Welcome back to Part 3 of “Top 12 Listing Presentation Mistakes that Destroy Your Confidence.” Here we are with the final four. Although all 12 mistakes are important, I feel very strongly that these are particularly important.
Okay, you know the drill by now…read below, look for the actions at the end, and make sure to download “Mastering Communication Styles”. Also, if you missed Part 1 and Part 2, here’s how you can get those: Link to Part 1 (Mistakes 12 – 9) and Link to Part 2 (Mistakes 8-5).
Mistake #4: Did not identify the seller(s) communication styles and change their personal style to reflect the seller’s.
Several years ago I was asked to facilitate a panel of strong listing agents at a conference. Being the over-preparer that I am, I called each panel member to discuss the kinds of questions I would ask and to learn more about their story.
One of the questions I asked was, “What do you consider your greatest personal trait that leads to success as a listing agent?” All of them said that they were a chameleon; meaning they had the ability to reflect the communication style of the seller.
In other research Ron Willingham, the author of Integrity Selling and The Inner Game of Selling, found that great salespeople had exception social skills. These skills included being able to change your natural way of relating to the other person’s natural way.
So how do you learn more about this? I have a free white paper for you called, “Mastering Communication Styles for Listing Presentations” where you can discover the types of communication styles and take the assessment yourself. Click here to access that material.
By the way, you may be familiar with communication styles under another name…the most popular is DISC. There are several types of these programs, one of which you will receive here.
Mistake #3: Made the presentation all about marketing and pricing.
Yes, the seller wants to know about marketing and pricing more than anything. BUT if that’s all you talk about you have fallen into the trap of comparison.
You see the seller is always thinking, “Why should I hire you?” and if you appear the same as every other real estate agent the seller will not be tell the difference. This will lead to the seller making a decision based on either your commission rate or the probable sales price you indicated from your research (they will pick the person with the highest sales price).
How do you avoid this problem? Don’t make the presentation all about marketing and pricing. Rather build your value…answer the question, “Why you?”
Mistake #2: Did not differentiate themselves from the competition
Okay, the idea of how do you differentiate yourself is more than just one action. To perform this task correctly, you must do a series of actions. For example:
- Tell the seller you are different. “Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I am quite different from most agents.”
- Have a listing presentation that is very different than most agents.
- Answer this question, “Why you?”
- Make sure they know how you will get more net proceeds in their pocket.
Mistake #1 – Talked about price first.
I know the seller wants to talk about price first, but that doesn’t mean we should. Unfortunately, if the seller hears a price they do not like you are toast. They simply will not hear the rest of your presentation.
Holding the seller off until the end takes skill. Here are my suggestions:
- First, tell the seller upfront (when you make the initial sales call) that you will not be talking about pricing until the end and why that approach is best for them.
- Be prepared if they ask to talk about price first. What would be your script? Be ready.
Okay, you know I have to give a script so here it is:
“Mr. and Mrs. Seller, the most important decision you have to make is the asking price for your house. My job is to ensure that you have all the information you need to make a smart decision. Because of that, I leave the market information discussion until the end so that you can receive all the very best information to make a informed and profitable decision for your family. Does that make sense?”
Time for YOU to take action:
- Review these mistakes and consider, “Which one(s) is your barrier to have a better life through listings?”
- Download the “Mastering Communication Styles” Report
- Go back and review Part 1 and Part 2 of the Top Listing Presentation Mistakes that Destroy Your Confidence to remind yourself of the whole picture and look for opportunities to improve.
And of course remember, it is the learners in real estate who are the earners.
-Jo