Stop Waiting on the Phone to Ring

I remember staring at the phone 25 years ago… willing it to ring.

Hoping someone would call and ask me to help them sell their home.

No matter how hard I stared at it…
I couldn’t make it ring.

What I know now, 25 years later, is this:

If you have something great to offer people, you don’t sit around waiting for the phone to ring.

You become the pursuer.

You pick it up… and you make it ring.

To do otherwise, when you have something valuable or helpful to offer, is actually unkind.

If I were starting over today, or looking for my next client, there are three reasons I would call people.

#1 – To ask how I can serve them

Years ago an agent said something to me at the end of a meeting.

He simply asked,
“Is there anything I can do to serve you today?”

For a moment I was speechless.

It was so humble.
So unexpected.
And honestly… so attractive.

Most people are trying to sell something.

Very few people are simply asking,
“How can I serve you?”

#2 – To offer a valuable resource

Create something simple that helps people.

• A guide to buying your first investment property
• A hyper-local market report or community guide
• A preferred vendor list for trusted contractors

Then call someone and say, “This may not be for you, but I created something to help my clients. Do you know anyone this might be helpful for?”

This takes the pressure off of them, but allows them to say yes themselves. 

#3 – To express gratitude

You can call to thank someone for something they did recently.

Something they did years ago.

Or simply to say,

“I was thinking about you today and just wanted to tell you I appreciate you.”

Whatever you do…

Stop waiting for the phone to ring.

Pick it up.

Serve someone.
Help someone.
Thank someone.

Call with the simple goal of making someone’s day a little better.

Make them smile. 

When you do that again and again, when you keep showing up, leading with generosity and kindness, you build relationships.

And when you build relationships, eventually the phone does ring.

Not because you stared at it.

But because you picked it up first.

In your corner,

Chris