Eat Your Broccoli First

First, I will admit broccoli is not my idea of a good time.  Mixed with other stuff a la fettuccine Alfredo or in stir fry, now we are talking.  But broccoli on its own – steamed or (eek! even worse)  raw?  Yeah, I’ll pass.   As kids, we tried to feed it to the dog or hide it in our milk (which I don’t recommend, by the way).  Once you become the adult or parent, now you are begging to get the kids to eat their veggies or at least you know you should be yourself.  That whole healthy thing we are supposed to do as we get older and cannot survive on mac ‘n’ cheese & Pop Tarts alone.

This is a business blog – what’s up? We really don’t care about your eating habits. Well, let’s talk about the broccoli in your business. We all have it.  The broccoli are those things we should be doing each day in our business.  It makes it healthy, grow stronger and not die of malnutrition.  Oh, I agree, I like my share of Pop Tarts, but it only lasts so long.

So let’s talk about the broccoli. What is that thing each morning when you go to the office & start your day you drag your feet on?  So much so that you will do anything, including unloading the dishwasher in the kitchen, to avoid picking up the phone and calling a client. Reaching out to that next client who may need you? Finding that next client who may need you? Calling a client that already needs you but their personality is a bit like eating raw broccoli every time you talk to them – a little tough & bitter?  What’s great about all these people, they still need you. 

We are at a time in our industry where consumers need professionals more than ever.  As professionals we are asked to know more, monitor more and reach out in more ways than we ever have.  Have you reached your client via text today? Facebook? Twitter? Did you knock on their door? Yeah, I said it…did you go see that client in person?

It’s easy to hide behind the screen of our laptop or smartphone; believe me, I am a culprit. Send a text rather than call the client directly. One of the best things I ever heard at a technology class was: “Know when to take online – off line.”  So subtle, so easy, so…. broccoli.  Reaching our clients, picking up that phone, makes a huge difference.  I have sat in an office with very talented agents who spent their days looking very busy shuffling papers, checking email, and didn’t understand why their business atrophied and died.

The biggest impact you will ever have in your business is to remember it’s about people. How we relate to them & have that personal connection.  You are assisting people with not only the largest single purchase they may ever make but also one of the most personal.  I can’t tweet that in 140 characters or less.  The smiley face doesn’t do it justice.

You absolutely can develop relationships online, get your foot in the proverbial online door. There are thousands of agents who have mastered this.  But what I love about working with these agents is they are extremely personal, approachable & are never afraid to eat their broccoli first.  They are quickly becoming the leaders in our business, the influencers & difference makers.

Today, I personally was reminded, if I started my day off first by eating my broccoli…the day got a whole lot sweeter. The afternoon was dessert.

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