The art of selling is something few people master. For some it comes naturally, for others they work very hard at it! There are of course the consumate sales professionals and there are the order takers! When it comes to selling your property, have you got a sales person or have you got an order taker? What extremes would your real estate agent go to to ensure you get the best price and that the sale is negotaited through to settlement?
Geoff Brand started selling at the age of ten! throughout the past 36 years, he’s been trained and he’s been a trainer! But the most appropriate story to tell about selling is that of Lieutenant Rowan, who delivered a message to General Calixto Garcia. The story formed part of Geoff’s training and summarizes what a great real estate agent is all about. Because when you appoint a real estate agent to sell your home, that is what the agent should be doing!
Over 100 years ago, a brief article was written to fill an empty space in a magazine which was otherwise ready for publication. This seemingly insignificant work about a soldier in the U.S. Army has since become one of the most published documents in history. “A Message to Garcia” has been translated into every major language on earth with over 100 million copies in print. What was the significance of this article which caused such a stir around the world?
In 1899, a man by the name of Elbert Hubbard wrote an editorial for a small magazine called The Philistine. Over tea, Hubbard was discussing the Spanish-American War with his family. Everyone had been cheering General Calixto Garcia, the leader of the Cuban rebel forces, as the key to winning the war in Cuba, when Hubbard’s son, Bert, put forth this argument. “In my mind”, ventured Bert, “the real hero of the war was not General Garcia, but Lieutenant Rowan, the man who got the message to Garcia.” His son’s words leaped in Hubbard’s heart.
Hubbard wrote the article, “A Message to Garcia” and the edition went to print. He thought little more about it until the magazine began getting requests for re-prints of that particular edition. More and more requests for re-prints came in until the magazine was literally swamped. Puzzled by the overwhelming number of orders, Hubbard asked his staff why people were interested in that particular copy of the magazine. He was surprised to learn that the demand was for the “filler” article he had written about Rowan. Orders came in for 100,000 copies, 500,000 copies, 1,000 000 copies. Eventually, Hubbard was forced to simply grant permission to print for themselves to those who wanted large numbers of copies, because of his limited ability to publish in those quantities. Why were so many people interested in an article about some unknown lieutenant by the name of Andrew Summers Rowan? The reason is…… everyone is looking for special individuals such as Rowan.
In 1895, the little island nation of Cuba was struggling to be free from Spanish rule. The Spanish soldiers who occupied the island oppressed and brutalised the people. They desperately wanted to be free. The United States had a strong interest in Cuba, not only because of its geographical proximity to the United States, but also because of financial investments there. By 1897, the situation in Cuba had deteriorated to the point that there was rioting in the streets of Havana between nationalists and Spanish soldiers. US President McKinley dispatched the battleship Maine as a visible indicator of the United States’ presence in Cuba. The American battleship, sitting in Havana harbour, sent a clear signal to the Spanish government of the U.S.A.’s resolve to protect it’s interests in Cuba. Although a formidable presence, the Maine did not engage in any hostile act against Spain.
On February 15 1898, however, an explosion rocked the Havana harbour sinking the U.S. battleship. The American people were greatly alarmed over this open act of aggression less than 100 miles off country’s coast. McKinley sent an ultimatum to Spain to get out of Cuba. By April, the United States was at war with Spain. Ultimately, the Spanish – American War proved to liberate, not only the nation of Cuba, but the Philippine Islands, as well.
Just before declaring war, President McKinley was meeting with Colonel Arthur Wagner, head of the Bureau of Military Intelligence for the United States. “Where”, asked President McKinley, “can I find a man who will carry a message to Garcia?” Co-operation between the rebel forces in Cuba and the United States was essential to the success of the campaign. It was vital to quickly communicate with the leader of the rebels, General Calixto Garcia, a Cuban-born Creole. General Garcia was somewhere in the mountains of Cuba leading the rebel troops in their fight for independence. He was a hunted man by the Spanish army. No one knew his exact whereabouts.
Colonel Wagner did not hesitate in his answer to the President. “I have a man – a young officer, Lieutenant Andrew Summers Rowan. If anybody can get a message to Garcia, Rowan can.”
An hour later, Lieutenant Rowan stood before Col. Wagner. “Young man,” said the superior officer, “you must carry a message to General Garcia, who will be found somewhere in Cuba. You must plan and act for yourself. The task is yours and yours alone.” Col. Wagner then shook Rowan’s hand and repeated, “Get that message to Garcia.” Without asking one question, Rowan left to find Garcia.
Rowan delivered the message to Garcia and the response got back to McKinley without Rowan ever asking, “Where is he? What does he look like? Who are his contacts? How do I get there?” He simply took the orders and did what he was asked to do. Is there a Rowan among us? Is there somebody who can get a message to Garcia? Is there someone who can get the job done without needing to have his employer hold his hand until the task is completed? If not, the boss might as well do it himself.
Is there somebody that I can just ask to accomplish a task and the next time I see them I am told, “I’m finished with that. What do you want me to do next?” Where can I find someone like that? Where are they? Can I find a Rowan? Is there someone who can get a message to Garcia?
They are out there. There’s just not enough of them. There are probably some Rowans listening to this right now. There will always be a few of those individuals who are extraordinary. Extraordinary means above ordinary. Those who don’t just do what is expected of them; they surpass the expectations of others, in their pursuit of excellence. Here’s an excerpt from Elbert Hubbard’s article. It could have been written ………..yesterday.
The point I wish to make is this: McKinley gave Rowan a letter to be delivered to Garcia. Rowan took the letter and did not ask, ‘Where is he at?” By the eternal, there is a man whose form should be cast in deathless bronze and the statue placed in every college of the land. It is not book-learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: do the thing – “Carry a message to Garcia!” ….. You reader, put this matter to a test.
You are sitting now in your office. Six clerks are within call. Summon anyone and make this request; “Please look in the encyclopaedia and make a brief memorandum for me concerning the life of Correggio.” Will the clerk quietly say, “Yes, sir,” and go do the task. On your life, he will not. He will look at you out of a fishy eye and ask one or more of the following questions:
Who was he? Which encyclopaedia? Where is the encyclopaedia? Was I hired for that? Don’t you mean Bismarck? What’s the matter with Charlie doing it? Is he dead? Is there any hurry? Shan’t I bring the book and let you look it up yourself? What do you want to know for? …………….
Now if you are wise you will not bother to explain to your assistant that Correggio is indexed under the C’s, not under the K’s, but you will smile sweetly and say, “Never mind,” and go look it up yourself. We have recently been hearing much maudlin sympathy expressed for the downtrodden denizen of the sweatshop and the homeless wanderer searching for honest employment and with it all often go many hard words for the men in power. Nothing is said about the employer who grows old before his time in a vain attempt to get frowsy ne’er do-wells to do intelligent work; and his long patient striving with “help” that does nothing but loaf when his back is turned.
Have I put the matter too strongly? Possibly I have, but when all the world has gone a-slumming, I wish to speak a word of sympathy for the man who succeeds ….. My heart goes out to the man who does his work when the boss is away as well as when he is at home. And the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, quietly takes the missive, without asking any idiotic questions and with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest sewer, or of doing anything else but deliver it, never gets laid off; nor has to go on a strike for higher wages. Civilization is one long anxious search for just such individuals. Anything such a man asks shall be granted. His kind is so rare that no employer can afford to let him go. He is wanted in every city, town, and village; in every office, shop, store and factory. The world cries out for such. He is needed and needed badly, the person who can carry a message to Garcia.
Those who entrust our agents with the task of selling their most valuable asset, will get results, even when other agents have failed. That is what we do, every day!
