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'I don't want to be sold' doesn't mean ...

From Real Estate Zebra blog

By Real Estate Zebra, Thursday, April 16, 2009.

Editor's note: This item was originally posted at the Real Estate Zebra blog by Daniel Rothamel, Inman News community manager.

'I don't want to be sold' doesn't mean, 'Don't sell me anything'

I want you to take a moment and read that title a few times. Seriously. I'll wait ... got it? It's important, especially if you make a living selling homes.
Salesmanship is always going to be a part of our industry. And by "salesmanship," I mean the ethical, professional, kind -- NOT the kind of salesmanship that has lead to the popular notion of the real estate professional.

"I don't want to be sold" usually means:

  • I don't want to be mislead.
  • I don't want to be lied to.
  • I don't want to be steered.
  • I don't want you to care more about your commission than my needs.

What it definitely doesn't mean is, "don't sell me anything." The interesting thing about our profession is that it puts us at the intersection of salesmanship and client representation. Pure sales would require nothing more than closing the deal, just like in the video clip above from Boiler Room. That's it, make the sale.

Our profession demands more from us than that. It demands that we have the best interests of our clients as our driving force, and it demands that we treat our customers honestly and with respect.

The demands placed on us do not, however, mean that we should ignore professional, ethical salesmanship; quite the contrary, in fact. Ethical, professional salesmanship is something to which we should all aspire. We are always selling something to someone, and the fact of the matter is that folks expect and want us to sell to them.

Sometimes we sell our service, sometimes we sell our expertise, and sometimes we sell a home. No matter what we are selling, we owe it to ourselves and to our clients to be the best salespeople we can be.

Of course, the skills and tactics required to be a successful salesperson today are a little different than they were 25 years ago. Some of them are the same, to be sure, but others have been added, and others have changed.

The good news is that we are practicing our profession in a time when the information necessary to increase our professional knowledge and acumen is more readily available than ever before.

There is no reason why you can't be learning new skills and improving the ones you already possess on a perpetual basis.

A positive side effect of the availability of all this information is that it enables us to redefine what it means to be a salesperson. No longer do we have to follow a handful of examples.

There are literally thousands of examples that can be followed, learned and integrated into our practice. We can now be the salespeople that we all want to be, the salespeople that our clients and customers need and expect us to be. That's a good thing. But no matter what, we'll always be salespeople. And that's a good thing, too.

Copyright (c) 2009 Daniel Rothamel 

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Submitted by on April 16, 2009 - 2:45am.

Bill Fooks
TFT realty Marketing Service
Warwick, RI http://www.fooksteam.com
Not many sales people in this business. We find a lot of people who like houses, in the business. I like to find people who like people. Then we can train them to be good sales people. If everyone who liked houses was a good sales person, builders would be the best to sell their own product.
Good article at the right time.

 
Submitted by Lynn Wilber on April 16, 2009 - 6:44am.

Lynn H. Wilber, GRI, e-PRO
Broker-Assoicate - Downing Frye Realty, Inc. - Naples, FL
Web Site: http://www.NaplesWave.com
Naples Blog: http://www.NaplesWave.com/NaplesBlog
Pelican Bay Blog: http://www.realtown.com/Lynngri/Blog

In the 31 years that I have been FULL TIME in the real estate business I can state that I have never "sold" anyone a house. What I have done is ask questions and educate the buyers to the market place so that when they see their home they "know" it and feel comfortable about buying the home. Sellers have listed with me because I have asked questions and educated them to the market.

I have made a great living being a Realtor. The bottom line is a Realtor needs to know their market place (inventory, financing, local issues etc.) like the back of their hand and be able to ask questions to find out what is important to their client and be able to communicate this information to their client.

 
Submitted by Keith Labrecque on April 16, 2009 - 9:51am.

This hits the nail on the head for me! Too bad there aren't clearer words differentiating sold, sold, sold or sold!

I haven't found the best definitions yet, but here is how I call it:

1) "Availabe to Sell": full cooperation, with close to zero expression of opinion or un-asked-for information by the Realtor, "just the facts, ma'am!";

2) "Hand-Holding Sell": guiding clients who don't even know what they want or what questions to ask towards being better or best-educated, with facts openly made available, opinions expressed as opinions not facts, all provided in the relative abundance desired by the client;

3) "Soft Sell": just enought opinion or unsolicited types of information they appear to have missed, after asking permission to provide same, to keep the client well-informed in the way they would appreciate while still being clear as to what is opinion and what is fact, "You know, the wind is just right today but that pig farm down the road could be something you'd want to check into, and maybe you should come back when the wind has shifted?" and

4) "Hard Sell": Manipulation of the situation and client to pressure them into buying what you want them to buy, when you want them to, tell them "anything" to get the sale, regardless of how many un-noticed shortcomings that particular choice may hold for them... "Oh, you mean you didn't notice this house is not in the school district you explicitly told me you had to be in? And it has septic, not sewer like you specifically required? And well water not city water? Oh dear me! You should have looked at the printouts I gave you. But this house by FAR has the best commission for me, um I mean, is the best deal for the money! It won't take much to fix it up like you said you wanted (if you only knew the truth!) Far be it for ME to point these discoverable, public-knowledge items out on this Pig is a Poke! Too bad you won't notice these things until AFTER the closing!"

Of course, these are not sharply defined categories, but rather a continuum in several dimensions.

I believe we'd ALL be better off with clearer terminology. Anyone care to volunteer any other suggestions?

I ask all readers, which would YOU like to face when contemplating a major purchase on which you desire some truly helpful expertise - maybe a car, a boat, an insurance policy, a college education, or perhaps propety in an unfamiliar area? Hmmmm?

So,on a related note, I wonder why are waaaaay too many "Salespersons" falling in the Hard Sell category, at least in the minds of our clients? It makes almost no sense to me. Is it poor education provided, poorly learned education, poorly implemented learning, or simple desperation?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Keith Labrecque
Two Maples Properties
www.TwoMaples.com

 
Submitted by Rob Aubrey on April 19, 2009 - 5:39am.

Good article Daniel,
I agree with your thoughts whole heartedly.
I would like to say I am a sales person and I don't apologize for that.

I also agree with Lynn, I haven't sold a home to a buyer in the sense that I may somehow talked them into it.

The best definition of sales I know is "Sales is a series of questions that leads people to a decision" Sometimes the decision is no, but it is a decision.

I would say that 90% of what is called closing is to get an appointment and or a employment contract whether it be a buyer or a seller listing. Once that part of the salesmanship is over it is pure service and selling using the above definition. A lot of questions, a lot of listening and offering solutions.

The craft of sales by professionals offers some of the best this country has to give. Intelligent, honorable, giving of their time and money type of people. Guiding people through what can be some of the toughest periods of their lives, death, divorce and debt.

Rob Aubrey
Keller Williams
Utah Realtors
www.MoreUtahListings.com