I just finished listening to Ryan Serhant’s book, Sell It Like Serhant. If you don’t know who Ryan is, he’s one of the breakout stars of the Bravo Reality TV Show, Million Dollar Listing NY. As a broker in the ultra-competitive real estate market of New York City, Ryan is quite the performer. His antics have made me cringe more than once but, like many of you, I am addicted to the real-estate TV shows. I mean really, who doesn’t love a beautiful waterfall marble countertop?
But I digress…
Ryan is just as much a character in his book as he is on TV. It is part of his charm. He’s also, clearly, a hard worker. If you peel away the funny stories and examples of him teetering on the edge of disaster, his book is chock full of solid advice on how to build your sales business. And it’s not just about how to be a good salesperson. While there’s plenty of advice on how to “sell,” Ryan keeps coming back to two key concepts:
- Work smart.
- It’s all about relationships.
Even with all his cheesy costumes and flair, all his blatant and sometimes borderline tacky self-promotion, I’d love the opportunity to get to know him better. Ryan is a smart guy and works incredibly hard.
So why write what looks like some Amazon review of Ryan and his book? One of his strategies for effective relationship building inspired an idea. An idea that had been bubbling at the back of my mind for a while.
Ryan’s strategy for building a great relationship? With everyone you meet you should follow up, follow through, and follow back. You’ll need to read the book to learn what he’s talking about, but it’s this fast and personalized approach that clearly sets him apart.
I, like many of you, think constantly about the whole “how do we get more women in…” challenge. You’ve seen me write about it multiple times before.
- Have you forgiven her yet? Killing the myth that women don’t help women.
- Finding Support on the Skinny Branches
- Do women empty the bank on their relationship capital?
Ryan’s “Follow up, follow through, follow back” works because we all do one of the “follows” when we’re interacting with people. It’s the triplicate impact of his connection that makes a difference. How do I use this concept of triplicate impact to help more women?*
I bring you the #LADYBADASS Action Plan
- Pay it backward
- Pay you
- Pay it forward
Do this particular exercise once a week and this triplicate impact approach will not only lift you but lift everyone around you.Let me explain how it works:Pay it backward – Reward and recognize those who’ve helped us on our journeys. And what happens when you’re rewarded for doing something? We do it more. Not convinced, remind yourself the last time someone thanked you for your advice. It felt great, right? You have the ability to make someone feel that great.Pay you – Invest in your professional self. And no, this isn’t just about putting on a smart outfit. Take the time and invest in professional development. What happens when you invest in you? I don’t need to answer this one, do I?Pay it forward – Find one person, just one, you can help this week. It doesn’t matter how junior you are in an organization, there is always someone who could use your wise counsel. What happens when you pay it forward? WE ALL DO BETTER. Plus it feels great.I’m not asking you to do this with every person you meet like Ryan does. I’m just asking for you to do this intentionally once per week.
Imagine the possibilities, imagine the happy feelings, imagine the successes.
I’m in. Are you?
*Yes fellas you can do this too.