You’re on a great appointment with a prospective Seller. You’ve spent hours preparing great information to support your price recommendation and to prove you have the best resume for the job. To your surprise, the seller doesn’t seem to be buying into either you being the best choice or the price you’re recommending. How come? What gives? Should I be getting so much resistance, and if so, how can I overcome the objection?

The scenario above is very common for every sales professional attempting to secure business. No matter what product you’re representing, your clients will always have their guard up. Think about it. When you are encouraging someone to move forward by taking a step that directly benefits you, your motivation is always an issue. We all recognize that everyone takes action based on their own agenda. And, you are no different when you’re encouraging someone to go to contract, because you’re going to benefit financially from their decision. They know it and there’s nothing wrong with it.

So how can you help people to overcome their distrust, or at least their concern about trusting you?  There are two steps you must follow, and when used properly, they can put your client’s mind at ease so they take what you’re saying as absolute truth.

1. First, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”  So, don’t talk about real estate until you get to know your client. Build a relationship before you begin discussing business by asking about their Family, Occupation, Recreation and Plans for the future. (FORP)

 

2. Second, USE AN iPAD – When you come to the meeting with everything preplanned and printed, it seems contrived, as if you knew exactly what you were going to say without ever listening to a word about them. That is a big turn-off.  Not only will that usually raise a red flag about your intentions, you’re telling them what you want to hear, not what they want to hear. The best way to break down a prospect’s defenses is to get them involved and get them to tell you, versus you telling them.  Consider the following examples:

• You want to make the point to a buyer that prices are going up. Ask your buyers if they saw the article in the paper, then on your iPad, Google the article, open the web page and ask them to read it to you.
• You’re on an appointment to get a listing. You have closed more business than any other agent in the neighborhood. On your iPad you do an MLS query and pull up recent activity in their neighborhood showing your production. Ask them to verify your success.
• Your seller is reading about how the market is really coming back. With your sellers looking on, you pull up the 20 month’s supply of inventory and ask them to compare it to a normal 6 month’s supply. Then you ask them how long they think it will take to sell their home.

 

The point to all of the above examples is that when you get your clients involved and pull the information while they’re looking on, both you and the information is beyond reproach. When nothing seems to be contrived, you are far more believable. Besides the credibility, when you have your iPad, you have the information of the world at your fingertips. With a little practice, you can completely control the appointment. And, 100% control can equal 100% success.