Monster Calls.

As you've probably figured out by now, I'm in the business of psychotherapy. (Minus the pills, the degree, or slightest knowledge of psychological studies. Although, there was that one semester in college...) Really, most of the people I talk to for business are insane. Yet, I'm still shocked by the level of comfort people have when it comes to ripping apart a total stranger. Now, I'm not a solicitor. I call you based on your request for contact. (Cold calls were never really my thing.) Still though, more often than not, I reach people who act like I killed their first born when I call them. (Really, the "how dare you's" are a touch dramatic, don't you think?) What is it, though? What is it about a stranger on the other end of the phone that makes us snap? Is it the unknown of what they want? Is our time really too precious to exchange quick pleasantries with a stranger? Have we lost our fear of that bitch called karma?

Given my job, one would think I'd be less nasty and more forgiving to a cold caller. I'm not. One would also think I have a heart of gold, and let telemarketers finish what they have to say. I don't. I can't explain it, but something starts to rile me up the second I see an unfamiliar phone number on the Caller ID. This laid back, passive-aggressive girl (well, sometimes) turns into a two-headed demon. There is no rhyme or reason behind it (I don't think. That's what I'm trying to figure out), I just snap. Why are we, as humans, totally comfortable being confrontational, honest and abrupt to a stranger? Yet, in our personal lives, we maintain a balance between truth and politeness. I understand the comfort in anonymity, but this is a bit excessive.

Recently, I got a new phone number (no, you can't have it). Because I thought the days of carpet cleaners and newspaper companies calling your house at 2am (due, of course, to Al Gore's invention of the internet) were long-gone, I didn't even think to block my number right away. Bad move. Within the first three days of having said, new number, I had 46 missed calls. Now I'm barely ever home, so the chances of me catching these "people" in the act was slim to none. Every day I'd come home to a bevy of missed calls from Missouri, Minnesota and Newsday. None of which I have any interest in. This past week, while watching The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, I caught one. Missouri. Now, I had no intention of screaming or yelling. My plan was to simply say "I'm not interested." My plan was a huge failure. I ended up telling him off. I was possessed. As soon as I hung up the phone, I had a "what the hell?" moment. This poor guy wasn't calling to ruin my life, or even really calling to bother me. He was just doing his job. Annoying? Yes. Worthy of a verbal beating? No. When relaying this story to my friends, I was told that I did the right thing (Keep in mind, I included the verbatim rant I went on when I told them) No one seemed to have a problem with it. Scary,right? (You know you're from New York when...) Ultimately, I decided I can't handle solicitors with the dignity and poise I hoped I could and signed up for the "do not call" list.

So, where am I going with this? How is this going to help you better-understand real estate? Well, real estate's a people business. It boils down to this, everyone is a stranger, until they're not (how profound, right?). You're a stranger to your customers until they feel comfortable around you. And customers, you're strangers to agents until they have your loyalty. My point (I knew I'd get here, eventually) is that in this very small world, we have to make a conscious effort to treat people well. You never know who you're speaking with (especially over the phone), and you never know how that person will impact you later on. I know (well, I hope) for most of you this isn't something new. We are well-trained in our business to always put our best foot forward, but do we carry it further? I'm saying we should constantly be looking over our shoulders, and biting our tongues even when we're alone, at home, yelling at telemarketers.