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We are all faced with objections, but what sets you apart from your competition is how you handle those objections. Here are my proven strategies on how to anticipate and understand objections, turning them into opportunities to strengthen your negotiating position.
People get stuck
They reach out to you because they have an interest in buying or selling real estate, but then they get stuck because it’s a big scary process. An affirmation I made up for myself years ago is, “My job as a great salesperson is to help people overcome their natural fear and hesitation to achieve their goal.”
Your job is to pick through the limiting beliefs, pick through the objections, and determine the difference between what’s a true condition and what is just a procrastination. Help them find the path to achieve their goal.
Make a list of common buyer and seller objections
Come up with great responses for each. You can even ask people in your office for their responses and pick your favorites. Memorize at least one good response for each objection. It needs to become muscle memory. The faces will change, but really the objections don’t change much.
Don’t let desperation derail you
We have all been there, you need a deal so badly that you are anxious and you say the wrong thing.
Maintain confidence
Study the market, so you have the confidence to look a buyer in the eye and say, “I’ve seen everything in this market. I’ve previewed. I’ve prospected for you. Of everything I could find, this property is the clear choice. It is the only choice that checks most of the boxes of what you want. I can tell you like it. So you know what, let’s buy it.”
If you have done your homework and it is a good property, then you can confidently speak to your buyer.
Objections are simply a question in the mind of a prospect, or they could be venting thoughts or trying to rattle you.
Don’t feel the need to respond to objections immediately
You can take a minute to think. It shows you’re listening. People are smart. they don’t want to be pitched at. They want to be heard. Take a breath. Calm yourself. Don’t get frustrated or offended. This can cause you to break rapport. Repeat back a bit of what they said to show you are listening.
Ask at least one clarifying question to get to the truth to be certain you understand the issue. You may need to go 3-5 questions deep. Answer or handle the objection and then close again.
Handling objections and getting past the “no” is a combination of scripts, skills and your own mindset. If you believe you’ve delivered the scenario they want and you see all the reasons why it’s right for them and they’re just stuck, you have to be persistent. Your persistence can help them overcome their fear and hesitation, allowing them to achieve the goal they’ve set.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners.
To contact the editor responsible for this piece: zeb@hwmedia.com.
