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When I fist start working with a new customer, they often seem to feel as though they have some immediate selling to do. Selling to me, in the beginning, sometimes the house, sometimes the owner of the house.
Here’s something you need to know about this house.
Sometimes they would treat me as though I was the appraiser, going on and on about how great their house is. They had the idea to put an area under the house where people could crawl to the pipes if they needed to. And there is a wood-burning fireplace. Etc.
Now, I must tell you, I am crazy for houses. I love them. I can wander around in them and appreciate them for hours. I have a fair grip on the subtleties of different houses. I also truly appreciate a person who is excited, whether about his own house or about the project he is going to undertake selling it. I do not mean to sound rude, but I really don’t need to be guided through houses or excitement at this point in my life. So their enthusiasm may be misplaced.
I have probably appreciated all you have pointed out to me about your house well before you pointed it out.
Do some tent signs and some picture captions and let’s tell the right people this stuff.
Here’s something you need to know about this homeowner.
The first one knows it all, and can show me how this business works, and the second is worried about being too shy.
Type A used to be the division sales manager for Cumberland Resources, and confides to me that he is so good at sales, he could close a monkey out of a tree. Type B is so self-described as “non-salesy” that you would think being “salesy” also meant having a fever.
The problem is that both of these might well fail at selling their own house. Type A might be too busy pounding his own chest to let the house talk, and Type B might be too shy to introduce people to the house.
Yes, I have been telling sellers this for years, but I still have to tell them again constantly. You have ONE JOB. Introduce people to your house. Then get out of the way. The house will sell itself. The magic happened when you first walked into that house, you remember.
There is nothing you or anyone can say or do to sell a house where the magic hasn’t happened. There is no slick salesperson in the world that can make a house seem like a comfortable fit to a prospect. Only the house.
So before you boast about being salesy or worry about being non-salesy, just pull out your check list and get ready for a good showing or open house.
Give Prospects Room to Breathe
When your prospects show up for their appointment to see your house, don’t become a tour guide. Don’t say “This is the bathroom…” It won’t take many rooms before youstart to get in the way. Instead, while you are in the front room having just met them and exchanged pleasantries, say this exactly.
“You folks know what you’re looking for, so just make yourself at home. I’ll be right here on the couch, so if you have any questions, just holler up!”
A lot of my customers have to practice that a bit before they feel comfortable saying it. Especially the word “holler” if it’s not n your standard vocabulary. In fact, practice in front of the mirror a lot. You and your salesmanship and your personality need to disappear.
You don’t have to leave and drive around the block. You’ve already put up the Rolex. The wide-screen is mounted to the wall. Let them know they are on a leash, but it’s a long one. I have filled books about different things sellers have done over the years to get out of the way of the prospects, but the trick is just be yourself and be comfortable. The less comfortable you are, the less comfortable the prospects will be. And they need to be comfortable.
And the non-salesy close to this non-salesy sales pitch is a simple “What did you think?” or “How did you like it?” Nothing pushy or nervous about it.
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