The One Thing That Saves a Deal When Everything Goes Wrong

Hey, I'm Kwame Christian, and you are about to step into the world of Negotiate Anything, the number one negotiation podcast in the world, where we teach you how to make difficult conversations easier while getting more of what you want in the process. Each episode is packed with practical tips and strategies from the experts. We delve into negotiation, conflict resolution, and leadership skills that are crucial in both business and and in life. Whether you're closing a deal, managing a team, or navigating personal relationships, Negotiate Anything provides you with the tools you need to succeed. Our conversations are real, relatable, and most importantly, rooted in practicality. So if you're ready to transform your conversations and elevate your negotiation skills, join me on Negotiate Anything. Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you love to listen to. Let's make every conversation a winning negotiation. Andy, thanks for joining us today.

Hey, thanks for having me, Kwame. I appreciate it. This is a crazy moment from first year in the podcast, years ago at this point to now being on it. It's absolutely insane.

This is great. And listeners. Andy has a great story just in general, but I think what would be cool is starting off by just sharing that part of the journey, how you found the podcast, and then where you are now, because there is a lot to explore.

Yeah. So area of expertise starts out in sales. So I was a salesperson at Comcast, got developed into a sales leader there, and I needed some material one day for one of my training sessions, my team to help improve our numbers, and I just happened to come across your podcast, the Negotiate Anything podcast. And I heard this, and I said, I've never heard anything like this before, you know, because everything was rah, rah, rah. You're the first person I ever heard who made negotiations sound like a conversation. That was really my first experience with that because you see, like, some of my favorite movies of all time, you know, like boiler room 2 for the money, any of the sales movies, it's always like you're about to go to war. Yours is like, hey, like, we're just really just trying to create a solution. And it fit perfectly because the time when I was working there, that was literally the transition that we were making in our sales pitch. At the same time, it was like seller. It was like a customer focus. And it completely changed everything. My team had great performance. My sales skills picked up, and then even in day to day, I would just try things. So the time I travel and I would just implement some of the things that you mentioned on the podcast in Day to day life. And I just see that I would just get things from people I would normally feel like, anxious about because I historically was a very aggressive salesperson. And thanks to your work that you've done, it really helped me take a step back and say, hey, like, there's a better way to do this. And then when you had that event in New York last year, I said, oh, I have to go to this. I have to go. I was like, one is in New York, right? So got to go to New York. And then two, it's with somebody who, you know, I look up to as like a mentor, you know, from afar in negotiation and whose work has had a significant impact on my success. So I just couldn't pass the opportunity. And then that in person event was more than I could ever ask for. I mean, I probably should have paid 100 times more than I paid for it, honestly. So, yeah, I took it back to my team. They loved the material. They're like, oh, man, this is some great stuff. And the way you were willing to really get granular on the truth of what people experience day to day in negotiations and business scenarios and the psychology behind it all, just taking that deep dive in it, and that event in New York was just incredible, man.

Thank you. That means a lot to me because that's, that's really the goal, just to make difficult conversations easier, demystify the process, help people to connect and have real conversations where you can solve problems. Like you said, creating solutions. And what I love about this is that it shows the journey. Because you came in with a methodology, you were more aggressive as a negotiator, and then you recognized, okay, there's another way you put it into practice, because a lot of times people just make it a theoretical exercise, but you're like, no, I'm actually going to try this. You tried it at work, you got better deals, you tried it in other areas of your life, and you started to see success. And then that's when the confidence grew. And this has been easily the best advertisement for the podcast and events I've ever had. So thank you for that.

Well deserved, man. Well deserved.

Thank you. And listeners, this is where the story really gets interesting, because in the past 365 days since that event in New York almost a year ago, you have had some unique opportunities to flex these negotiation skills. So can you tell the listeners about the real estate work you were doing and then the transition that happened this year?

