Since beginning my real estate marketing career in 2004, I have personally produced over a dozen real estate conferences and attended close to 100. As both the conference producer and an attendee, I often return home with what are often referred to as “golden nuggets” to better my business.

Often the challenge when carrying the “nuggets” home is deciding how and when to implement them into your business — and even deciding if it’s a good idea. The late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs famously believed that “focus is about saying ‘no.’” He believed that the ability to say no to good ideas is what separates average from exceptional results. Jobs was known for being ruthless in turning down promising projects to focus on a few. He said, “I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done.”

It was during a recent summer vacation with my family in the Italian Dolomites where I found the most important “nugget” of this calendar year. One evening after enjoying a delicious pizza with yellow tomato sauce, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and basil, we were exiting the restaurant and the “nugget” was staring at me. A painting on the wall read “You can’t make everyone happy. You’re not pizza.”

The customer service mantra we often hear is “the customer is always right.” But I am truly convinced in today’s era that you can’t make everyone happy. Since implementing this “nugget” into my business, I focus the majority of my time on customers who I can make happy, and my business relationships are flourishing. On the other hand, with customers who I can’t make happy, I’m deciding not to work with them anymore.

This thought process leads back to a phrase I once heard that stuck with me: “The reason why businesses fail is because nobody loved them.” And another phrase you often hear: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” The takeaway I gather is: Give a lot of yourself to people who appreciate you and your way of doing business, and give little to those who don’t. In time you will be happier, you will project your happiness and you will have happy clients who love your business. Furthermore, your happy clients who appreciate working with you will offer you raving reviews, will want to work with you again and will refer you more often to their friends and family.

Longevity is the key word here. With 20 years’ experience, I can truly say your long game is your value to your clients, yourself and your family. You want to be their Realtor for life, right? You want to provide for your family for life, right?

You get to create the weather of your business relationships, and if we can for a moment compare business relationships that don’t make you happy to a snow day, just don’t get on that road. In my opinion, a day prospecting on the phone, door-knocking, podcasting or however you generate leads will often be more advantageous in the long run than working with customers you are not happy working with.

The upcoming holiday season often makes us think of what we’re thankful for. We as real estate professionals provide fair and equal services to all customers, and I am an optimist 100% of the time as I enter a new business relationship and transaction. I am suggesting you do the same.

We all want to provide great customer service and a win-win experience with keys exchanged. But also reserve the right to be a pessimist. I define a pessimist as an optimist with experience.
With that said, I wish you and your family and all of your happy customers a wonderful holiday season.

Jeff Berger is the founder of the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals.