I love cooking and entertaining! Creating the menu for an event is a delicious process for me. It's a succulent blend of aromas, stimulating the creation of delectable plated combinations celebrated and enjoyed with family and friends. I have discovered that one of the most challenging menu items to serve my guests is fish. Many people seem to have a love/hate relationship with seafood. A comment I have heard when fish on the dinner menu is "I never liked fish, but I loved the way you cooked it".
Selecting a whole fish or fillet properly is the most important element in making a 
great tasting dish.
Characteristics which are indicative of the freshness of a catch include the smell or odor emanating from the fish, the dullness of the eye, and the color of the blood in the veins, cavities and gills. If supposedly fresh fish has a fishy odor, this usually indicates that it has been around for awhile and is beginning to decompose. Similarly, dullness of the eye, and a dark color to the blood on the gills may be additional warning signals that no amount of creative presentation can resolve.
In some ways, selling real estate has similarities to the proper selection and preparation of fish. Often, the first mistake in making a great meal starts with a poor quality choice. I've done this before. Hurrying through the grocery store, I have hastily chosen a filet or whole fish and had it packed without inspecting it carefully and thoroughly. Sometimes, it has been on sale and the temptation of a good deal has made me too forgiving of flaws.
A successful real estate transaction is also directly related to selecting the right client to work with. Real estate practioners often make poor selections for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it is desperation; thinking we may never have another client. Other times, the trouble signals, like a bad fishy odor are obvious from the beginning...unrealistic expectations, suspicion and a lack of trust, 
inability to obtain financing or a lack of motivation to name a few. But we soldier on, ignoring the flashing red warning signals and the lingering disonance of unease.
If a fish fillet is properly handled and carefully selected, not much more needs to be done to create a wonderful meal. In fact, smothering a piece of fish with heavy sauces or excessive spice detracts from its flavor. The best enhancers will delicately compliment not overpower the fish. Generally, the longer the fish has been out of the water, the more doctoring up it will require to mask the deterioration in freshness and texture.
Similarly, the best clients are not necessarily those from whom one can earn the largest commission. Some of my most memorable transactions have been with individuals who were buying their first home and truly appreciated my services . I have found the most stimulating transactions have been with clients who had to overcome immense obstacles and challenges to secure a sale or purchase of a home. These clients have taught me a lot about the power of perserverance. This is what has continued to make my real estate career a profession I find invigorating!
Ultimately, most satisfying transactions have occurred when I have chosen with care, taking the time to interview and understand what a potential client really needed before determining if our journey together would be a good fit. This can be time consuming, but I've found it's more efficient and effective to spend a couple of hours at the beginning of the relationship than to waste countless hours and gas in fruitless and ultimately futile activity.
Creating fulfilling transactions does not require excessive doctoring up with all kinds of flash and fizzle. Rather success is based on the tried and true basics of trust, communication and mutual respect. When we invest time and attention in making wise judgements about a potential relationship in the beginning, the results, like well prepared fish can be a delicious feast.
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511. Thanks for visiting our blog. Here are links to some of our most popular posts for you to enjoy!
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Great analogy
Lola,
I agree with you wholeheartedly. Without trust and mutual respect among the parties in transaction, there is bound to be ill-feelings and disappointments.
One must be willing to walk away from a potential client if those ingredients are not evident in that person. There will always be clients are are appreciative and repectful of their professional's services.
Great analogy, Lola. Too often the client calls or drops in and wants to immediately go see the listings they have seen on the web. No time allowed to really find out their needs and desires, yet alone if they are at all realistic . But you haven't convinced me yet to eat more fish!
Ozarks Joan
Hi Lola,
Love the photos you used to depict the similarities between selecting the ingredients for a good meal with developing a relationship with a customer. We all hope to not get indigestion from our poor choices! :)
Lola Audu
E.C. Thanks for stopping by. Good client relationships are mutually benefical and I think it is because each party has mutual respect and commitment to each other and the process.
Joanne, thanks for stopping by. Good to hear from you on Active Rain.
Allison, this is the GOAL, Avoid creating a stink or being one! This is equally applicable to agent and client or any other kind of relationship for that matter. Thanks for visiting.
Agree with you Lisa concerning the first interview. Although it doesn't tell me everything, I have found myself many times reflecting on my notes and often recognizing just how much information and insight into the situation can be gained when time is taken to set the proper Boundaries and Foundations for a Client Relationship.
I really enjoyed your post -- and your analogy. I work only with buyers and I ALWAYS invite a prospect to come in and talk before I show them any houses. Most prospects end up spending about 2 hours -- during that time, I ask a lot of questions to find out about the wants and needs of the propsect -- what they expect of me and what I expect of them. This meeting allows me to disqualify those people who are not a good fit. I get 100% of the prospects I work with the sign a buyer agency agreement -- The entire process results in a client who feels they have been heard. With a few exceptions, they become loyal clients who appreciate the service I provide -- and are a source of future referrals. It comes down to relationships!
Great analogy, Lola. I thought the post seemed a little "fishy" until I got to the "meat" of it in paragraph five. How often we ask for more trouble when selecting the wrong clients.
We do this often in the loan business by selecting a dead fish for borrowers. Never happy, uncooperative, and filled with unrealistic expectations. They never close. They sit in the corner and get stinkier and stinkier as time goes on. After they overpower you with their stench, you must throw them away.
Joan, Thanks for your comments, particularily the following: "the entire process results in a client feeling they have been heard". This is a significant issue. It's not just about determining whether a client relationship should commence, but it's also about serving people at a deeper level. There have been times when it became obvious to me that a particular individual had not crossed my path simply for real estate concerns and I am thankful to utilize my chosen profession in ways that transcend monetary compensation.
Lola Audu, CRS GRI
Brian,
Thanks for the visit! I find the analogy of the "dead fish" buyer amusing. :) Very true, ... a bad deal in the beginning rarely gets better by the end!
Kaushik,
Thanks for the visit. I'm glad you enjoyed the post.
Lola Audu, CRS GRI