Yeah, absolutely. So my specialty is distressed residential real estate, and I actually got into the real estate business. At the very beginning of COVID March of 2020, March 25, 2020, I transitioned from tech to full on real estate. And that was an interesting conversation to have with the wife, to say the least. Right. So. So things went really well, worked for a great organization. And then unfortunately at the beginning of so I went to the event, came back, things are rocking and rolling towards the end of the year, great holiday season. And then unfortunately at the beginning of this year, 2020 of the company passed away. So that just kind of threw everything into disarray. I was part of the the resolution team essentially for the business. So I helped, you know, kind of to wrap things up. So I mean, something interesting in negotiations is when word got out that unfortunately he had passed competitors calling in China backdoor deals. So everything you see in a movie where you're like, oh, this is essentially an opportunity to take advantage of the competition. I experienced that in real life. And then trying to figure out ways to keep individuals who were selling us their homes on board when competition was got win. And then even when some of the folks that we were in negotiate who were actively in process of closing on their properties, heard calling in and saying, well, I want to back out of this deal, or dealing with investors saying, well, hey, like what's going to happen? And all those types of things while you're dealing with this personal tragedy. Because he was the founder of the company, but he meant a lot to us personally. The impact he had within our industry is significant. He's one of the most impactful people ever in our industry. And for him to go, it was like, okay, you're dealing with this personally. And then how did you isolate that? So you're really negotiating with yourself first. Right? Because when we got the news, we literally had to get back to work because we were like, well, the. There's still a. And what we do for a living, as it may sound callous, but I can't call someone and say, hey, look, I can't buy this house anymore at this 2, 3, $400,000 that you were counting on in the next five days. We're dealing with something emotionally, we can't deal with it anymore. Right. So that's not an option. So you have to negotiate with yourself to get back to that. And then now you have to deal with the actual business things where you're just trying to keep it together and keep everything flowing so that the family could have everything that they needed in order to make sure that, you know, everything landed where it needed to Be after the unfortunate series of events.

Wow. First of all, kudos to you and your team because that's incredibly difficult to do. So not only did you experience a personal tragedy, there's a grieving that has to happen. There's a mourning period. But then also you recognize that you've been thrust into a new level of leadership. And a lot of times as leaders, we are faced with this fork in the road decision just every moment of every single day, am I going to be selfish or selfless? And this is a simplification. But sometimes it's really hard to be selfless when you're experiencing a lot of these emotional challenges. And. But you recognize, hey, even though I'm feeling this, I have to find a way to move forward. I still have to find a way to be a selfless leader that focuses on the needs of the team and the family. And that's hard to do. So let's actually explore this internal negotiation because I'm glad that you, you said that you started there because a lot of times people just say, I'm going to ignore the emotions. I'm going to try to muscle my way through this. And then it leads to breakdowns down the road. So with that internal negotiation, how did you manage your emotions in order to perform?

Yeah, well, first thing was, I mean, there's so many different phases. So the first thing was, okay, well, when do I tell my family that this has happened? Right? Because obviously I have a. My family is going to be like, well, are we going to be okay? Right? So then it's okay, well, let me make sure that I have a clear path. So the first thing was I had to get my own. I had to get my head right first. I said, okay, well, this is where we are. What's the next phase of this? Right? And then the thing that made that really easy was I just really just focus on the relationships. So, like, we still had like our chief of staff there at the time, and he's an amazing human being who, like, you know, over the years we've grown to be amazing friends. And then as part of the other folks who are part of the resolution team, like, we're literally a family. Like, you know, we still one of the guys I speak to every single morning. We have lunch once a a week. And like, we literally get back together and have these moments because you put the relationships first. So that internal negotiation was easily just put down to, well, what's the right thing to do by the people that I care about? Right. So one thing I Found is that in any organization, when you focus in on the people, relationships, you really, it sounds corny. And I know there's all these social media memes about, like, when they say it's a family, it's not a family, but it really is true. Like, like we, like, I, I'm, like, I'm going to be at the baby shower for like one of these guys and like, we're probably never going to work together again directly. But like, that's how close we all got, right? So then it came down to, okay, what do I do next? And I said, okay, well let me just speak to them. And then obviously everybody who was involved, they said, hey, look, we know this is a tough situation. We understand that you need Runway to plan, but, you know, are you able to support in the interim? And that's exactly what we did. It was okay, what's the way that I can do what I know is the right thing to do ethically, while not getting burned on the back end on a personal level, on a, on a financial level. And fortunately, I was able to have authentic conversations and really get the best of both worlds by being able to have those conversations and also too by them reciprocating that, which is just another case in point that, you know, you really are working with people that truly cared about you because it wasn't like, hey, you can't do anything while you're still here. You have a non compete. You can't go ahead and seek out new opportunities. You can't do deals. While we're wrapping this up, everything's going to stop on this day and then that's when you can proceed. Now they we were able to find a happy medium and say, okay, well, I want to help, while at the same time I also need to begin to build for my future. Because once X date comes, there's no runaway unless I build it out.

