Two realtors that I’ve met with thus far in 2012 have had recent disappointments in their business lives. Specifically, their inability to turn a certain prospect into a client. The fact of the matter is, we all have them. It is nearly impossible not to, unless you simply don’t prospect or generate any business at all. So from that perspective, disappointment is a good thing.
What Not to Do
It’s also a positive in that it can provide great opportunity. With experience, you become an expert at what not to do. I explained to one of the agents that verbally punishing yourself with thoughts about what you could have done differently should be avoided at all costs. As should constantly reminding yourself about the call that you could have made, which in your mind, would have been the difference in securing the business that you are so disappointed in losing. I suppose we have all done this.
I have learned that it is nothing more than a counter productive trap that you unknowingly set for yourself. It is ineffective in recapturing the lead and it does little to prohibit you from repeating similar missteps in the future. To do this is to actually invite further disappointment.
An Abrupt Change
Things changed for me when one day, a few years back, I decided to treat disappointment as a friend. William Marriott, the iconic CEO and Chairman of Marriott International was once quoted as saying, “An opportunist is one who finds a wolf behind the door and appears the next day wearing a fur coat.” I explained to the agent that I have learned the best way in which to turn disappointment into opportunity is by doing the following:
- Determine that you’re going to replace the lost client with one who is even more valuable.
- Maintain an unequivocal trust in doing nothing less than just that.
- Get back to prospecting immediately and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.
- Use more aggressive strategies, perhaps ones that you thought of employing in the past but didn’t.
- Commit to those strategies until you in fact have accomplished number one above.
You’ll find that not only will you replace the lost client with one who is more suitable for you, you will likely find more than one. The disappointment will be a distant memory once you have done so.
How do you deal with disappointment? Please let us know in the comment section below.
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