You know what it is, right? It’s the simplest of all concepts, yet it’s the most missed.
My husband, Kevin, and I are up in the mountains of North Carolina the last two weeks and have spent a lot of time looking at properties, in and out of stores, and talking with both Realtors and rental companies. Not one person dialogued with us correctly… yet they are all the front salespeople for their businesses. Interesting.
I guess common sense really isn’t that common. So for the sake of selling Southwest Florida, let’s get this one right. As a salesperson, you cannot tell people things. You must ask people things.
When someone first speaks with you, your “script” should be written down, internalized and made up almost entirely of questions. If it’s not, change it right now. If someone asks you a question like “why should I purchase a home with you?” The answer isn’t, “because I’m good at what I do.”
The answer is: “So you’re curious what would make you do business with me?” <<yes>> “That’s a good question, and I will answer it. Just so I’m clear, tell me first… what’s important to you in a Realtor?”
You see how the conversation turns around? This is so critical because if we start talking about how great we are at marketing, but the customer’s “hot button” is strong communication or great negotiation skills, we’ve missed the target and wasted time.
Kevin & I walked into a luxury cabin rental office here in NC, and simply said… “so tell us more about these cabins.” The gal took off on a tangent and 20 minutes later we still had no idea whether we wanted to rent one. She didn’t ask us one single question. She should have said… “Thank you for your interest, I’m delighted to answer all your questions. What would you like to know?” That question, followed by a series of other scripted questions, should have led us to a rental for next fall. They lost business simply because we ran out of time and the right questions weren’t asked.
In any sales situation, if you find yourself doing most of the talking, it’s likely not going well. A strong salesperson asks the best questions, in the right order, to lead the customer to their own conclusion, that they want what you have. This is a skill, and I promise you – skill and talent are not the same thing. Talent is that gift you have naturally. Skill is something you work on and drill through hours and hours and hours or practice with a great coach.
I know Southwest Florida has some of the most talented real estate business owners in the world. Are you improving your skills and your team’s skills? If not, it’s something to get into your business mix right away, and for the life of your company.