Scott Newman
By Scott Newman
I recently had the privilege to do some work for high-profile clients. While I did enjoy working with them, I was reminded of just how different their expectations can be. As such, I thought it would be pertinent to review some simple tips and strategies so that should you ever have the opportunity to work with such a client, you’ll be prepared and ready to do a great job.
Respect their privacy: This is the first and most important rule when working with high profile clients. Nothing will get you blackballed in the VIP community faster than blabbing to the press, or anyone, really, about where they’re living or how much they spent, etc. Keep in mind that while people finding out where you live wouldn’t be too much of a hassle for you, it can become a huge problem — and even a safety issue — for high profile people.
Understanding how important privacy is to VIP clients can not only make or break your reputation, but it can also be used as a selling point. Make sure you let them know right up front that you are trustworthy and will keep their information confidential…and make sure you don’t go back on your word for any reason.
Be flexible with your schedule and plan accordingly: Many VIP clients do not do well with schedules because they often have many people pulling them in many directions, and getting them places on time can be difficult. I have had several clients in the past who routinely showed up 30-45 minutes late and that was just something I had to learn to work around. I quickly figured out that I should give the agents we are meeting a time-window and explain the likelihood of my client being late.
Another simple strategy is to schedule more than enough time between showings. Continue reading »
Lynn Minnick
By Lynn Minnick
I was lucky enough to have been picked to participate in NAR’s Leadership 200 and 300 classes this week at my association. I say lucky enough because we’re the largest association in our state and there were only 35 seats open. Last summer I was involved in our two-day strategic planning session, which was a first for me and pretty much blew my mind. (Rumor has it we “younger” members have an in because they’re grooming us to become the future leaders of the association!)
While the courses are definitely aimed at becoming leaders in your association, the information and experience was much more than that, as it should be if you’re going to take an entire day away from showing and listing appointments, right? The classes covered topics such as how meetings are run, Robert’s Rules, strategic and operational planning, conflict resolution, and more.
These are the messages that resounded with me:
1. Always keep your association’s strategic plan at the top of your mind in committee meetings. For those who are serving on association committees, how is what you’re doing going to advance your association’s strategic plan? If it isn’t, it shouldn’t be on the agenda at all. Shouldn’t we be keeping that same focus in our own personal work agendas? Also, do we have the metrics in place to track our progress?
2. Plan more, worry less. Continue reading »
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