In March of 2011, we attended a networking event called The Taste of the Chamber. There were 20 executive chefs serving their best dishes. Over 300 networkers tasted the food and voted for their favorite. At the end of the day, the Park Street Market was crowned champion. I had developed a habit of taking pictures and carried my Canon SureShot camera everywhere. I captured the silver platter recognition at the Taste of the Chamber, knowing I would
celebrate this moment with a personalized card. I took a business card from the table to secure an address for the card. When I returned home that evening, I uploaded the pictures, created a card and clicked the “send” button on my computer. The card said, “Your food rocked the house at the Taste of the Chamber. No better ribs, greens, or peach cobbler. A win well earned! Thanks for sharing your goodness. We enjoyed every bite. Live Today. Enjoy Life! Then we signed it, Steve and Gayle Zientek, The Network Team, and included our phone numbers.

About a week later, I received a phone call. It was Kiar Gamsho. He thanked me for the card. He also mentioned that he and his family were relocating from the east side of the state. They would be looking to purchase homes and asked if we could meet to see if we’d be a good fit to work
together. We met downtown and had a great conversation. We kept in contact over the next year, occasionally looking at homes. In late 2012, Kiar closed on his first home. In April 2013 we were invited to Kiar and Eva’s wedding. It was one of the most incredible weddings we’ve ever attended. We met the family and danced the night away. Over the next five years, we helped nine family members and friends buy and sell homes, earning more than $70,000 in commissions. More importantly, we have created a special bond with the Gamsho family. They text us pictures of their new babies, invite us to dinner and tell us often how much they love us. It’s been quite a journey with this family so far. One unexpected card sent in celebration of a win well-earned led us to significant income and priceless friendships.

The reason Gayle has this story to tell is because she and her husband Steve have developed a level-four habit of sending cards. They don’t think about it, they just do it. They committed to a daily routine looking for opportunities to celebrate their relationships with cards and gifts. They send an average of three to four cards every day. This consistent action helped them grow their referral business from 35 percent to 100 percent during the dismal real estate market from 2008 to 2011.

The amazing thing about this story is that Gayle did not send this card with the intention of getting anything from Kiar. She simply celebrated someone she met who won a cooking contest at a networking event. We call this “giving to give.” Most people interact with others, especially in business, with the intent to get something from them. The simple law of attraction dictates that whatever you send out will come back to you.