In real estate, the people we work with are real people. Wow! Imagine that. When we think of someone being “SOLD” it never seems to a positive. As a matter of fact, most of the agents I coach don’t even like feeling of selling. This is one of the main reasons why most agents don’t even work their own database. It’s the feeling or idea of “selling” one of your friends or family.
I remember back when I sold timeshare. Oh, wait. Fractional Ownership. Sorry. And everyone celebrating when we “sold” someone. I know that timeshare can be a great product for some people. However, I really felt like I was just celebrating the fact that I was able to pull on over on people. Which, is the main reason I didn’t invite my friends or family to my office for me to “sell” them.
As agents, what we do is literally called sales. However, it’s really much more than that. Additionally, we need to look at it differently to overcome the stigma. We are actually Advisors. Advisors of a process. When I work with clients, I let them know that “I control the process and you control the decision.” It’s a symbiotic relationship that produces a win-win result at the end of the journey. The process we have is one of value to help our clients, friends, and family make an informed decision that they feel happy about.
Let’s also consider the concept of marketing myopia. When we look at what we are selling… it’s not the literal sticks and bricks of the house. What we are selling is a service. We are selling is our skills, knowledge, and ability to deliver a stellar experience that people rave about.
To avoid “selling” there are 5 Laws of Success that we should follow (from the Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann)
- The Law of Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you receive in payment.
- The Law of Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
- The Law of Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
- The Law of Authenticity: The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
- The Law of Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
When we follow these laws and truly come from contribution, we can stop “selling”.