Oof. Hello, my friends. Before we get back to today's episode, I want to ask you a question. Have you ever wondered how to elevate your team's negotiation game and how you can help the folks on your team have better, difficult conversations? At the American Negotiation Institute, we offer transformative keynotes and workshops tailored to empower professionals with top tier negotiation and conflict resolution skills. Whether it's a keynote for your next event or hands on training for your team, we've got you covered. Don't just negotiate. Master the arts with the American Negotiation Institute. Click the link in the description to find out more. Elevate, negotiate and succeed. There is so much here. So first, I can definitely empathize with when and how do I tell my family? Because when you. Whenever there's bad news, you realize, yeah, this is hard for me to handle, but maybe I can handle this. And the. But our families, they will filter this through the lens of safety. Like, am I safe? Am I okay? And so understanding how to deliver that message, that is tough. But I love that you started with getting your head straight.

Right.

Just recognizing this is having an emotional effect on you. And it's kind of like the what they say in the airplanes, put on your oxygen mask first. And going back to what I said before about selfless versus selfish, Self care is not selfish. Right. That is not a bad thing because you recognize in order for me to perform well in these conversations, I need to make sure I'm okay. And then I love the fact that when you were having the conversations with your team members about what we're actually going to do, you started off by first acknowledging the emotions and the difficulty of the situation. Hey, this is tough for everybody. I know we're all grieving and struggling in our own type of way. How can you support. How can we help each other to move through it? So it wasn't just saying, hey, everybody, forget your feelings. Let's get stuff done. You're saying, hey, this is tough. What are you able to do? And that's a great example of a compassionate negotiation that helps the person in their emotional situation, but then also focuses on the future and helps you to move forward and solve problems.

Yeah. And I mean, it's a big thing, too, especially because obviously everybody had a different path. Right. So as a. As a leadership team, we all took time, time out, like, hey, like, we help place folks in new jobs, like, folks who are like, hey, like, I don't really have that conversation. Okay, so now that this opportunity has passed, what do you actually want to do next? And particularly because we have a fairly young salesforce, I think our average age is like 23 or 24, right? Yeah.

Wow.

So, yeah. So, like, now you have. And like, these are folks who've had a lot of success in their early 20s, and for the most part, it was the first time they've ever experienced anything like this. You know, I'm in my 30s now, so, you know, I've been. I've lived through the Great Recession, and then, like, I grew up in inner city. So, like, for me, I'm like, this is like, kind of like, you know, just kind of par for the course. You kind of just Figure it out. But for a lot of these kids is like they've had success. Your first job out of college, you're making six figures a year and then it just disappears one day. So we really had those conversations like, hey, is this something you still want to do? If this is something you still want to do and that. And then we speak to other companies, try to get them placed there. And then also too, like some folks, like, hey, like I like this, but I really just like sales. It doesn't have to be this. And then we try to get them placed at other companies as well, like some of the bigger corporations down here in South Florida.

So incredible. No, that's great. That is great. Because yeah, if you, if you're that age and you're experiencing your first hardship and it comes in this form, that's going to be tough. And again, it's a great example of compassionate leadership to gather the information you need to figure out what they really want and then make those connections. And what I find really fascinating about this story is that we see this compassionate leadership and the compassionate negotiations that you're having internally and the kind of white glove, soft handed approach that we have to have in those types of conversations. And then at the same time you are dealing with sharks who are circling, trying to take the business. And so with that element, can you just break it down for people who might not be familiar with the industry, what that actually looks like in practicality and then what types of negotiations you had to have in order to work through that?

