The Danger of Unmanaged Expectations

See, what I thought was happening was a friend and I were going to the spa. It was going to be a welcomed day of peace and rest.

What it was, was probably one of the worst and forced vulnerable experience of my life to date. My friend had booked the appointments as she had been to this establishment before. The twist? It was Bavarian. I had done exactly zero research on what that meant.

At check-in they gave us both sarongs that barely covered my torso (clue number one) and flip flops. The overview was, we would shower, steam, scrub (clue number two), rinse and then have traditional cakes and tea in the lounge.

After the shower, we were led into a steam room that looked like a men’s locker in a gym. Sterile, wall to wall white subway tiles and three drains in the floor (clue number three). Distracted by the conversation, I sat on one of the benches clutching whatever fabric they had given me to my body (look, Judgy Mc Judgerson, I’m a conservative person) and listened to my friend’s story. The steam was hot and filled the entire room so thick that I could barely see my friend two feet away and then within a few minutes it all dissipated.

A stocky lady entered and in a thick accent asked which of the two of us was first. My friend chose me. She had me lay my sarong on the bench. I remember thinking, “but I need that”. She asked me to lay on it. My inner dialogue was going ballistic at this point, “Is my friend just going to watch this while I’m butt-ass naked? Why does she have a bucket? Are those car wash mitts?”

And a car wash it is. A “Bavarian Scrub” was what I was there for and she got me on both sides with what felt like 80 grit sandpaper. After that riveting experience, she stood me up, asked me to spread my wings, and hit me with a cold hose to “close my pores”. I’m pretty sure she even just thumbed the end to intensify the pressure.

After my friend’s suds and wax experience, we were given robes and led to this really beautiful room and fed the promised cakes and tea. Yet, I hadn’t recovered and in the words of Brené Brown, was experiencing a “vulnerability hangover”. This experience would go down as one of the worst in my mind and there is only one reason why.

An unmanaged expectation.

Mastering how to manage your client’s expectations will be one of the best skills you pick up on your journey from New Agent to Real Estate Samurai. So, what are we specifically talking about here?

If the goal is to become a highly referred agent to your network of friends and family, then what folks think of their experience with you as their real estate agent becomes paramount. (Which is why I’m always touting for you to focus on their experience in your planning).

The more that you can communicate how things will be and prepare them for what is in store (because most people really have no idea), the better the outcome will be. Most people do not like surprises while they are in high-stress moments like buying or selling a house.

5 Easy Steps in the art of super-serving your client:

1. Have a play by play of the general process for them to review before you start.

2. Explain when you will be communicating with them about next steps in their transaction.

3. Discuss the possible situations that frequently railroad smooth transactions and what steps they can do to side-step them today, if any.

4. When a problem does arise, disclose what is happening and prepare options for a solution at the same time. (When I worked in corporate radio, I got the advice, “if you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem. Don’t bring a problem without an idea for a solution.”)

5. When you say you are going to do something, do it. Every time.

Your client doesn’t know a thing about what is going to happen. They just know it’s stressful and a big decision. Even if they’ve been through it before, it was probably 5 to 7 years ago. Your greatest opportunity to wow them is in the simple details of communication and preparation. You cannot control what happens on the other side of a transaction, but you CAN decide the rest.

Had I known I was about to be the subject of a car wash that day I would have been more mentally prepared for it. The experience would have been totally different for me. It’s in that small details where your next referral could be living. Get those 5 steps going this week and let me know how it helps you and your client stay connected.