Perhaps the most important thing to remember in every phase of the presentation is to always ask why.      Winning strategies are a direct result of gathering as much information as possible and crafting a strategy that meets your client’s goals and needs. As a trusted real estate advisor, it is critical that you understand your client’s motivations. The most effective way to have a deep understanding of who your clients are and what they want is to ask why they answer your questions the way they do. What they say isn’t near as important as recognizing why they say it.

The answer to why must be identified with every response they give you. For example:

The answer to why—“I want to sell to be close to my grandkids.” This one is obvious. They love their grandkids and want to spend quality time with them. This fact should be integrated into your strategy to help them sell.

Example #2: The answer to why—“I’ll wait until the market improves.” The seller thinks they’ll get a much higher price by waiting. Your strategy should show that this could take many years or could also focus on the emotional benefits outweighing the extra money.

Example #3: The answer to why—“I have to get $300,000 for my house.” The why is not clear on this one. Is it because they owe too much? Is it because that’s what they paid for it? Or is it just a psychological barrier? More questions must be asked before a winning strategy can be developed.

Example #4: The answer to why—“I’ll only buy If I can steal it.” Once again more questions must be asked before a strategy can be rolled out. Is it because they were told they must get a deal? We don’t know and shouldn’t be moving forward until we do.

Example #4 illustrates an important rule to follow. If you don’t know why a buyer or seller is answering the way they are, stop! Ask more questions until you do know. Do not roll out your strategy until you have the answers.

The answer to the question why also applies to the actions of your buyers, sellers, and prospects. In other words, why have they acted in one way as opposed to another? For example, why is your prospect not calling you back? Don’t assume it’s because they’re not interested. Instead, gather more information. It may be that a higher priority has distracted them.