The great strengths top producing agents have are their discipline and work ethic.  Unfortunately, these great strengths are also great weaknesses.  It’s very easy to get so absorbed in putting the next deal together that building relationships based on trust, likeability, and confidence is cast aside.  For example, if we need to know key information about the property a buyer is looking for to get them to make an offer, why waste time getting to know them?  Why not get right to the point and start asking questions about the buyer’s needs?  After all, the quicker you make the sale, the faster you can get to the next sale. Although this strategy can generate substantial business in the short-term, it violates two key principals that will both keep you from reaching your full potential:

People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.

Think about it. If you take the time to get to know your clients by getting to know them personally, you’ll have all of the information needed to craft the best strategy to meet their needs. Taking time to find out who your client is and what makes them tick will allow you to be more efficient helping them make the best possible decision based on their personal needs, not your commission.  Ask your clients about their:

• Family & Friends – Who they are, where they live, and what they’re doing.
• Occupations – What they do for a living, how they became involved in the field, and what challenges they face and successes they’ve enjoyed.
• Recreation – What they like to do when they’re not working, or what they would do if money wasn’t an object.
• Plans for the Future – What they want to accomplish with their sale or purchase and for that matter, with the rest of their life.

The responses to dozens of questions relating to FORP above will help you identify their passions, and whether they involved kids, family, money, fishing, hunting, travel, a job, or whatever else it happens to be. Remember, most people love to talk about their passions.  When they talk about their passion with you, the warm and fuzzy feeling they get is associated with you and the next thing you know, they like you, trust you, and want to do business with you. You can also use their passion to overcome price objections or a hesitancy to move forward. In a nutshell, get to know your clients before you jump into your presentation.  Show them you’re more concerned about their needs instead of just making the next commission and your business will explode!