Yeah, absolutely. So just like any other business, you know, you're doing your marketing, so your competitors are a lot of times speaking to the same people that you're speaking to. In particular, we were very heavy on direct mail and pay per click. So definitely leads are going to be touched by a lot of the competition, in particular in the areas that we're focused in. So what would happen is that if someone spoke to one of the individuals whose home we were purchasing at the time and they happened to mention that, oh yeah, I went with this company instead. Then when word got out, they'd call back and say, hey, look, did you hear that they were going out of business. The craziest part was, so there was one day, it was a slower day because obviously we had turned off the marketing at this point. And there was a day, and I remember one morning I came in and I was like, oh my gosh, like this just must be late in marketing that was just still coming through. And we had like 15 to 20 phone calls, something like that. And I checked it and I. When I searched the numbers online, they were all competitor numbers. And one guy even left a voicemail saying, I just wanted to see if you guys are still open. And it was crazy because some of these people were like, people like, you know, who were like, close with the founder of the company. People were like, you know, we were competitors, but there was always a healthy respect. But, you know, there was blood in the water and the shark definitely showed up. So. Yeah.

Wow. Okay. Yeah, yeah. This is. This is shaping up to be like a movie. So, listeners, I hope you have your popcorn as you're hearing this story. Did you all have conversations with the competitors about this? Did you address it?

No, because it would have just been a waste of energy. And then we were really just trying to make sure that everything closed out. Because in particular in our business, we have, like, longer term files, right? So if there is like a probate file or if there's like a file that's going through, you know, some sort of tax lien situation, or there's a more difficult closing because of the person's financing who we're selling the property to, then in that particular instance, you really don't have time for it. And especially because at the same time, we had a much smaller team, so the only energy we had was just to focus on getting the job done. In particular, I mean, in a business like real estate, it's par for the course. You know, they're saying real estate. When somebody, when you speak to some of these folks and like, they really stepped up and say, hey, how can we help? And they really meant it, it really kind of separated, like, oh, these are the people who are truly decent people and really wanted to help out. And then the folks who were like, oh, well, it was just all a facade when we were the biggest, baddest company on the block. Right. But for the good folks, I mean, one of the best things that happened was from the competitors that were truly helpful, they actually help with some of our. With some of our job placement needs. So they were like, hey, like, look, when. Well, when the company. Who are the people who you think would be a good fit here? And every company has a different culture. So we literally, like, pick and chose, like, okay, well, this personality type will work well with this type of leader. So we got them placed at that company over there, or they wrote them a recommendation letter for that company over there. And the same for this different personality type here, who is going to be the best home where we Feel like our sales team, who now needs a new opportunity, will be treated just as good as we treated them.

Wow. So it's almost like the blood in the water, sharkish type of behavior was. It wasn't something that you had to address directly because of the trajectory of the business. You are trying to wind things down in a respectful way for your clients and for the team, but that behavior kind of helped them to self select out of the job placement opportunities for people on your team. Because you could say, all right, I can see what type of ethics this company is working with. Let's place these people in other. Other organizations that may have been competitive, but we like the way that they competed.

Exactly, exactly.

Oh, that's good. Okay. And now for those people that you were working with who got those calls from competitors saying, hey, did you hear? They're going out of business. Do you want to come with us now? I'm sure there were some clients that you were working with who got cold feet. They got scared.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

How did you.

So one of my friends, Ricky, who's the gentleman I mentioned, like, we're very close now, and he was a leader at the organization as well, and he said, remember, an answer with nothing is better than nothing. So if all I can do is if during, especially as we're negotiating or if we're working a deal together, if all I have for you on this particular day is, hey, just want to let you know we're still working on it. Right. That's better. In particular, which, when I came to real estate, especially coming from the large organization I was at before when I was at Comcast, like, responsiveness to the customers is a huge thing. I remember coming into real estate and then just bringing over that service element that I developed there through the trainings that I had there. And then seeing, like, how big of an impact it made, people would say, I can't believe you call me back so fast. Or like, you actually picked the phone. And I was shocked. And I said, well, it's crazy how in some industries, a base level of service can lead to so much business. Business. And that was really the biggest thing. Most of the folks were just like, hey, like, yeah, we heard. Or hey, yeah, I was wondering, because I called the other day and then we made it, got proactive. We went through the entire deal pipeline and we just started calling people saying, hey, look, just letting you know. Now, of course, unfortunately, you did have some of those situations, but that's what contracts are for. Right? So, I mean, you as a Litigator yourself, you know, so like, hey, like, okay, we're nice, you know, first call, second call, third call, fourth call. Okay, listen, we're closing. You can't back out. Just, you can't back out of the deal. What does that mean? I don't want to discuss what that means. Just know that it doesn't end well for any of us and it's just going to cost all a lot of money. And then when you have that conversation, 99.9% of the time, most of the folks who are pushing are just like, okay, right. But yeah, that led to us having to expedite some closings, like, hey, like, let's get this closed. Because if anything else goes wrong, then this person is definitely not on board. Right?

