I’m More Than a Guy In Stripes or a Big, Blue “R”

October 8, 2007 |

Being that today is Columbus Day, Cathleen Collins wrote a very appropriate post about ol’ Chris, one of history’s greatest salesman. I can most certainly relate to the personal story Cathleen tells. I have been on the receiving end of what I think is strange behavior, only to realize that it is the result of people who are looking at me as a salesperson and viewing me through the lens of their prior experiences.

Her story reminded me of a very valuable lesson that I learned when I first started officiating basketball, and it applies very aptly to my profession as a REALTOR. In order to have any chance at success, every basketball referee must learn very early on that, for better or worse, coaches and players are not reacting to the referee as a person, they are reacting to the stripes. I know that whenever I have an interaction with a coach or player, they are not interacting with Daniel Rothamel, they are interacting with the guy in stripes. They don’t care that I am actually a very nice person who cares very deeply about fairness and honesty, they just see the stripes. Not only that, but they also see all the other people they have ever known who have worn those stripes, both good and bad.

The most successful basketball referees in history are the ones who are able to build a positive rapport with coaches and players. They are the referees who are able to get the coaches and players to see them as more than just a guy in stripes, but to see the guy behind the stripes. That is the very essence of rapport, and it applies to real estate just as easily as it does to basketball.

The best REALTORS are able to get their clients to see them as more than just a salesperson. They are able to make them understand that they care about their client’s best interests, and not just about closing deals. They are able to form a partnership with their clients built on trust. And while it isn’t easy, they always work on the relationship to make it better and more productive.

The advice that Greg gave Colleen is sage advice, indeed. Sometimes it is necessary to ask someone about their experiences and listen carefully to their response. I would also add that it is sometimes necessary to tell people that you care about what happens to them. That is one reason why I like blogging. From my blog, I hope that people will be able to learn a little bit about me before they ever meet me or even contact me. Hopefully, from that information, they will be able to see that I am more than just a striped shirt or a big, blue “R.”

[tags] real estate, realtor, charlottesville, virginia, rapport, officiating, basketball, referee, sales [/tags]

Posted by Daniel | Filed Under Buying, Industry Issues, Officiating, Selling 

Comments

One Response to “I’m More Than a Guy In Stripes or a Big, Blue “R””

  1. Cathleen Collins on October 8th, 2007 11:54 pm

    From my blog, I hope that people will be able to learn a little bit about me before they ever meet me or even contact me.

    It certainly has worked for me… From the other side of the country, I feel as though I know you personally. If we ever become interested in Charlottesville real estate, you know who we’ll be calling.

    [Reply]

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