LESSON 6 - THE CONVERSATION WITH THE EXPIRED: Getting 6 “at bats” per week will make you rich.
What did you decide was your opening question when you called the seller or visited in person? The first question is similar to the first 2-3 minutes of a movie. Have you ever watched a movie and in the first few minutes you say to yourself, “this is too slow.” Not many of us like a predictable outcome. We want something to keep our attention. Sellers are like us, making “judgements” based on first impressions.
Your “opening question” must be a grabber so you can share your vision. That vision will be peppered with additional questions aligned with your opening message. It is knowing how to tell a story.
Many agents want to earn $100,000 or more per year without having to write creative presentations. I would warn most agents, “the company presentation manual” is just a beginning platform. Like a bland salad. You are supposed to add flavor to it. Something uniquely you that provides the seller a bridge to trust so they take the journey with you and no one else.
So, what is your FIRST opening question?
Hello ____________________________________________________________________________________
IF YOU WANT: YOU CAN USE OURS
I am a representative with BuyersBuyDirect.com where buyers purchase a property directly from the seller or listing agent, they do this to avoid paying a Buyer Agent commission, are you still accepting offers?
Before we get to the 2nd and 3rd and 4th and 5th questions, have you stated your first question 50 times! Have you practiced your cadence? There are some scenes in movies that are filmed 25, 50 times or more to get that “one sentence” to be memorable.
MOVIE LINES
“I’ll be back” was said by Arnold Schwarzenegger dozens of times before they liked one version.
“Just a little bit outside.”
“Frankly Scarlet, I could give a damn.”
“Life is like a box of chocolates.”
“Play nice!” Says Woody to Syd.
“Cannon ball it!”
These lines were rehearsed over and over and over and over again. I often hear agents say, “that question did not work.” And from that result they gave up and are quick to try a different approach.
Be serious about your craft. We need to acknowledge that we need to get better. That we need to role play and practice more.
The greatest baseball players in the world at age 18 still have to go to the Minor Leagues. Everyone wants to get to the Big Leagues. To enter the stadium with 30,000 to 50,000 people. To hit a long home run. But first, that player will often have to have 300-500 at bats.
Agents that have never worked Expireds, (or FSBOs or Probate Attorneys or Builders etc.) expect to hit a home run in their first week. Let’s see … .the agent is kind, sweet, considerate, friendly, at a great company, but they have not had enough “at bats” and the potential client calls see right through them.
AT BATS
Ideally you are getting at least 6 at bats per week. You must practice your presentation before you ever meet a seller, ideally at least 25 times. Does your $100,000 income goal require you to learn new skills? The market will soon judge if you are ready.
Practice till you cannot get it wrong.
Expired listings and By Owners are a similar but not the exact approach. See as many of both lead categories as possible to get in your lessons. If you see one Expired listing in person per week, it will be extremely challenging for you to win a listing. It takes “spaced repetition.”
Your questions must become reflexive. The questions must flow from one to another like a story. Make it a goal to get at least 6 at bats per week. Ideally 10, and you will become the master in your territory.
STRIKE 3!
Perhaps you are not a baseball fan, but you may at least know that if you “swing and miss 3 times” you don’t get any more chances. You have to back and sit on the bench and wait for your next turn to try again.
In real estate, the manager can look for the agent that just struck out and to their surprise, the agent is gone. Too dejected to try again. Instead of regrouping, instead of seeing the defeat as a lesson, they see it as failure.
The income goal you set has to be worth the fight.
Never make long term decisions based on short term outcomes.