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Posted by Administrator on January 30, 2012 · Leave a Comment 

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By Dr. Joanne Baum                   New! Watch the Skype video interview here.

I’d like to introduce you to the idea that a “difficult” client is usually a client with a strong “position” about some aspect of the real estate project you are involved in.  They are not really “difficult,” they simply feel very strongly about what is happening.  Looking at them as a “positional client” helps me remember they feel very strongly about something and when I can identify their strong feelings, what they are about, and what they want to see happening, I can work with them by keeping in mind that the intensity of their position is what is getting in the way of solving the problem, not the problem itself.

I begin with listening very carefully to them, really ‘getting’ what they are saying, reflecting back to them what I heard them say, and asking them if I have heard them accurately before I start offering solutions.  They want to feel understood and heard.  They don’t want to be placated or told what to do. They need to know you are taking them seriously.  They won’t know that unless you let them know you understand all of what they are saying – the content of what they are saying and the emotions behind the content.  This may take a while but it is easier and more productive than butting heads and arguing.

A Positional Client:

• Doesn’t feel like anyone has “understood” how critical their situation is
• Is sure of their perspective
• Resists your attempts to present a different perspective
• Has thoughts that are more like “beliefs”
• Wants you to do their bidding rather than following your advice
• Has little empathy or compassion for you
• Tends to take a lot of your time and is not open to your ideas

Remember: Positional people do not give up their “positions” until they feel truly ‘heard.’ A “yes… but” doesn’t do it nor does cutting them short with facts.  If they are telling you so much at once that you cannot keep track of it all, slow them down by saying something like: “I really want to hear and understand what you’re saying so far. Are you meaning or are you saying __________________?”

So what does work?  Slowing yourself down, calming yourself, listening patiently, reflecting back what they said, and expressing genuine empathy by saying something like: “I can understand when you tell me all that you just did how important _______is to you.”  Or, reflect back to them what you just heard and tell them something like: “Now I understand how important that is to you,” or possibly, “I am impressed with how strongly you feel about what you just said.”

AND THEN PAUSE….

You are not agreeing with them.  You are not telling them they are right or wrong; you are not passing judgment on them.  You are simply telling them you heard what they said and you understand, given their perspective, why they think what they think.

They in turn feel ‘heard’ by your non-judgmental, empathetic response.  You just introduced important neutrality into the setting which has a calming effect.  Unconsciously, the person will begin to feel more open to you and what you have to say, because you have not immediately told them why they are wrong…and you have heard them.  Caution: don’t rush the advice here.

This is the time to have genuine empathy and compassion for your client’s position.  You don’t have to agree, just have empathy and compassion for his/her sense of reality and what discomfort that has caused them.  You don’t have to do anything here except express that you really get what they are saying; you see their position.

Empathy is sitting with someone’s upset or discomfort, not taking it on, but being present for their frustration, etc. As I am empathizing with someone I ask them if I’ve heard what they are saying accurately.  If I haven’t, I ask them to tell me more. This may take several times back and forth.  They appreciate my efforts to understand their position completely.  Don’t worry about the time this taking.  It is truly shorter and easier than a gut wrenching argument, and more effective.

After you know their position and you have empathized with them,  ask them if they are willing to work with you to come up with creative options that can solve the problem. You might ask if they are willing to hear and learn what your constraints are and if they are willing to work with you within realistic parameters to come up with possible solutions, weigh them, and come to an agreement on a solution to use moving forward.  In this step, you are establishing a partnership moving forward.  And by asking them if they are willing you are getting their ‘buy in.’ From there you can brainstorm strategies that might meet their needs and decide on one or more options to try out.

Why does this work?

When you have first listened attentively, respectfully, and actively to someone else, they are much more likely to listen to you and let in your ideas.  After showing empathy for the positional client’s perspectives and compassion for the emotions they are experiencing, they are more ready to ‘hear’ you.  It is amazing how easily someone calms down when they feel truly heard.

