Get over your fear of sales calls

So many Realtors and other sales professionals get into a bind when it comes time to making sales calls.  Whether you’re afraid of objection handling or have a fear of being told “No” or anything else, now is not the market to ease off these calls.  In order to keep your business income steady and possibly get more referrals, you still need to continue to make your sales calls.

Dirk Zeller, a real estate trainer, offers a step-by-step strategy to get over your fear in this article. We’ll go over the basics. 

Step 1: Be more confident.  So many people in the sales industry focus on their weaknesses, rather than their strengths.  Before even beginning a phone call to a new prospect, you have to know what it is you’re going to provide to that new prospect.  Write down a list of the benefits you will provide that prospect before picking up the phone.  That way you’ll never get stuck when they ask you what you’re going to do for them.

Step 2: Set realistic goals.  So many people think that in order to make money they have to make 100+ calls a day.  So not true.  It’s better to have made 5 quality calls than 300 calls that yield no results.  Obviously, the more people you call, the better chance of getting business.  Just make sure you set aside time every day to do your prospecting.  Even a goal of 10 calls or as many calls as needed to speak to at least 4 people can be a realistic goal.  Once you’ve hit your number for the day, you’re all set to be guilt-free.

Step 3: Get rid of those voices in your head… telling you that you can’t do it.  Of course you can.  And what’s the worst that’s going to happen?  You’ll be turned down.  These are not life or death calls.  They’re sales pitches.  If it will set your day right, call a past client that you’ve had a friendly relationship with.  That will put you in the right mindset to continue your prospecting.

Step 4: Before picking up the phone, visualize how a perfect call will go.  Think about how confident you are going to sound.  Think about obtaining a new client.  Think about what that money in the bank will mean to you.  That will get all those negative thoughts out of your head.

It can be scary to make those calls.  But if you do it every day, you’ll be so used to it that it will become second nature.  And in this economy, you probably need all the business you can get.  Enlist another Realtor in the office to make calls with you so you’re accountable to one another.  You never know – that next phone call could be your next client.

Once you’ve gotten your new business, or if you need marketing materials to send out to your prospects, be sure to visit us online to get quotes on how we can help!

Easy ways to get someone to say yes to what you’re offering

Whether you’re currently negotiating a real estate deal, handling an objection with a customer you’re trying to prospect to, or need a lower price from a vendor you work with, you want (in all of these situations) to get the opposite side to agree with you.  Nobody likes a tough negotiation.  And for a customer, of course you want to guarantee a sale.  So here are some easy ways to get them to say the answer you’re longing to hear: YES!!

1. Don’t react.  This could be tough.  You hear something and your first instinct is to launch into your pitch or type your reply e-mail.  Just give it a minute (or 10 or 100) to take a breath and develop an appropriate response.  You most often get your foot in your mouth when you instinctively react to something without thinking. 

2. Do the exact opposite of what the other side expects.  Do they expect you to agree to their counter offer in price?  Don’t.  Try to get another $500 off.  William Ury is the author of Getting Past No: Negotiating with Difficult People.  He says to try to replace the word “but” in a conversation with “and.”  So instead of, “But I won’t go down anther $2,000″ try, “And I will go down if you agree to throw in all the appliances.” 

3. Reframe the objections to your counterpoint in your negotiation.  This not only allows you to deflect the objection, but it makes you come off stronger by showing the other side that you’re willing to work with them.  If an objection when you list a house is that you’re charging 7% commission and they only want to pay 5%.  Talk with them about how you’ll hold an open house every weekend until an offer comes in as long as they agree to your commission. 

4. Make it hard to say no.  Show the value in what you’re offering, not just the specifics or the price.  Isn’t this something they can’t bear to be without?  Aren’t you the best Realtor in your area?  This is a lot more important than your price or what you charge.  Get them to see the price of not saying yes. 

Now, once you get them to agree, you want to start marketing their home, if you’re a Realtor.  We’re here to help.  Visit us online for information on what we offer.

How to handle the tough objections

Anybody who has ever tried to sell a product or service before has run into the problem of dealing with objections.  You know, those few words that can pull you right back down after you felt so good delivering a presentation sure to close your sale.  Jeff Wuorio is a small business writer, and he offers suggestions on how to deal with some of the more popular objections that occur in a business setting.

1. I’m already working with your competitor.  First of all, know that no matter if the customer is happy in that relationship, they may feel particularly loyal to the competitor for a number of reasons.  It could be a past sale with them, a family relationship, etc.  And you don’t want to destroy that loyalty.  What you do want to do, is try to get them to listen to what you have to say.  The customer can’t lose anything from hearing your sales pitch.  Worst case is they don’t leave your competitor.  Nobody got hurt, and you got to practice your sales pitch again. 

2. You’re too expensive.  This could be another reason why they choose to go with a competitor.  When they say this, they often don’t understand the concept of the value you’re offering them.  They’re focused, instead, on the price.  Show them how your product or service will offer them a return on their “investment.”  Don’t automatically bring down your price because it takes the value out of what you do.  Instead, try to find out what they’re willing to pay and offer them a replacement product that will equally suit their needs for less money. 

3.  I don’t have time to talk or meet with you.  At least they’re taking the time to let you know that.  That’s a sign that you’ve already gotten through to them.  Wuorio’s article says, “”They may be dealing with something you’re not privy to,” says Chris Deren, CEO of SellMasters Inc., a Boston sales performance consulting concern. “Help them understand that what you do may help with what’s soaking up all their time.” Deren also suggests networking with colleagues, other people within the prospect’s company and others to try to get a personal feel for what your prospect may be dealing with. If nothing else, any extra insight may impress your prospect: “He may decide that you’re one of the few people that he does have time to talk to,” says Deren.”

4. I don’t see the value in what you offer.  Again, this is another misunderstanding because the customer knows that your offer does have value, they just don’t see it.  Try to sit down with them to show them how your service or product will help them.  Whether it saves them time, saves them money, keeps employees working their longer, etc.  Try to do research on the customer ahead of time to find out what’s most important to them, and then figure out what the value you’re offering can do to help.

Knowing these objections ahead of time won’t leave you tongue-tied when it comes out of your customer’s mouth.  It’s best to know the proper way to handle them to appear in a most professional manner. 

Visit us online to see the value and the time savings we offer for all of your marketing materials!