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“I’m not a scripted person!” As a guy who runs a company that coaches thousands of agents, I can tell you that I’ve heard that line more than once … today. I used to say it about myself. Nobody wants to be the robotic telemarketer calling at 8:30 p.m. when you’re putting the kids to bed. That’s not what you become when you use scripts; you become a professional. Besides, you already follow scripts and dialogues in almost every other area of your life. When you bump into someone and say, “Hey, how’s it going?” or when conversation gets awkward and you start talking about the weather — those are scripts you have mentally adopted.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a “people person.” Without knowing how to use the proper phrases in your real estate business, you will never convert your leads and potential clients on the level that you should. There are five phrases you should incorporate into your client communications right away if you want to start converting at a higher rate and making more money.
‘Would you be offended if …?’
When you first approach a prospect with an offer of service, they instinctively want to say no. So you need to change what they’re responding to. Don’t say, “Hey, can I come by tomorrow and look at your house?” The answer to that question is an easy “no.” Instead say, “I’m going to be in your neighborhood tomorrow around [insert time]. Would you be offended if I stopped by for a quick five-minute onsite price consultation?” Of course, there’s nothing offensive about that! So the prospect will say “no,” which, in this case, is a “yes” for you.
‘Do you have anyone sending you good deals right now?’
When you ask a buyer if they have an agent, they are going to say yes 90 percent of the time — even if it’s not true — to get you to back off. But asking them if they have anyone sending them good deals right now has a completely different psychological effect. This makes the buyer wonder if you have access to properties that they don’t. They’ll give you a real answer: “Well, I had a friend sending me some stuff, but I haven’t signed anything with them. Why? Do you have access to deals I’m not seeing?” Now it’s game on.
‘What would need to happen for …?’
This question sets the expectation for whatever you want to happen. For example, start a listing presentation with, “What would need to happen for you to consider this meeting a 10 and leave no doubt that I’m the agent who should sell your house?” For a buyer consultation, you might say, “What would need to happen for you to believe that I’m the right agent to help you find the home of your dreams?” This phrase allows your prospects to lay out their criteria and create the expectation that if you meet such criteria, they are expected to hire you.
‘It’s funny that you’re contacting me about …’
People like to believe things are meant to be. So when a seller calls to inquire about the value of their home, you can increase the chance of conversion by saying, “It’s funny that you are contacting me about your neighborhood in particular. I was just telling two of my buyers that I was hoping something would come up over there because it’s perfect for them!” Now don’t say this if it’s not true; we don’t build trust by lying. But you get the point. Have something coincidental to mention whether you are working with a potential seller or buyer.
‘I’m going to be at this number for the next 30 minutes.’
Please stop saying, “Give me a call back when you get a chance.” They will never get a chance — not because they’re rude but because life gets in the way. Instead, say something like, “Looks like I missed you but I wanted to let you know something really cool about that property. I’m going to be at this number for the next 30 minutes, so call me back as soon as you get this.” Give them a deadline, and they’ll be more motivated to call. People don’t like to miss deadlines. It also gives you an excuse to call them again later with another deadline if they don’t call back. Try it; it’s pure gold.
Converting leads into clients is a science that involves skill over luck. Precision matters over the length of time that you do something. If you want more details, I’ve posted a training video with four scripts for converting buyers, sellers, FSBOs, and expired listings, which you can download for free.
