We were lucky to catch up with Ingrid Morency recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ingrid, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?
Sometimes it can feel like a personal rejection but don’t get offended or discouraged if they don’t support you…especially right away. If you haven’t established yourself as an expert in your field, they may not want to take that leap of faith. When I started in real estate, I made sure I was a sponge and always will be. You should never stop learning. I invest in taking classes, reading books, and networking with like-minded individuals. Anything to hone my skills. So much so that I’ve made it a priority to leave each one of my clients with a form of educational element during the purchasing and selling process. If I don’t know it, trust that I will definitely get you in contact with someone who does. My team is exceptional, if I do say so myself.
Depending on your services, they might not be your target audience. I’m always encouraging everyone to remember their WHY. That’s what will propel you to where you need to be. If friends and family aren’t your target, find your target audience and focus on them. This wasn’t always the case when I first started, but now 85% of my business comes from referrals and repeat customers both in and out of the state of Georgia.
In some cases, you may have made the assumption that they were supposed to automatically support you and haven’t even asked them to. Be informative and unafraid to ask!! Build and nurture those genuine relationships and don’t make assumptions. However, the biggest point that I’m trying to make is that you shouldn’t focus on who ISN’T supporting you, show up and stay committed anyway. You got this!
Comparison destroys your confidence, find your target audience, focus on your own path and purpose, and enjoy the journey while celebrating your wins!!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Absolutely. In a nutshell, I love helping others. I’m very active in the community serving the underserved. I enjoy travelling to different parts of the world and officially lived in three countries in my lifetime. I had a podcast, where I debunked myths and misconceptions around falsely labeled stigmas I felt needed to be normalized; ultimately bringing us closer as a human race.
Prior to joining the Real Estate Industry, I was an Infrastructure Project Manager/Scrum Master and in a lot of ways, I still conduct my business as such. It keeps Business Operations organized; closing on time with few surprises, aids in the negotiating aspect for my clients, keeps everyone in the deal in communication. Most importantly, it leaves me asking the RIGHT questions. I want to really understand the WHY and motivation behind my clients’ investment(s). After all, if I’m not solving a problem and/or adding value, why use my services? My clients appreciate this tremendously.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Where do I even begin? Honestly, I would have to say throughout my career, I’ve had to bury a younger sibling and a parent. Neither easy, both unexpected, and both taking a different toll on my mental health. Surprisingly, each has changed the trajectory of my life, in terms of career aspirations, for the better.
Death is never easy. It is also inevitable. But so is change. Change can lead to growth if you allow it to. Each has made me consciously aware of the daily decisions I have to make for my business and personal life. It has allowed me to find gratitude in the little things and the value of fostering relationships. I have definitely been fearless and firm when betting on myself and trying something new. I’ve also noticed that when faced with adversity and challenges, I’m more adaptable, which has made me very nimble.
Of course, I’ve had to invest in my mental health in order to be in the positive mental space I’m in today. I make it a point to focus on events and situations that I can control and don’t sweat the ones that I can’t. Constantly reminding myself not to lose sight of what I have built to the things I have lost. That’s why I believe mental health is one of the best investments a business can make.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Consistency, Consistency, Consistency! Reputation is so important in the way you conduct your business and can literally improve nearly every aspect of it. I have made it a point to consistently give priority to customer service, consistently create value, and consistently be transparent.
Customer service goes a long way. I don’t know about you, but I often spend money on businesses that prioritize this and steer away from those that don’t. So, I expect nothing less when I’m serving anyone in the community. I treat every client regardless of the size of their investment, like they are the most important in my portfolio – white glove service if you will – because they are.
Creating value is what differentiates me from the crowd. Understanding that everyone has their own needs and aren’t robots, the value added is tailor-made. At a high-level, I’m always finding ways to being proactive by either solving problems and/or making my clients’ life easier. As I pride myself on being a one-stop shop, making life easier for my clients is endless.
Being transparent removes the overwhelming aspect of the transaction and builds confidence and trust in the long-term relationship that’s being built. I’m always keeping commitments of activities and updates, educating how to manage the negotiation, and keeping my clients up to date on the market and where it’s headed, for better decision making.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ingridmorency.bhhsgeorgia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlmo6/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingridmorency/