Meet Them There
I closed a loan this week that was a first for me. I never actually had a conversation with the client. (Well… almost.)
When I called him the first time, he answered and quickly said, “Hey, I’m in a meeting. Can you just text me? I’m comparing rates. I’m already under contract, and this is your only shot to earn my business.”
That was it. No introduction. No small talk. No relationship-building. Just, “Text me.”
And that was strange for me.
As many of you who know me personally, relationships are one of the things I enjoy most about my job. I genuinely like getting to know people. I enjoy hearing their stories, asking questions, and learning about their families.
That’s how God wired me!
But this client wasn’t looking for that.
He simply wanted someone who would communicate efficiently, answer his questions quickly, and get the loan closed. So that’s exactly what I did.
We communicated entirely through text messages and email.
Whenever he had a question, I responded quickly and whenever I needed something, he got it back to me just as quickly.
The process actually very smoothly!
We closed on time, he moved into his new home, mission accomplished.
But it still felt… different.
There wasn’t much rapport. No long conversations. No real friendship being built. Just business.
And that’s okay.
A Real Christian Businessman understands that serving people isn’t always about doing things the way we prefer. Sometimes it’s about meeting people where they are.
Some clients want to sit across the table for an hour and ask twenty questions while others simply want you to text them the answer and let them get back to work.
Neither one is wrong.
The goal isn’t to make every client fit our style. The goal is to serve each client in the way they need to be served.
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…” Ecc 9:10 (NIV)
That verse doesn’t say to work hard only when the job matches your personality, it says whatever your hand finds to do.
Sometimes that means building deep relationships.
Sometimes it means simply being responsive, professional, and dependable.
Both can honor God.