You Can't Catch the Fish if You Don't Bait the Hook...
Posted by Kelley Brouillette
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Growing up in Louisiana - it was every so often that my grandfather would take my brother, sister and myself to fish at the crack of dawn on the beautiful waters of Cross Lakes. I can still picture driving down the winding road - windows down of his old Cutless Supreme, cane poles shaking out the windows, fresh earth worms in styrofoam cups filled with fresh soil from grandma's garden. There was nothing like baiting the hooks, and dropping the lines into the opaque waters - and simply waiting for our red and white bobs to begin to dance with excitement. Usually, as the sun was rising, and the waters would warm a bit - the bubbles surrounding our lines would begin to form at the brim, and soon the bobs would disappear for a few seconds and then pop back up - and then we knew...and would calculate at just what moment to jerk our lines up.
There was always something magical about knowing my bait was beneath the surface enticing some hungry or bored fish - to simply take a bite. The bob - when it would disappear for seconds would send adrenaline through my body like the idea of Santa on Christmas morning. It was an accomplishment to pull my line in - and watch my catch flop on the deck - a moment where all around would congratulate and smile - the smell of grandma frying my catch and me eating it that evening in front of Star Search. The process something that both child and grandparent would embrace each time we set our lines with just the right bait.
On one morning - I grew bored - something that I was not accustomed to - my line was still - bob simply floating - no movement whatsoever. I could not figure out why everyone around me was catching nice catfish - and yet my line was stagnet. FInally - my grandfather fell bored as well - and told me to bring in my line - we would head to our favorite ICEE shop. I did not want an ICEE - I wanted a fish. I wanted to have a meal that evening in front of the TV and brag about how I had caught my own meal - I was pouting at this point - there would be no meal. Reluctantly, I pulled my line in and to my horror discovered any fisherman's worst nightmare - NO BAIT!!!! How could this be? How long had my line been in the water with no bait? How could I expect to catch anything with nothing out there???? And so I pouted some more - and drank my ICEE...cursing to myself that I would never leave a line without bait again - and I would check from now on every few minutes for future fishing excursions....
Fast forward almost 25 years - the tomboy all grown up - and still amazed at the same theory of adults in sales trying to fish for meals with no bait -
I have heard every excuse from old agents - new agents and burnt out agents - the same complaints - why they cannot figure out why their pipeline is dry and there is no meal to bring home...and all I can offer is, "Have you tried open houses?" Usually - I am answered with silence or stammers of , "Well..um..well..umm."
It is one of the only guarantees I can offer on how to bring in a buyer in any market - bait your hook and throw your line out -
Think of the open house as the line - bait - and the buyer as the fish - if they are walking into the home you are holding open - they are hungry - searching for something - maybe they don't like your earthwork you have on your line - but as agents - we have endless bait to show them - right?
So talk to your colleagues - find the perfect location and hold that open house this weekend - after all - who doesn't love a great catch at the end of the day?
Now...I have some worms I need to go bait...
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the HRIS.
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