Today at RAMB, we had an incredible group of REALTORS attend a new course: Unleash the Power of Blogging in Your Real Estate Business.  As is my practice for all classes I teach, I shared with the group some of my favorite business books.   One in particular is Howard Behar's "It's Not About the Coffee"...Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks.  You might say, how in the world does that relate to real estate?  Well here it is in a nutshell:  If you think of your customers as people you serve (not as sources of revenue) you'll make a deep connection with them, and they'll come back over and over.  That my friends, has everything to do with relationships and building customers for life...what every real estate professional should aspire to.  I also call your attention to a few of the 10 Principles of Personal Leadership that Behar's book addresses:

• Know Who You Are: Wear One Hat
When organizations are clear about their values, purpose, and goals, they find the energy and passion to do great things.

• Be Accountable: Only the Truth Sounds Like the Truth
No secrets, no lies of omission, no hedging and dodging. Take responsibility and say what needs to be said, with care and respect.

• Take Action: Think Like a Person of Action and Act Like a Person of Thought
Find the sweet spot of passion, purpose, and persistence. “It’s all about the people” isn’t an idea, it’s an action. Feel, do, think. Find the balance, but act.

Behar believes that as the world economy becomes more and more about relationships and connecting, the principles of personal leadership are more important than ever. This book will show you the way.  

So my question to my fellow REALTORS is this: If it's not about the commission...what is it about?  Do your customers believe you only did it for the commission or did you truly "care"...about them?

Go out and buy this book...no, no...go out and invest in this book...it's a great read, but more importantly, it's a great insight into what your business can become.