Re: Image - Professional or Down Home - Posted by Baltimore BirdDog
Posted by Baltimore BirdDog on April 01, 1999 at 15:27:27:
Dear Brandi,
I’ve been reading your posts, and remind me never to get on your bad side. You’ve got a lot of energy and ambition, and I’d hate to see that directed toward me in an unfortunate way. To that end, I’ll try to answer your questions and increase my standing.
From what I’ve studied, there seem to be three things at the heart of any sale:
Make the prospect like you.
Make the prospect respect you.
Give the prospect logic and reason to buy from you.
Your post seems to center around the first two.
In terms of making a seller like you, you need to establish some sort of rapport. This usually involves making them feel comfortable by talking with them about the things they like to talk about, dressing like them, and making them feel good about themselves. I think these are better ways to make them like you than giving up the ability to make a deal on the spot just because you want to appear as an employee rather than the evil boss/corporate entity.
In terms of making them respect you, be honest about your position…
I’m a professional investor. This is how I make my living, and I need to buy on terms that make sense for me. That isn’t to say that your house isn’t worth what you’re asking, it’s just a little bit too high for me. You can understand that, can’t you? (a better salesman would say it more elegantly, but you get the idea)
…and impress them with your knowledge of your chosen profession, including market values, ability to give them multiple offers/solutions to their problem and ability to close quickly, if that’s what it takes. Follow up after a sale to make sure everything is OK with your new buyer goes a long way toward building your professional reputation as well. It also increases referral business.
Keep in mind that your need to make a seller like and respect you will decrease with his/her motivation. The most motivated sellers will care about one thing and one thing only…your ability to perform.
I hope this helps to clarify things for you. The bottom line is that every deal comes down to, as Dan Fink once said, a sales job. If you can hone your sales skills, then suit or no suit, president or employee, you will do more deals. Good luck and happy hunting!
-Jeremy