You can do that for people by taking away the pressure of solving their problems immediately.  When they feel truly heard they are more open to your possibilities of what else can be done to fix the problem they have identified.

Show empathy and compassion and be willing to listen.  Then, watch your Positional Client become a workable, productive client.”

_____________________________________

Contact Dr. Joanne Baum at:  drjobaum@gmail.com.

Posted by Administrator on January 23, 2012 · 2 Comments 

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Guest Post by Dana Keller

Trust: (n)

1. Reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.
2. Confident expectation of something; hope.
3. Confidence in the certainty of future payment for property or goods received; credit: to sell merchandise on trust.
4. A person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust.

Trust is absolutely critical in home sales. Purchasing a home is not only the highest dollar investment your buyers will typically make, but the most intense emotional investment they make as well. If buyers trust you, you’ll enjoy:

• Significantly increased conversion ratios and overall sales numbers
• Comfortable and ease in your sales presentations, as well as all conversations with your buyers throughout the build.
• A partnership with your buyers when you encounter challenges

I had never thought of myself as a sales person before starting in new home sales. I fell into my first job – it certainly wasn’t by design. But right from the start, I was successful. So I took a step back, wanting to find out why; what was I doing that was working? When I asked my buyers why they bought from me, they all said they trusted me. So of course the next question was why did they trust me? The answers can absolutely be learned and integrated by anyone.

Here are three main ingredients to developing trusting relationships:

Generate Genuine-ness

Examine yourself. Who or what types don’t you like, rub you the wrong way, turn you off, elicit negativity from you – you have develop that awareness before you can change it. The example I give is that I hate strong New York accents  (sorry to all New Yorkers out there). When someone walked in my sales office with that accent, I immediately focused on the accent and stopped listening to what the person was saying.

1. Make a list of the things you know irritate you
2. Start debriefing after your presentations – when you’ve felt it didn’t go well, or you noticed you didn’t like that person – and figure out why, what didn’t you like – even in your personal life, when you’re out in the world – start noticing what you don’t like. Make a list of those things so you can start being aware.

When I train on this topic in person, I show slides of people – all different kinds of people, in all different types of dress etc.  I ask those watching to write down the first thing that comes to their mind after seeing the photo – they do so in private and don’t share with anyone. I want them to uncover their prejudices, “baggage” so they can be aware going forward.

Acknowledge our shared human experience. Unless they’re socio- or psycho-paths, everyone you encounter is, in reality, just like you – they have fears and passions and hurts and good and bad experiences, disappointments, regrets – they’ve been “screwed” in life by some people and some circumstances, and they’ve been championed by others. Try to remember that when someone walks in your office, they’re bringing all that stuff with them – and empathize with their life journey, knowing it’s in all likelihood not much different from yours – or perhaps a lot worse!

Curiosity instead of Judgment – practice the following:

When you find yourself judging the person standing in front of you, change that judgment statement in your head to a question.

For example, instead of thinking: “Gosh, she sure is arrogant and stand-offish”, try:  “Hmmm, I wonder why she’s closed and protective – what is she scared of, or how has she been hurt?”

Then make it a game – to find out as much as you can about why she’s the way she is. Bob Schultz talks about the Columbo approach – be Columbo and be curious.  Write down questions to incorporate into your presentation that will help you find out why someone is exhibiting fear or protectiveness.

Q: “Have you ever worked with a builder before? Would you mind sharing with me how that was – was it a good experience or a bad experience?”

Maybe they just lost a lot of money because of a scam and they don’t trust anyone.

Q: “Why are you thinking about making a move?”

Or they’re going through a divorce and aren’t happy at all about the fact that they have to sell their home and downsize. Maybe they’ve had a really difficult life – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo syndrome – assume it’s been a bad life and that’s why they’re behaving the way they are and be empathetic, caring and do what you can to make things better for them, right here, right now. Be the opposite of what they expect – be a non-salesperson.  People don’t trust salespeople, so don’t be a one!