So, oh my goodness, so many notes that I'm taking here. So first of all, this is a bar for real. An answer with nothing is better than nothing. That's brilliant. And if I'm going to label a point, you've been dropping gems this whole episode. But that would be my five star point. So listeners, if you're loving this, you're 20 minutes in, so clearly you are. If you haven't left a review yet, give us a five star review and shout out Andy in the comment because that's great. And I think about so many times just in everyday life where we might have bad news or there might be a problem and we don't yet have a solution and we say, I'm going to get to this person once I figure it out. And it takes us longer to figure it out than we thought as that's happening in the other person's mind, they are catastrophizing about all of the awful reasons why you're not reaching out. It's never going to be a good assumption, right? So just checking in to say, hey, I'm still here, I'm still working, I'm going to get back to you. It does so much, so much. So that is a really great point. And like you said, it shows that, that the responsiveness to the customer, just the customer service element can win the day in so many situations. So it shows how just the fundamentals of responsiveness and focusing on the client, the service element of everything, can win the day in so many scenarios. But it's often the fundamentals that people forget about when they're under duress. So that background that you had coming into real estate really shined through in that situation. And I love how you handled that. That difficult element of the conversation where you're talking about, hey, we have a contract for a reason. If you back out, there will be consequences. It's hard to deliver that line without it sounding ominous and threatening. And so when they're like, well, what are you essentially, what are you going to do, Andy? What are you going to do? You're not going to say, well, I'm going to sue you into next year. That's what I'm going to do. You didn't respond that way. It's like, hey, listen, we're in solution mode. I don't want to talk about it, but it won't be good for either of us. So it shows. Like, I don't want to have to do this, this, but I'm giving you an opportunity to be part of this solution. And if you choose this path, then it's out of my hands. Somebody else will be in touch.

Right.

And so I love the way that you phrase that, because it could really make or break a negotiation, depending on how you deliver that part of the element.

Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, so the what if is such a huge part of all the negotiations, in particular, when you focus in on what the person's trying to accomplish. I mean, there was a deal that we did in Georgia last year, and the person just kept stalling for one reason or another. We finally get them on board, we're under contract, all these title issues are just popping up left and right, but we're still on board to handle everything. And then he started saying this, this, and this. And I said, well, look, not saying any of these things are going to happen, but here's a list of things that could happen, right? I said, are you willing to take the risk that these things happen just because you just don't, quote, unquote, feel like it right now? Right. And then he was like, well, of course not. And I said, and then that's. I. It's. It's one of these lines from your podcast that I use all the time. And I tell you about this in New York. It's the. I use at least once a week. It seems like there's something being left unsaid. I use that one all the time. And then he just started word vomiting. Well, my wife is. This. She doesn't think it's a good deal. And I said, well, hey, look, let's do this. I said, why don't you think it's a good deal? And he said, because I think the house is worth way more. I said, I'll send you the comps. I'm using yeah. And I sent them all. I did. Full transparency. This house, this house, this house, this house. As in all these homes sold when the market was better, I'm still giving you a number based on these. I said, what do you think the house is gonna. How much you think it's gonna cost to fix the house up? And he's like, this. And I said, so if I buy it from you for this and I fix it up right, then where's. There's no margin here? I said, I'm trying to create a solution for you, but we're also an investing company. There has to be a profit. If you're willing to take the risk and do that, that. Then, like we told you at the beginning, you should do it. Are you prepared to take the $60,000 and do that yourself? And he's like, no way. He's. I don't even. Like, he's like, I don't want nothing to do with. I don't want anything to do with this house. And I said, okay, are we good to go now? And he's like, yeah, that's fine. Let's just go ahead and close. Right? So it seems like it's something being left and said, and it wasn't him. It was the unknown. Unknown as they were like, there's a wife somewhere in the background that he never mentioned. Because he starts off. I said, hey, anybody else you need to speak to on this? And he's like, no, I'm the only decision maker. But I heard the wife in the background. I was like, oh, is that your wife in the background? He's like, oh, yeah, she's fine. But whatever I say, she'll do you. That's how it goes for weeks up until right before closing. And then now I'm like, okay. Like I expected, she's the decision maker, or at least she has a significant impact on it. So. But we. That line helped me get through that.

