Page 4 - NBIZ October 2020

Do You Have the

COURAGE…?

By Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S.

everal of my favorite quotes their risks. Then there are new COVID- hour, I began to sense some internal
are attributed to Winston 19 overlays that continue to impede warnings. With COVID, I noticed
SChurchill. Probably my most the approval of underwriters. Sellers, many sales prospects wanted to talk
favorite is “Courage is the ability to go especially those who are elderly or more than in the past because of the
from failure to failure without losing have underlying health conditions, isolation. Being highly emotionally
enthusiasm.” During the last few are deeply concerned about the virus intelligent, I ignored those internal
months, I find myself often retreating infecting their homes. Some buyers are warning flags. Finally, when push
to his words of wisdom. fearful of entering houses and becom- came to shove, and she made a verbal
In sales, as well as life, one must ing exposed to the virus. commitment to make a written offer,
have courage. There are numerous Courage is required to fire a client. she sent a text 45 minutes before the
failures, deals that never materialized Possibly the client met all the qualify- deadline claiming more time was
or, worse yet, deals that just came ing criteria for your industry. Yet, in needed. I realized she wasn’t truly
to the finish line and then failed to working with the client, other flags ready to make a decision even though
cross the finish line. Now being in real quietly, or not so quietly, appeared. she had assured me she was.
estate for the last three years, until I How often are we fearful of firing Another Churchill quote seems
record a sale or what I call until the “fat a client? Our fears may have been genuinely relevant for today. “If you
lady sings,” the deal is still noted as directly tied to our bank accounts or are going through hell, keep going.”
“pending.” our own sense of honor or ethics. Yet, With all the uncertainty in the market,
The recent COVID-19 pandemic our intuitive sense (our gut) continues regardless of industry, salespeople
and historically low-interest rates have to nag at us. And we allow our fear to must keep going. Through Zoom’s
created many unforeseen obstacles ignore those little flags of warning. technology and other platforms, we
within the real estate industry. Lend- Recently, I fired a real estate client can continue to keep going, keep
ers are worried about failed loans and who was qualified. After the first two selling and keep communicating with
have increased the criteria to mitigate conversations, which each lasted an our sales leads and clients. The hell

4 NBIZ ■ October 2020