“So, I know dealing with sales people is never top on our list – even I feel that way. Even though I’m in sales, I hate to go buy a car just as much as the next person. I want you to know that I’m here to help you – and you don’t have to worry about offending me if you don’t like what I’m showing you or telling you – you’ll actually be doing me a favor. So please feel free to be totally honest as we look at our homes together – is that ok with you?”

Body Language

• Eye contact – use eyes to convey empathy
• Smile – a warm genuine caring smile will knock even the staunchest
• Nods, affirmations

LISTEN! Make learning about them your priority – not telling them about your builder, your product, your community. Once you make them a priority, telling them all the stuff they need to know will just flow – when the time is right and whey they’re ready to hear it – because they will trust you by that time.

Confidence is a huge part of trust. People need to be confident in you. Confidence comes from their ability to rely on what you say, what you know, and what you’ll do.

Be Competent

Know your stuff. The more you know about your product and your community, the more confident your buyers will be in you. Rehearse the details, the numbers, the things that demonstrate your knowledge – they need to be at the tip of your tongue, not in your papers on your desk or the plat table – in your heard!

A Person Of Your Word

Do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do i? You might think this is more once your buyers are under contract, but it starts in your first encounter. Ask them how much time they have – and let them know you’ll watch the clock to make sure you don’t go over – then do it!

Tell them what your going to do in the time you have with them – then make sure you do it. If you tell them you’ll get back to them with an answer to a question or request, and by a certain time – you’d better do it! If you don’t have the answer by the time you hoped – call them to tell them you don’t have it and that you’re doing you best to get it.

Get Genuine, Be Competent and a Person of Your Word. Your reward will be not only more sales, but you’ll feel really good about yourself, and everyone who comes in your sales office will feel good about the time they spent with you.

________________________________

Contact Dana Keller at danakeller@tampabay.rr.com.

Posted by Administrator on January 15, 2012 · Leave a Comment 

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We speak with Mark Magoon, Sales Manager, UVAIRx

True or false:  Top-performing salespeople are mavericks.  They shoot from the hip.  They instinctively know how to read customers and what to say and do to get the sale.

Sales guru, Tom Hopkins, began his book How to Master the Art of Selling by debunking the myth of the ‘natural-born salesperson.’  That person simply doesn’t exist.  Today, we take it a step further and expose the ‘instinct-driven sales maverick’ as a myth, too.

The fact is that top-level salespeople understand that selling is a process consisting of measurable, sequential steps that lead a prospect systematically to a positive result.  In fact, successful sales processes mirror the buyer’s own buying process.  Top-performing salespeople don’t shoot from the hip; they work hard to understand and master these processes.  And when they do, selling becomes so much easier – they just make it look natural and intuitive.

Mark Magoon has spent his career in corporate sales, helping sales teams define and streamline their sales processes.  He’s currently working with UVAIRx, a new company that produces indoor air treatment devices that clean the air of particulates and kill germs in the air and on exposed surfaces.  He shares his steps for defining and codifying an effective sales process in this week’s podcast.  My notes from the conversation are below:

Though every company will need to fit their sales process to their products and customers, the foundation of an effective sales process follows the buying process, moving from the prospect stage through to closing, service and referrals.  Mark Magoon defines these stages as follows:

1.  Leads
2.  Opportunities
3.  Quote
4.  Preliminary Plans
5.  Production/Close
6.  Service

Leads
Attracting new leads into the funnel is largely a function of marketing.  However, the sales team can and should be involved from the beginning in helping to craft the company’s marketing message.  Input from the sales staff can keep advertising and marketing focused on current customer interests, and awareness of the message that’s being advertised makes the transition into the sales funnel seamless for the customer.