Well, Andy, you are, you know, you have a part to do. I do as well. And we both know that they are the decision makers. No matter what we take types of leverages, leverage that exist in a marriage cannot come from other places. And it's such a great example. First of all, I love that you dropped a podcast line to bring Break. That is so cool. So cool. And then the other thing is just the fact that you acknowledge the emotions and the situation, even though you didn't know exactly what it was you're saying, hey, listen, I'm sensing something. What is it that I'm sensing here? And then you got all of that information. And one of the things we have to remember is that there is no such thing as just a negotiation with two parties. If you're talking to somebody else, there are other people involved. To what degree are they involved? I don't know.

But.

But we know that they're involved in some capacity. And so even if they don't have traditional decision making authority, they do have influence. There's somebody who is watching. There are some other stakeholders here. And once you get an idea of who those people are and what those interests are, then you can be a more creative deal maker. Because I. Listen, I don't know what happened in that situation, but if I were in his situation, you know what I would have done? I would have taken those comps that you gave to me, and I would have gone back to Whitney and said, see, Whit, hey, look, I'm a good negotiator. You see this deal, this is a great deal. You know, he wants. Wants to feel like a winner, and he's feeling like a loser in this moment. And so this is such a great example of creative deal making, because you didn't need to bully them or strong are them or. It wasn't even like a one of those, like, logic trap types of questions. It was just saying, hey, I'm here to provide you with a solution, and you still have this problem. Let's work it through. And once you're able to break through, then you're able to make the deal happen.

Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, there's so many situations, especially in our business, where there'll be folks who aren't even on title or like, you have no idea. And it could just be like, Kwame is my trusted friend. I ask him about everything. I'll never know that they spoke to you, but I do need to make sure that I gauge what that is. There's the one deal I always got a bunch of flack for. So it was an amazing deal for us. And the gentleman called in the house was just in disarray, but he had two daughters. I have two daughters. We spent like 45 minutes to an hour just talking about our kids. That was it. And I was like, I just like this guy. I was like, whatever happens on this call, I just like this guy, right? Like, he's such. He's just a good dude, right? So he's. But I could tell he didn't understand anything about real estate. And what I found is that whenever there's, like, a true, like, lack of understanding about what's going on? You do have to take it upon yourself to provide some level of understanding. Because if you don't and they go to anyone else, you always have that leg to. You won't have the leg to stand on. Well, he told me this already. And. And he asked for a number. And I told him. I said, hey, look, I gotta be straightforward with you. I said, I could buy it at that price point. I said, but even I think that's too low, right? And I remember my team was like, you're crazy. And I said, something in my gut is telling me that I need to do this right. I'm like, you know, I'm a spiritual person, too. So I was like, I literally felt like the Lord looking down on me. Don't do it. So I was like. So I said to him, and I said, hey, look, I think the house is worth this fixed up up, right? I said, I know you mentioned you have a chance. He's like, yeah, but he's. I kind of heard. Some of the neighbors said, that's kind. I said, okay. I said, based on what you're telling me, this is going to be a lot of work. But at this price point, like, this is. You're almost just basically giving me the house for free. I said, how about if I pay this number, this will give me enough room to protect the company if anything goes wrong with the market or whatever the case is, and I can actually get you more than you need to buy your new house. And he said, man, that's great. And then he goes, I need to speak to my mom, though, right? So I'm like, okay, talk to your mom. I get a random call. I said, hey, here's my cell phone number. Because I was traveling at the time. I was going to my niece's high school graduation. So I'm at the airport and I get a call from a random number in Jacksonville. I said, oh, I was, hey, this is Andy. And she goes, hey, you spoke to my son earlier today. And I was like, oh. And she just comes in like a ball of fire. I don't say anything. She goes, he told me what he wanted to sell this house for. I think he's an idiot. He should just fix it up himself. But he told me you're paying him more than even he asked for it, so you must be a good guy. I'm just going to tell him to sign it right now. How soon can you guys get somebody out here to take photos of the house and get it done? And I like, oh, My gosh. But I just knew because, like, your gut tells you, like, he knows so little, but you could also tell that he knew enough to go ask somebody else. And he wasn't going to tell me that person. Right. And it was his mom. And then she called me back directly and said, I'm going to tell him to sign your contract because of the way you handle things with him.

