An absolutely first class morning to all of you hard-working salespeople and focused businesspeople! There is very little I enjoy more than reminding a huge audience of real estate professionals that they are staring down an enormous amount of opportunity each and every day … the challenge is always the same—what will we do with what has been given to us? What are YOUR plans for success today?
I’m sure most of us are familiar with the phrase, ‘selling is not telling–it’s asking great questions’. Naturally, one of the biggest reasons why questions are so important in the selling process is because the answers to those questions often help us to determine where to go next with a client or potential client. Sometimes those answers even help us to decide we don’t WANT to go anywhere with that person!
The truth is, there are a few different types of questions that we need to ask. For example, there are qualifying questions, set up questions and closing questions. As a selling relationship progresses there usually comes a point where we have to engage in what I call ‘isolation’ … meaning we have to identify the specific reason that is stopping the person from moving forward with us. To be effective at isolating, we have to ask yet another style of question–these are short, very direct questions called ‘power questions’. Here are just a few examples:
Seller lead: ‘We’re just not quite ready…’
You: ‘I understand…, let me ask you–if a cash offer were on the table in front of you, would you be ready to consider it?’
Potential Seller: ‘We need to think this over…’
You: ‘Other than the price that we’ve discussed, is there anything else that you feel you have to think about?’
Remember, at this point you’ve already qualified them … you’ve already asked for an appointment or even presented … you’ve closed at least once, and now you’re meeting with resistance, stalls, or simple indecision. This is where you have to have good ‘power’ questions mastered to try to get past the stall and to the signature. Some other examples of power questions:
‘Can you tell me, what specifically is holding you back from meeting with me today?’
‘If you had to boil it down to one thing, what is the biggest concern that is keeping you from moving forward?’
‘What would have to happen for you to hire a strong agent like myself to get your home sold for you?’
‘As long as we can come to an agreement on xx, is there anything else that would stop you from hiring me?’
Just like any other skill, there are certain fundamental points that can help you to become more dynamic at what you do. Take time this week to figure out what seems to keep you from setting more appointments and taking more listings. Then ask yourself, if you had a few more good power questions in your arsenal, how many more contracts could you get signed this year? How about this month … this week … how about today?
Your future is waiting … make today count!
(Photo courtesy of apprendreachanter.wordpress.com)