Opportunities
As leads are nurtured and qualified, opportunities become apparent.  Every prospect that can be qualified as ready, willing or able represents an opportunity for a sale.  An effective sale process allows salespeople to spend the majority of their time working with the opportunities most likely to become a sale.  Sales Funnel Automation in conjunction with live follow-up can be applied to lesser opportunities to move them up the scale and to the point where they warrant a salesperson’s time and attention.

Quotes
Quotes and proposals are a primary sales function.  That fact is often overlooked with builders.  Look at your proposal form.  Does it resemble a sales piece designed around your buyer’s stated interests, needs, feelings and desires?  Or is it an emotionless, ‘just the facts’ document that conveys your product as a commodity instead of a lifestyle-enhancement?  Sure, you need to outline the scope of what you’re including, but use words and terms that appeal to the emotions and motivations of your buyers and tell them why they should move forward.

Production/Close
This can be a scary point in the process for your buyers, particularly if they’re being handed over to someone else to work with.  After all, a big part of why they chose to buy from you was that they developed a deep trust and rapport with you or their salesperson.  So, an abrupt transition can be a shock to your buyer, causing a ‘shields-up’ reaction.  In that situation, customers tend to get defensive and distrustful.  Even if everything is going according to plan, they’ll still examine everything you do with a critical eye, looking for reasons to complain instead of reasons to applaud.

Service
How you treat buyers after the sale either validates or invalidates your initial promise.  The quality of your product is subjective; the quality of your service speaks to your respect and appreciation for your customer.  Fluid communication through the buying and delivery process reinforce your promise and build trust and confidence.  A third-party warranty and Customer Care Program provider can protect your relationships and reputation and are seen as service enhancements.  Show you care through excellent customer service, and your buyers will reward you with referrals.

Other points to consider when crafting your sales process:

• Fluid follow-up throughout the cycle builds trust and makes buyers feel comfortable making the decision;
• The role of Sales Managers should include more personal coaching on the sales process;
• Get buy-in to your sales process from other departments.  Involve design, procurement, production, etc.
• Tough times require more marketing, not less.  Stay front-of-mind with buyers now and you’ll be rewarded when the market returns.
• Institute continuous training & education for salespeople.  Create a process; teach it; refine it and keep training.

Mark Magoon is Director of Sales for UVAIRx Corporation. Purchase UVIARx products here.

Posted by Administrator on January 8, 2012 · Leave a Comment 

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We speak with Jeff Shore, Shore Consulting

It’s a brand new year.  A clean slate.  A blank canvas.

How will you make 2012 different – better – than 2011?  What will it take for you to make this a great year?

Jeff Shore is one of the most in-demand sales and management coaches in the business.  He believes that your success and happiness is an inside job – that what you will accomplish is largely dependent on your attitude and motivation.

With that, Jeff joins us this week to share 5 step that each of us can engage in to rise to the occasion and be proactive in achieving our goals.  Listen to the audio interview with Jeff above.  Below are my notes from our conversation:

The job of the new home sales professional is to give out positive energy.  You can only give out that which you have inside.  That’s something that you have to keep on reinventing in order to get it right.

Motivation researcher Frederick Herzber, discovered that the #1 factor governing internal motivation is ‘achievement drive’ – the need to succeed; to continue to move forward.  So there’s this action orientation.  The question that we each must ask is, ‘What am I doing to control my success to the extent that I can?’

Do Something.
Jeff Stone, a noted psychologist puts it this way:  “When you’re off your mental game, a little or a lot, do something.  The achievement drive implies action.”  Sometimes it can be a simple action, such as going for a walk.  But, do something.  We boost our energy through action, and we have to be intentional about it.

Jeff shares five steps we can take to keep mentally and emotionally pumped and motivated:

1. Read Intentionally.
Mark Twain wrote, “Those that do not read are no better off than those that cannot read.”  Reading intentionally makes a big difference in how you grow and develop your own internal motivation.  Reading ‘intentionally’ means to read actively and purposfully, meditating on what you read and thinking about how you can remember and apply what you read.

