I attended a sales seminar by a Major Name Realtor expert. I will never forget the sick feeling in my stomach at his advise to the packed auditorium, in Las Vegas, NV.

“If you list 100 houses, and 50 sell you will be a success!” he proclaimed. Someone asked “What about the other 50?” His reply was horrid, at least to me, “WHO CARES? You will have a great year!” Who cares? I did. I can count on one hand the number of listings I had expire. Certainly, I never listed 100 houses a year, or anything close to it, as I worked mostly with first time buyers, but I made a commitment to sell the homes I listed. I left RE, as I can no longer climb stairs after an injury. I wasn’t the most popular, the prettiest, or the most ambitious. I was the most dedicated to providing the best representation possible. I am honest, and did the best possible for my clients. My dream of raising horses has come true, but I’m still not making much money, yet. I can pay my bills and know that I did not fail half my clients. In hind sight, I will say that I should have advertized higher end homes, and worked with richer clients to make more cash.

If you’ve wondered about the “Stupid” Car Ads on TV, their genius is this: They attract stupid people. Huh? Yeah, they attract the foolish folk who don’t ask the price, but only the payment. My elderly neighbor lady tried to buy a car a one such place. They wouldn’t give her a price, and told her to come back with her male advisor. This woman ran a business, and did some of her own mechanical maintenance. The chauvenistic rude saleman lost an easy sale.

Taking time to show genuine interest in your customer always helps move you closer to a meeting of the minds and a contract. One advertizes for prospects who might become customers. Be sure your ads draw the customers you want. I advertized –No Qualifying– low down, and I got “buyers” with rotten credit, or so much debt, they could’nt afford a dog house. Good prospects got lost in the melee. Better to advertize Executive home in prestige area.OWC with 100K down, Vacant, Move in this month. I’d get fewer calls, but those prospects would be ready and able to buy now.
Advertize to attract the best possible clients, build rapport, then help them buy. Please don’t “have a great year” by letting down half the people who count on you. Good Luck, Liz

On the other hand you have consultants. They are out for the buyer who needs a lot of handholding. Consultants start a sophisticated process to win the business.

Just two types of buyers and sellers.

I recently spent an extrordinary amount of time with a prospect – a referral who I assumed would hire me because of the relationship which introduced me, so I threw sales 101 to the wind and just hob-nobbed, attending multiple meetings and lunches. I ultimately was not hired because a competitor had “more experience in their industry.” Had I followed my normal qualification process, I would have moved on after the second one hour phone call. Closing is good.

The question was “Must you always be closing?” – It depends ..