Changing attitudes in the current crisis and a greater sense of community

We now enter our fourth week of working from home - Changing attitudes in the current crisis and a greater sense of community - let’s keep it going!

I was planning to give you a market update of what’s been happening in the last three weeks, however, I’ve had a change of mind.

Is what I’m witnessing the new norm? There appears to be a new feeling amongst people I have dealings with.

I see my neighbour delivering fresh vegetables to vulnerable people in my village, donated by local shops and farms in our community. I’ve seen people out on their daily exercise, actually lift their heads to speak to strangers and ask how they are and telling them to ‘Stay Safe’.

I see family and friends having conversations through windows with elderly relatives and neighbours who have hardly spoken two words to one another in the past, asking if there is anything they can do to help.

So my update today is to let you now how I believe this has hopefully transferred into the business community as well. Six weeks ago as a business owner, I would have been concerned how quickly we were answering phone calls, or how many viewings we had booked that day. Now when you call my office number you might not get answered in the first 3 rings. This isn’t because we don’t care about our clients, quite the opposite. We are connecting with our clients on a human level not on a business transactional level. We are finding people have more patience and have a genuine interest in the other person they are talking to. We are finding out more about our clients than we ever have before and that might mean we are on the phones just that little while longer.

I have come to see again why I love doing this job; it’s the human connection and although I strongly believe my company has always put the client first, the fulfilment of why we do this job in the first place is far more evident.

So out of this crazy situation can we find any positives? We’ll I say ’YES WE CAN!’ Can this be the new norm when things return to normal, whatever normal may become?

Moving forward, my focus as a business owner will be less on the numbers game and more on the human connecting game, after all our business is all about relationships not just transactions. People will forget what you might have said to them, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

So keep it up everyone I like this kinder, more patient and less self-centred community.

Stay safe and keep positive.

Dean Grove

#StaySafe #BeKind #BePositive