Man. A contract with a conscience. I like that.

Yeah.

You know, because the reality is that sometimes we can, because of the fact that we know more than the other person, we might have more information or we might have more skills. There is the opportunity to manipulate people with these skills. That's one of the questions that people ask me quite frequently. They say, well, I'm listening to you talk about persuasion, but what's the difference between persuasion and manipulation? And for me, it comes down to intent.

Right.

And so when you have these powers, it's your responsibility to wield them. And ethically. And this, this is a great example. And then there might be a deal maker who's listening to this podcast and saying, what, you should have just. Just put him in the ground. Right. Well, let's play this out, though, because then he would have talked to somebody else. They would have said, this is not a good deal. This person's taking advantage of you. And we have to remember, trust is gained in drips, but it's lost in buckets. You invested all of this information, all of this time into creating this warm rapport, sharing the about your family structure and everything like that. And you're starting to like him, he's starting to like you. And if you would have found out that you were trying to pull a fast one, it. That would have been in all gone in an instant. And the thing is, you understand also it's a competitive market. Somebody could have really easily come in and given them a better offer, and then you would have lost it. And so I would hypothesize that even if somebody came in at this point and gave a marginally better offer, he would still go with you because of that trust factor.

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, there's like that same service element and the trust factor. I mean, I've literally. We made it. We had a deal in Texas. And I asked her, at the end of the day, I said, what made you choose me? She said, you were the only company that actually picked up the phone when your website said you would pick up the phone. She's like, she said, I made four phone calls before you, and you were the only Ones that actually picked up. And she's like, you were straightforward and everything. Everything in the contract. She said, oh, I want. I'm gonna go through your contract with a fine tooth comb. And literally we got to the affiliate performance clause. And then she said, what does this mean? I said, it means that if we don't perform, you keep our emd. I said, it means that if you don't, if you don't show up to the closing table, then unfortunately you might get sued, but you're gonna show up, right? She's like, oh. She's like, okay, well, that's easy enough. And we. 28 sections of the agreement and she signed. It was like an hour and 15 minute phone call, but we bought her house an hour and 15 minutes specifically because of the transparency and because of their responsiveness.

Incredible. Oh, Andy, this is great. This is great. I could keep. I could talk to you forever about this because there's so many examples of the, these negotiation strategies working in every facet of your life. And that's why we call the podcast Negotiate Anything. And you're just a living, breathing testament of that. So I appreciate you, man. Before you go, let the listeners know about what it is that you're doing now and how they could potentially work with you.

Yeah, absolutely. So if you wanted to reach me, feel free to. You can message me on Instagram at Newton Underscore Invest. That's Newton, just like Isaac or the Fig, whichever you prefer. So Newton Underscore Invest. Or you can actually email me directly@andyoutheasthomebuyers.com so if you want to work with me, whether it's you need help with your sales training or if you need. Need just a deal analysis on a home that you're either looking to sell immediately if you need help with the listing analysis, if you need help with all types of different things, we take over mortgage payments. Folks write a seller to contracts. At the end of the day, my job is just really to create a solution. Like I tell everybody I speak with and the folks that I work with tell everybody that they speak with, they say, hey, look, at the end of day, whether we buy the house or not, we just want to help you out, right? So if we end the conversation and we spent an hour on the phone together and it's like, hey, like, we're just not a fan fit. I'll be okay. Well, here's some ideas on what you could do that could get you to the end game that you are looking for. Yeah, we offer, I offer support in all types of different ways when it comes to our real estate and sales. Sales training.

So amazing. Andy, thank you so much for joining us today. Really appreciate it.

Thank you, Kwan. Appreciate it. Dream come true.

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