Think about it. In sports – and all other endeavors – the game is won in the days, weeks, and even months leading up to the actual game, event, or project. The game is won in preparation. Watching films of previous games, memorizing plays, hitting the gym, eating correctly, and even getting enough sleep.
Professional real estate sales are no different.
I spend a lot of time with the top 1% of producers, helping them grow, solving business challenges, and documenting what they do. Curious?
Here are the top six things our top 1% do consistently:
- They do their research.
- They’re genuinely interested in and understand others’ personality styles.
- They’re prepared for anything, especially the objections and most frequently asked questions.
- They leave their ego in the car.
- They are a master of managing expectations.
- They debrief and learn from every situation.
Research
We know from the National Association of REALTORS® that 63% of consumers find real estate professionals through a referral from a friend or a past business relationship. And 68% of consumers choose a real estate professional based on their perceived trustworthiness, experience, and reputation.
Top producers know these numbers and invest their time, energy, and effort into where the business will most likely be generated.
Genuine Interest
What I have observed from top producers to those struggling is glaring. Top producers genuinely care about the relationship, while those struggling care about making a buck.
I’ve used a unique system called B.A.N.K. to pinpoint anyone’s personality in nanoseconds. It’s fun, engaging and helps create rapport.
This high emotional intelligence approach leverages the best assessment tools, high-energy training, and cutting-edge technology to maximize results.
Leave Nothing To Chance
Top performers rehearse or role-play frequently; many do this every day! Here are some tips I picked up:
- Make a list of every question, concern, or objection your prospect might bring up.
- Create a list of everything that could go wrong.
- Develop a transparent, logical, authentic, and persuasive response to every possible question, concern, and objection.
- Think of how you can get ahead of these circumstances by using stories and anecdotes, case studies and testimonials, statistics and facts.
- Have your information, ideas, and documentation well organized so you can reference the appropriate notes and materials at any time.
Ego
Gary Vaynerchuk put it well: “When you care more about the other person than you care about hitting your quota – when you make that shift – you go into the Jedi-ness of becoming a great salesperson.”
A professional real estate salesperson with a massive ego can easily mistake refusal for rejection. When you make this mistake, it’s all too easy to take it personally. The truth? Far more people will say no than say yes.
So, how do you deal with this?
The top 1% have learned not to internalize rejection. Top performers exert power over their emotions and know this is a critical skill to master.
Managing Expectations
As a former Chief Executive of a large organization and co-founder of a going concern, I get the problems that others have not solved. And literally, I’ve been tracking these, and guess what – they all have a common root:
Unmatched expectations!
Many things have to happen, often in a specific sequence, before a transaction closes. Do you know what these things are? Do you know where you’re at in the process with each client, prospect, and partner?
- Seek to understand what has come before each step
- Don’t assume everyone knows what will happen next
- Anticipate needs before others
- Communicate constantly and clearly
- Under-promise and over-deliver
Debrief
Debriefing is a structured learning process designed to evolve plans while they’re being executed continuously. It originated in the military to learn quickly in rapidly changing situations and address mistakes or changes in the field. In fact, I shared this document with my team – glad to be here – after seeing the Blue Angels do a flyover.
In business, debriefing has been widely documented as critical to accelerating projects, innovating novel approaches, and hitting challenging objectives. It also brings a team together, strengthens relationships, and fosters team learning.
Top producers have mastered this concept and execute this discipline more often than others. As such, these high-performing teams are more tight-knit than those who don’t.
The game is won or lost before stepping on the playing field. So, before you play in sales again, do your research, be genuinely interested in others, be prepared for anything, leave your ego in the car and become a master of managing expectations. Finally – just like the Blue Angels – debrief and learn from every situation.
#WinTheDay
