Everyone has a story about needing some very specific help or guidance and calling the person they think is the right person only to learn (after a lengthy explanation) they’ve got the wrong person and will need to re-tell the story to someone else.
Sometimes, sales people put lots and lots of effort into converting a prospect who turns out not to be the paying customer . . . just “bird dogging” for a friend, family member or their boss.
Then there’s the REALTOR’s nightmare of working with a Home Buyer or seller for months, and when it’s time to structure a deal, the client is really the Buyer or seller but the real decision maker is Uncle Joe (or Mom & Dad) . . . complicating things immensely because this “decision maker” flies in out of nowhere and is starting from ground zero with the process.
I think this all falls under the heading of all parties knowing and agreeing to a specific goal or destination.
Doesn’t it make sense to be VERY clear about this before commencing work?
Even the airline pilot confirms with the passengers before detaching the plane from the terminal: “Good morning folks! This is your pilot and we are heading to Chicago today. Hope you enjoy the flight!” thereby giving those people who thought they were on a plane to somewhere other than Chicago a chance to bail out before the thing (plane) is airborn.
When I lead a Mastermind session, it always begins with a statement of the Theme and quick check-in with the participants that THAT is what they came to discuss: “I Invited y’all here today to talk about staging a house for the market. Is that why you’re here?
Here’s the trick to being sure you are talking to the right person . . . and being sure that the goals and objectives align.
Lead with questions . . . ALWAYS!
So often (especially when we are excited) we jump into “dialogues” with a torrential monologue . . . a million words spill out as if the stop-watch is ticking and we have to get it all said and done before the carriage turns into a pumpkin. This is an “All talk – no listen” way that creates extremely frustrating “wrong person” encounters because the other person figures out you’re talking to the wrong person LONG before you do and they can’t break your flood of words enough to tell you.
No matter how excited, enthusiastic, angry, enamored, or egotistical you are, be the pilot.
- Announce who you are . . .
- Why you’re here . . .
- Who we think we might want to join us on the journey . . .
- What we anticipate will happen . . .
- Where you think we’ll be going together . . .
- When we expect to get there . . .
and make all that short and sweet, followed by:
Does this mesh with YOUR expectations?
Tell me some stories . . .
About times when YOU found yourself (late in the process) talking to the wrong person?
As a real estate sales professional, the most important thing I can do for my clients is to sit with them for an hourish “Initial Consultation” during which I ASK and LISTEN way more than I talk, so I can be sure we all know the goal – the purpose of the move.
All of our “Vital Few” Pareto Realty Associates work this way.
It’s never too early for this initial consultation, so if have even an inkling of a twitch for a move, let’s meet.
Best,
b