RISMEDIA, November 20, 2010—Have you ever considered this question: When you are doing your real estate business, do you feel more like a “salesperson” or more like a “service person?”
What do you think the difference is for your business?
Do you think it makes any difference at all?
What I’ve discovered in my 14 years of coaching real estate agents to achieve multiple six figure incomes, is that it makes a lot of difference. And here’s why:
Here’s the problem with thinking of yourself as a “salesperson.”
1. If you were raised in America, then you undoubtedly had a childhood in which you experienced salespeople coming to the door. How did your parents react to that? What kind of comments did they make about salespeople?
Did you get the feeling that sales was a respectable profession?
Or did you get the message that salespeople were a bother and to be avoided?
If we are honest with ourselves, most of us will remember that salespeople were looked down upon, and we subconsciously told ourselves they are not good people, and “I never want to be one.”
Next thing you know, you’re in a career called real estate and selling is part of your job.
Or is it?
2. Did you know that people like to buy, but they don’t want to be “sold?” If they think they are being “sold,” it makes them suspicious and they have trouble believing that you have their best interests at heart. They even feel manipulated.
Rather than welcome you, they will try to avoid you.
3. When we feel as if we are selling, it destroys our confidence. Clients can feel it and we can feel it and it lowers our self-esteem. No one wants to think of themselves as a sales person.
On the other hand, if your focus is on being of service, there are distinct advantages:
1. We will feel like the “giver,” and picking up the phone becomes easy and effortless. If we are clear that our job is to be of service, that takes us out of the role of the “taker” and into the role of the “giver.”
2. When we realize that we want to help people with their real estate needs, then we do not have to experience rejection. In fact, rejection does not exist. It’s either a match or it’s not a match. If the real estate service that you offer matches what your prospective client needs, then you have created a transaction. If it doesn’t match, you are not being rejected; you don’t have to take it personally.
I often tell my clients to say this to themselves before they get on the phone:
“I have a valuable service to offer and people are lucky to hear from me.”
3. The other advantage of focusing on service and not sales is that you are more in alignment with yourself. You probably got into the real estate business because you like to help people and it’s distasteful to you when you turn people into dollar signs.
When you focus on service, you will feel good about yourself. This good feeling will be felt by your clients. They will be automatically attracted to want to work with you because they know you have their best interests at heart.
The bottom line is this: remember not to focus on sales; but on service. You will have all the sales that you need and feel good about yourself in the process.
Dr. Maya Bailey, Multiple 6 Figure Income Business Coach for Real Estate Professionals integrates her 20 years of experience as a psychologist with 14 years of expertise in marketing. Her powerful transformational work creates a Success Formula for Real Estate Professionals ready to double and triple their incomes. To get your free report: “7 Simple Strategies to More Clients in 90 Days” and to apply for an Initial Complimentary Consultation, go to www.90daystomoreclients.com.
