The Legend of Beverly Best

My best childhood friend, Stacy, lost her dad to a brain tumor about 17 years ago. He was young. She and her brothers and sisters were devastated. It completely altered their reality, and they struggled for many years to recover.

Last week they said goodbye to the final piece of their father. They sold his weekend mountain retreat in Pinetop, Arizona. The place held a million memories for Stacy and her siblings and they only very reluctantly agreed to pass it on to someone else. It was sitting vacant week after week and year after year. And as much as it hurt to let it go, everyone knew it was the right thing to do.

So they got a realtor from the area, Bev Best, and she facilitated the sale. It wasn’t a big commission for Bev. It was just a tiny condo.

But it was a big win for Bev. Because she did something that every great brand knows how to do:

She made her client say, “I can’t believe she just did that.” And then she got her client to speak about her as though she was a legend.

I was present for Bev’s promotion to “legend” status. And here’s how it went down.

Stacy and I were at Happy Hour last night, and a text from Bev came through on Stacy’s phone. It was the photo of the sign outside the front door at the Pinetop condo. A sign with Stacy’s dad’s name on it. (It was the photo at the top of this post.)

And there was a note from Bev:

“I’ve got your Dad’s sign. My day is crazy tomorrow, so I probably won’t get it mailed until Monday, but I’ve got it in hand.”

And my friend Stacy, who is almost always buttoned-up and fully composed, got a little teary-eyed right there in a crowded bar. And she instantly felt a rush of gratitude and respect for a woman she barely knew.

Here’s what’s so extraordinary about what Bev did. Stacy didn’t ASK for that sign. I’d be willing to bet that Stacy even forgot it was there.

But when she saw it, a flood of memories washed over her. Memories of walking through that door as a teenager. Memories of moments she’d spent with her dad in that spot. Memories that she’d buried.

Whether Bev sensed that or not is something we’ll never know. And it doesn’t matter.

What matters is what Bev DID. She took a moment out of her day to connect with the hopes, dreams, fears and frustrations of her client. And she did it AFTER the sale was complete. She didn’t have to do that. She’d already made her money. She just did the right thing.

And she touched my friend. She touched her enough that Stacy looked at me and said, “I can’t believe she just did that.”

And here’s what’s even more legendary about Beverly surprising Stacy in such a remarkable way. Stacy is a realtor, herself. So she’s not easy to impress.

Stacy had Bev send the sign to her brother, Robbie, who was only eight years old when their father passed. When Robbie heard the sign was on its way to him, he was also presented with a flood of beautiful memories, and a glimmer of hope at having a piece of his father with him always.

These moments – these touch points – are what separate 1% of businesses from the rest. These are the moments that boost sales and referrals exponentially over the long-haul. And the 1-percenters? They know how to engineer their processes so the moments occur again and again and again.

If you can make your prospects and customers say, “I can’t believe she just did that,” then you can also make them say, “Just a moment, let me get my credit card.”

Hats off to Bev Best. The legend.

How are you securing your status as a legend? Share with me in the comments below.

And if you’re interested in becoming a legend, join me at my next webinar. We’ll talk about attraction and connection. And what it takes to become a real legend in the minds of your clients — and their friends.