Shore suggests using a hi-lighter and taking good notes as you read, writing down points that you intend to revisit or apply, and particularly those things that you can get excited about putting to work.

2. Invest in Yourself.
Personal development guru, Jim Rohn advises, “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.”  You’ve got to invest in yourself.  In fact, Shore suggests that you quantify that investment:  Spend 10% of your income on yourself in the way seminars, courses, coaching and other forms of developmental learning.  “When you look at the most talented performers, musicians or athletes, they’re the ones that are spending the most money on coaches.  They’re the ones that invest in the right tools to be successful.”

In fact, if you’re willing to just invest time, there are so many places to find free educational content – YouTube, iTunes University, etc.  There are so many options that you really don’t have an excuse not to invest in your self and your own professional development and success.

Sure, we’re all time-challenged just like we’re financially challenged.  But Shore is adamant:  Find the time to invest in yourself.  It may need to come from other places, such are recreation or relaxation.  This is where we need to rethink our priorities and make sure the most important things take first place.  Investments should be looked at in terms of the benefits we get, not just the cost we pay.

3. Make Your Goals Meaningful.
We often think of goal setting in terms of how many homes we want to sell or how much money we want to make.  Those are fine, but really lack power in and of themselves.  “I think you’re better off to make your goals more visual, more meaningful,” says Shore.

For example, saying that you want to increase your sales by one extra sale per month might be a reasonable goal.  But is it motivating?  “It’s not stirring or striking enough if we don’t have a sense of what that means to your life; how your life will improve.  Going back to ‘achievement drive’, it’s not just a matter of ‘getting the number’, it’s what I get when I get the number.  So, don’t just set financial goals or volume goals, set ‘attainment’ goals and make them visual and rewarding:  ‘If I hit this number, I’ll take my family to Disney World; if I hit this higher number, we’ll buy a new car.’ ” Quantify your goals. Set benchmarks, and put them out there for the whole family to see and be motivated by all year.

4.  Set a Service Goal.
“It’s impossible to do something good for someone else without feeling better about yourself,” wrote Zig Ziglar.

Face it, out goals tend to be a bit self-centered, at least to start with.  “Sometimes the best way to improve your own life is to improve someone else’s life,” suggests Shore.  “This could be through your church, charities, or mentoring, but set a service goal – to do something to make the world a better place.”

To work, this goal needs to be more than just a good idea or good intentions.  Make a plan.  Be specific and outline exactly what you want to do and how you’re going to do it.  And then commit yourself to achieving that goal as much as any other goal you set.  Giving back in this way can be truly rewarding and a powerful motivation in other aspects of your life.

5. Tackle Something That Makes You Uncomfortable.
“It’s been said that, ‘Successful people do the things that other people find uncomfortable.’  I think that there’s more to it than that.  I believe that successful people do the things that they themselves find uncomfortable, but that their reward for attaining that goal is worth more than the pain of dealing with their discomfort.”

“Every time we face a discomfort we also face a decision:  Will I do this uncomfortable thing, or will I take the easy path?  Will I yield to the discomfort, or will I bust through and do the tough thing because deep down I know that it’s the right thing to do?”

Successful people embrace discomfort.  They say, ‘Bring it on’ and they find a way to pound right through it.  And by the time they’re done they’re doing things that nobody else is willing to do.  And then something amazing happens – That which was uncomfortable is now comfortable for them, and it frees them up to do something even more uncomfortable.  Their ‘boldness’ muscle group gets stronger and they find they can take on greater challenges… and reap the rewards.”

Join us on Tuesday, January 10 at 2pm EST for a FREE BuilderRadio webinar, How to Create An Effective Customer Care Program, presented by Chris Moeller, President of Builder/Buyer Services Group.  Register here.

