One realization after speaking with a good friend of mine this past week, was how we often neglect the value of time.
My friend lamented that, “There will always be a minority group of people who are only loyal to their purses, if there is a discount somewhere or a seemingly cheaper alternative they will flock there, no matter how solid your advice is, or if you were their first point of contact.
Because as an RM or as an agent that’s what they expect. They expect your advice to be free and they think it’s fair because they are giving you a chance to present. You see some of my clients, totally don’t respect my time one. Postpone like free, even when I help them engage external help. Sales professionals today are really treated like dogs.”
Not too sure about the last part about being treated like dogs, because some of us do treat our doggies better than our family and friends.
I always comment that in life and business, ‘If you try to please everyone, you may as well kiss your ass goodbye’, however that’s definitely something easier said than done because it’s natural for people (including me) to want to be liked, and to say YES to everything.
Yet if that causes you to not be able to provide the level of service and expertise that the people who are happy to pay for and truly want you for, then something needs to change. Because these folks deserve better.
My friend added that “If you pay for Business Class on SQ, only to find out that Economy Class provides the exact same thing, would you still feel special?”
Tip of the week: We got to make the conscious decision to not try to be everything to anyone/everyone, because different people value your time and advice differently. It definitely takes 2 hands to clap and both parties must begin the relationship with the right expectations.
With this being said, I am very thankful to my friends and clients who know me (with all my flaws) and still like me for it. So rest assure I will continue to be “wayyy too serious” about my work and ‘sibei guai l@n’ to you guys.. The full SBY business class treatment.