RISMEDIA, March 6, 2010—Being a successful salesperson is simply about trying to match the product or service that you’re selling to the people that are most likely to buy. While ‘hard-selling’ strategies don’t work in real estate, focusing on a Client-Servicing Approach may help you embrace the role of salesperson. Here, Allan Barmak, Author, The Accidental Salesperson discusses how focusing on your client’s wants and needs will help yield results.
Allan Barmak
Author
The Accidental Salesperson
www.listingbook.com
“Are you ready to check out, or what?” the clerk at the shoe store asked me last week as I stood there with the pair of brown loafers in my hand. The straightforward question turned me off, but maybe that forced urgency had been successful for her in the past.
Was this her sales approach or was she just being rude? What is your sales strategy? I am willing to bet that since you are in the business of real estate, it’s a lot different than the above scenario.
“Hard-selling” strategies are forceful and put a high amount of anxiety on the client. The clerk who tried to get me to buy those shoes, for example. With this approach, the salesperson isn’t seen as an ally, but simply someone working for commission. As you know, this doesn’t work in real estate.
Agents tell me that the “selling” is their least favorite part of being a real estate agent.
Being a salesperson doesn’t have to have a negative connotation. We are all salespeople. It’s time to embrace that. As a salesperson, you are simply trying to match the product or service that you’re selling (in this case, a house) to the people that are most likely to buy. The sale happens when you make that match.
Are you worried about coming off as “too pushy” if you try to “sell” your clients? Try focusing on the Client-Servicing Approach, which begins with a thorough needs analysis.
The needs analysis is simply the process of sitting down with your client and having an open-ended discussion about what they’re looking for. What are their “must-haves” in a house? What are their “don’t-wants?” How would they prioritize the importance of all of those features they want in their next house? You will quickly find that this approach will not only help you earn your clients’ respect because you’re not trying to cram anything down their throat, but an honest, no-pressure discussion of what they like and what they don’t like will help them find their dream home sooner.
A progressive way to find out your client’s wants and needs is to enlist technology. Online client-servicing tools, such as Listingbook, allow you to raise your level of service to consumers, offering them something unique. It also provides a great way for you to run a “virtual needs analysis.” By leveraging technology, you are able to communicate with prospects and clients in a respectful, yet direct manner. Instant messages, e-mails, property notes and many other tools are available online.
Building a relationship with your clients both online and offline will yield results across the board. Remember that people buy from those they know, like and trust.