Posted by Administrator on January 1, 2012 · Leave a Comment 

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We speak with John Hersey and Beverly Belury, Contagious Leaders Coaching Club.

John Hersey and Beverly Belury are sounding a wakeup call that many simply aren’t ready to hear:  “Have you heard of the ‘New Normal’?  Well, everything is new and nothing is normal!”

If you’re waiting for the market, the economy, or society to re-establish ‘normal’, you might be waiting a long time.  Why?  Because change is the order of the day, and instead of slowing down, it’s still accelerating.  According to business strategist and futurist, Dan Burrus, “What is coming will make the dot.com explosion of the late ‘90s look like we were sitting on our porches, sipping iced tea and watching the leaves turn color.”

What does that mean for you?  It means that you’d better be prepared for what’s coming.  “Those who have the most up-to-date skills win.  Those who are life-long learners win.  Those who influence others win,” urges John Hersey.  “You’ve got to be unforgettable to make it in this market.”

John and Beverly coach leadership skills for companies like Wells Fargo, and offer their training to the rest of us through the Contagious Leaders Coaching Club.  And they practice what they preach – I met John and Bev as part of a Mastermind group where they (and I) were honing our skills for a new market.

They offer these three tips the each of us can apply to better reach our goals and potential as we strive to keep pace with change:

1.  Laser-Focus Your Impact
The 80/20 rule applies to our time and activities:  80% of our income and impact come from 20% of our activities.

John:  “Let’s go through a disciplined activity to identify what your doing, what activities your spending the most amount of time on, and what activities are paying off the best in terms of impact.  There are so many people out there who are itching to make things better, but they’re hanging on to activities that either no longer work or have limited impact.  We need to shed these, focus on what really works and improve our productivity as a result.”

Beverly:  “Take the top two or three impact- or revenue-producing activities and start your day with those and get them done right off the bat.  Take the ‘biggest, hairiest one first, and deal with it before you move on.  I feel a huge difference when I’ve had a highly productive day.  It builds my self-confidence and excitement.  We see with our coaching clients that their enthusiasm is over the top when they’re really feeling productive and they feel like they’ve made an impact.”

2.  Bursting
Beverly:  “Take 50 minutes of uninterrupted, concentrated time and focus on what needs to be done.  Turn off your email and your phone and close the door for 50 minutes.  After that you can take a 10-minute break.  Do that twice a day.  It is incredible how much you’ll get done!”

John:  “We do that twice a day to get the really important things done, just 50 minutes.  We find that it’s hard to sustain more than 50 minutes of really concentrated, highly product time.  So, cut yourself some slack; just take 50 minutes of uninterrupted, concentrated time and see how much you can get done.  You’ll be absolutely amazed!”

3.  The 30-Minute Rule:
To help empower our employees or peers – and to get more done ourselves – John and Bev teach what they call the 30-Minute Rule:  When someone calls or comes to your office and asks if you’ve got a minute, say:  “I’d really like to help you with this, but I’m right in the middle of something really important right now. Can you call or come back in 30 minutes?”

They’ve found that only 15% of those interruptions are really an emergency that requires your immediate attention.  And of the other 85%, only 15% of the people will come or call back.  The rest will either find their own solution or find someone else to help them.

Doing this is actually a kindness.  It enables employees to make decisions and find solutions on their own and helps them develop the leadership skills they need to move up.

Leadership skills are becoming more and more precious to growing companies.  Developing these skills will put you in high demand to employers and give you more control over your career, your income – your life.
What are you doing now – today – to develop yourself as a leader?  John & Bev are still avid students.  They apply themselves to learning new and fresh ways to continue to develop themselves and their skills, and they help teach their clients to do the same.

Join John Hersey and Beverly Belury for a special FREE WEBINAR on Thursday, January 5.  Their topic is ‘5 Kick Butt Strategies to Blast Through Your Frustrations and Blow the Roof Off Your Income.’

Register for this free webinar here.