to hear.

10. Make their #1 goal your #1 goal. How do you determine their number one goal? You ask them, even before you take the listing. Ask them, "What's your number one goal in making this move? I ask because I want to make that my most important goal." That knocks out the competition because the competition is concentrating on price, terms, other business - You're making them feel special.

Today is the first day of the rest of your business career. Why not make it the day that you begin to refocus your energies on making your clients feel like the most important people on earth. Give to them and you can rest assured that you'll reap the benefits for a long time to come. Remember that you get by giving!

Published: November 30, 1999

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Floyd Wickman has dedicated three decades of his life teaching real estate agents how to be successful. Through his long running SweathogsTM training program (sold in 1999) and its successor the StarMaker S.M.A.R.T.TM program, Floyd Wickman has given the tools to success to over 250,000 real estate agents throughout North America. Floyd Wickman has authored six top selling books, has sold over one million audio programs, and was named one of the 25 most influential people in real estate. Salesperson Magazine named him "The Extraordinary Ordinary Man", he makes the hard stuff look easy. His favorite award is the rare CPAE, Council of Peers Award of Excellence from NSA, the National Speakers Association. If you have a question or comment for Floyd or would like him to speak at your event please visit CallFloyd.com and he will get back to you personally.