Hey, nobody's perfect. It happens. Suck it up. Don't get me wrong. I NEVER endorse performance to such a pathetic level that gets you on the shit list but when it happens, you need to know how to bow out gracefully. Listen, sometimes the hardest thing to do is swallow your pride. Especially when you are unjustly accused or blamed. This DOES happen in REO by the way. There is a LOT of CYA (Covering Your Ass) going on and usually the lowest person on the totem pole gets the blame for screw ups. Yep, you guessed it...the good old broker who worked his tail off and then took them blame for someone else's screwup. So how do you handle it? Well, first you should remember that in this business people move around a LOT and you very well may run into an AM from the company that Blacklisted you who's now working for a new firm. So obviously, your "exit" needs to leave a good and lasting impression. Never, ever, let your emotions get the best of you when you are wronged. It NEVER works out in your favor. Let the anger go before addressing any parties who you think have somehow done you wrong. Let things cool down and then compose a carefully worded letter (not an email-far too impersonal) or script for an even-tempered phone call to the person in charge (I am laughing as I write this thinking about the unwritten rule at my office that any time I am writing something heated in an email that someone is to stop me from pressing "send".) Your goal is NOT to reverse the blame on others and to point out how inept their employees are. It is merely to discuss the issue that caused the action, to entertain different means that could have been used by both you and their firm to avoid or rectify the issue, and to show them what steps you have taken to preemptively recognize and head off a similar issue in the future. Lastly, your letter should include a wealth of gratitude for the opportunity that they have given you to be a partner with them in disposing of REOs. A well-versed personal conversation or a letter written correctly and followed up by a phone call can often lead to your removal from the Blacklist, which is the ultimate goal. A very close friend, who I consider a brother, once taught me the valuable lesson that in the REO business, like most other businesses, that "problem solving situations are often the very best relationship building opportunities. They are your chance to shine and show clients what you're made of." He is dead on right with that piece of advice. Thank you George. I'll see about getting him on a call in the near future. It's brilliant insight like his that brings immeasurable value into your business. When you become a true REO Rockstar you get to meet and befriend great minds like George. Pay close attention to your actions, even in defeat. A keen sense of how to handle ALL situations can propel you to levels of success that others only dream about.
So you got BLACKLISTED by an REO Client. The CRITICAL Next Move?
