Debbie Mayo-Smith: A story of persistence

The elderly couple thanked Wayne for keeping in touch when their first agent didn't. Photo / iStock

You know how kids go through the best friend stage? So it was with my daughter, Samantha who for many years was best friends with Samantha McCarthy.

Samantha McCarthy's father Wayne is in the top third of all agents in his firm Barfoot and Thompson.

Every five or six months, I'd get a call from him about a large(r) family home that had come up for sale in our neighbourhood. We have six kids, happily crammed into a five bedroom house.

It was Thursday, 4pm. A typical rainy Auckland afternoon. I was working on the computer when the phone rings. "Good day Deb, it's Wayne McCarthy here. Do I have a house for you!"

I said: "Oh my goodness Wayne, I can't believe this serendipity! I'm sitting here working on a presentation for a real estate conference. Wayne, do you have any good sales stories?

"Debbie, I'll put on my thinking cap on. Meet me at 2 at this house on Riddell Road."

It's 2.20. We're standing on the balcony. A beautiful sea breeze in our faces. I say: "So Wayne, tell me your story."

"December five years ago, I met a lovely older English couple. She was a retired school teacher. He was a stamp collector."

They said: "Wayne, we love New Zealand. We have many friends here. We plan on staying several months a year. Help us find a house."

"So I drove them around quite a few times. Couldn't find anything they liked, then it was time for them to go back to England. December the following year they were back and again they got me to drive them around, we couldn't find something quite right and again they returned to England.

In February, I received an email from them thanking me for my efforts. They had seen a house online, had a friend do a walk through and they bought it. I continued to stay in touch. Every four/five months I'd send them an email saying hi and reminding them if they ever needed a plumber, a carpenter or a tradesmen I'd be happy to help."

One year passes. Two years pass. In December — the fifth year since I originally met them, I get a phone call. It's the English couple.

"Wayne, come over for a drink".

When I got there, they said: "Wayne, we're not coming to NZ as much as we thought we would. Please will you sell the house for us?" Wayne said, "Of course, but what about the agent that sold you the house?"

"Well you've been so lovely staying in touch all these years, and we never heard from him again."

Relevance? It's simply this. Persistence pays heaps. Most people in sales give up after the first go. Don't be in that category.

Written by Debbie Mayo-Smith, One of New Zealand's most in-demand speakers, trainers and bestselling authors. Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff. For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter.