Where are you with your goals? Does one of them include self-improvement? If you’re feeling a bit stuck, I have some ideas for you. Here are 8 ways to be a better new home sales professional by being better at the various roles you have.
#1. Be a better listener.
Successful selling starts with listening. You can only learn what a homebuyer needs and wants—and doesn’t need and want—by letting them talk. Your job is to ask the right questions and listen to the answers. Don’t rely so heavily on a scripted presentation that you’re preparing your next statement while the buyer is talking. Keep your ears open and your mouth closed. And never interrupt!
#2. Be a better responder.
Responsiveness is essential. Too many new home sales professionals drop the ball when it comes to following up. If you’re using a CRM correctly, you have everything you need to respond to every detail, every request, and every opportunity that presents itself. Set up templates with email responses you can send to a prospect at various stages in the homebuying process. Make sure they sound “human” and not like a form letter. Schedule reminders to yourself in the CRM so you don’t forget to follow up.
#3. Be a better presenter.
When a prospect enters the model home, your presentation begins. It starts with your introduction and goes forward with you controlling the discussion. Showing a model home the right way is a skill. Differential demonstration is a strategic approach to showing a model home, using a variety of key steps: asking questions that engage the buyer, presenting the rooms in the right order to create a strong impact, and detailing the benefits of every feature, including those that are sometimes overlooked. Build differential demonstration into your sales process and you’ll notice the improvement.
#4. Be a better negotiator.
Negotiation is a critical selling skill. How did you learn to negotiate? Are you still practicing and training? It’s a mindset you must adapt when you begin the sales process. If you choose one area to improve on, let it be your negotiation skills. In any market, your prowess as a sharp negotiator means you don’t have to jump to giving a concession but can instead better present the value of a new home to a buyer.
#5. Be a better learner.
How do you learn? Some people like to read, others enjoy listening to audio books and podcasts. Maybe you’re a hands-on learner. Whatever works for you, do more of it. Let the pursuit of knowledge take you to new places. Choose an area that can help you be better as a new home sales professional, like building your referrals or improving your social network results. Or negotiating (see #4). Then invest time in becoming better, one skill at a time.
#6. Be a better problem-solver.
Your job as a new home sales professional is all about solving problems. A person wants the right home. You guide them to a solution. They’re confused about financing, so you educate them. They don’t know when it’s a good time to buy. You teach them that the answer is, “Now!”
The point is, recognize the power of a person in your position who is able to solve one problem after another for a homebuyer. You become the trusted advisor, the person who inspires confidence in a buyer, which is the best way to turn uncertainty into a sale.
#7. Be a better communicator.
Lack of communication is the biggest destroyer of relationships. Whether you don’t say what’s on your mind, downplay something that’s bothering you, or make assumptions, you create a disconnect when you don’t communicate in the right way. That crack widens as the communication remains poor.
How can you become a better communicator? Start by being self-aware. What types of discussions are difficult for you? And why? Do you understand body language, the signals you’re giving as well as receiving?
Check out this Forbes article that offers “8 Tips for Better Communication Skills”.
#8. Be a better human.
For this one, I have to give kudos to my friend, Ronda Conger. She is a powerhouse, not just in new home sales, but as an inspiring person. She leads successful teams, based on solid principles. And her book, Better Human: It’s a Full-Time Job, reminds us that simple things are a big deal. You will NEVER be a better new home sales professional if you don’t start by being a better human.
