Pissing people off 101

All the great leaders and business people throughout history have said if your not pissing someone off with your efforts your not working hard enough. I know I am paraphrasing a bit but you get the idea right?

Recently I created a 3-step direct mail campaign specifically for a targeted list of potential sellers. These potential sellers all-own in a particular building and bought at a particular time at a particular price point. The building these potential sellers live in has had a bulk sale of developer units take place within the last couple of months.  This bulk sale could potentially effect the owners of units in this building down the road. Hence the 3-step direct mail campaign.

In each letter I breakdown facts about the building and potential risks that can effect owners units down the line. All in all a great mail out since I did get a listing and several leads. Heck the entire campaign had a 7.5% response rate and a 25% conversion rate. Not to shabby.

Well I guess a couple of people did not take to kindly to my letters and contacted the agent who they used to purchase in the building to express a concern of a massive sell off by other owners due to my letter. Really?

So I got a call from an agent who attempted to act as if she was a potential seller of a unit who got 1 of my letters. As the conversation progressed it became clear this woman was not a seller. The conversation got to a point where a question would be asked to me, I attempt to respond then I would get cut off and told why I was wrong. This back an forth did not last very long since I have no tolerance for this type of behavior.

Finally the truth came out. The Agent came clean as to why she was really calling. Supposedly she called to voice a concern for one of her past clients who she helped buy a unit in the building I was mail to carefully selected potential sellers. This person who the agent was calling for felt that my letters would create a massive sell off from unit owners.

The agent contacting me claimed that my letter was “steering” which it absolutely isn’t in a way shape or form. After we discussed the concerns of this agent’s past client I thought this episode would be in my rear view. Yea right?

About a week after I spoke with the first agent I got another call from a different agent I have had a few run inns in the past with. Just to give you the background on this guy, he was caught posting slandering material online about my wife, he was caught stealing my wife’s CL ad headlines and to top it off he attempted to bully my wife over the phone when she confronted him about his actions.

Now that you understand a little bit about how this second agent conducts himself let me proceed with the story.

Apparently this unscrupulous dude had a past client of his who has the same concerns as the first agents past client I mentioned earlier on. Wow what a coincidence. O I forgot to mention both agents work out of the same office.

Anyways, I let this guy say what he had to say then I told him he was basically full of S#*!. I was gentle in my communication and expression of why I felt he was full of big brown S#*! . Of course staying true to his ways he attempted to over talk and bully me over the phone. That’s something I flat out will not deal with or except.  I ended the call and we went our ways.

The point of this whole story is two fold.

Point #1:

Don’t take BS from anyone. If there are people who don’t like what your doing and feel the need to tell you they don’t like it, listen to them and then politely tell them to go pound sand. If people are not trying to bring you down because of  your efforts then you need to work harder. Plan and simple.

Point #2:

I just got to vent. You all reading this have become my therapist. Thanks J

In all seriousness you need to be able to have thick skin in our business because there is always going to be someone who will try to stop you from progressing or get in the way of your future. How you deal with these situations/people will shape and mold you into the business person you are. Don’t be afraid to be different and don’t be afraid of what others will say or do to you when you are different.

Until next time, stay passionate focused and honest, the world is your’s.