The Man & His Music – Advice From ‘The Boss’.

29 Jan The Man & His Music – Advice From ‘The Boss’.

The Man & His Music - Advice From 'The Boss'.

I've never been much of a fan.

Despite the overwhelming number of major, very major, successes to his credit.

Dancing in the Dark. Born in the U.S.A. Born to Run. Hungry Heart?

Bruce Springsteen had a style of music that, for me, didn't resonate.

I much preferred Bowie, Elvis And The Beach Boys.

So it was strange that I should tune in to watch the Netflix show, Bruce Springsteen on Broadway.

I'd heard that he wove story around the songs.  So I guess that was the reason.

Two and a half hours of mesmerising television.

The songs were played in a small theatre on Broadway.

No E-Street Band.

Just the man and his music.

His guitar, piano and harmonica.  And, much later in the show, his talented wife Patti.

Stories flowed as much as the music.

Of his childhood.  His parents.  Where he lived in Jersey Shore.

Memorable stuff.

But what left an indelible impression was the delivery of those stories.

Searingly honest.  At times heartbreakingly sad.

A meandering, mellifluent  feel.

Delivered with genuine emotion, this wasn't a stage show.

This was a man reliving, nightly, his often troubled past.

Vulnerable and raw. In the public gaze.

And then the mood lightened.

Recounting how he first met Patti Scialfa in 1980, later married her, he then went on to talk about TRUST.

"Trust, in a relationship, is a complicated thing.

Trust requires allowing others to see as much of ourselves as we have the courage to reveal.

Allowing others to see behind the masks.  The many masks we all wear to overcome the fear." 

 

There were so many moments throughout the show when Bruce revealed insights to his character.

Recounting his draft rejection by the military on medical grounds and the hundreds of thousands of young men

that lost their lives in the Vietnam War, he wondered

"Who was it that was sent in my place. There was someone."

The man & his music.

Bruce Springsteen on Broadway. Watch it.  You will not be disappointed.

Of course, there's a point to this.

Here it is:

"Trust requires allowing others to see as much of ourselves as we have the courage to reveal."

It's a word that we hear a lot in estate agency.

There's even that purveyor of half-truths called TrustPilot. A haven for those that can't think for themselves.

Unfortunately, it's not that simple.

"Allowing others to see behind the masks. The many masks we all wear to overcome the fear."

I've alluded to this during a chat with Christopher Watkin, where his question to me was:

What are the biggest fears & frustrations for estate agents?

The underlying fear of not being good enough was my answer.

The fear of letting slip the mask.

Allowing vendors to glimpse.  Who you really are.

The character.

The values, beliefs & convictions.

The fear that they may reject you.

And so you stay safe.  Behind the brand.  Behind the perfected & polished version of yourself.

Making it harder yet for any vendor to choose you, let alone trust you.

Because every other agent is doing precisely the same thing.

Every agency, every agent, claims that estate agency is a relationship business.

A people business.

Then, make it that.

Don't make it transactional.

A Personal Brand will help.

But it requires vulnerability.

Courage.

A willingness to be rejected.

Not many agents are willing.

I hope you are.

If not, thanks as always for reading and best wishes for the year ahead.

If you need more information, it's here on www.andsothestorybegan.co.uk

chris@andsothestorybegan.co.uk

chris