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Sales Success
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ADvantage Thinking
Advantage Solutions Newsletter
This Month’s
Contents
- ADvantage Thinking: Negotiate for
Success
- Power Tools: The Ultimate Personal
Peripheral (PDA's)
- Resources for the ADvantage
- Trend Watch - Buyer Loyalty
ADvantage Thinking: Negotiate
for Success
"The secret of walking on water is knowing where the
stones are." - Herb Cohen
Have you ever watched a four year old who has his heart set
on something? He is willing to hear "no" over and over again and realize it is
not a final "no"…it is only for that moment. He tries different angles,
various approaches, and persists until he wears you down. He’ll try the emotional,
he’ll try logic, he’ll try outrageous behavior, he’ll try trading off. That
four year old has all the characteristics of a brilliant negotiator. Next time you find
yourself in a negotiation, remember the four year old. Be creative, be persistent with a
clear focus & purpose and know there is a way, even when it looks impossible!
L isten and find out what's really important
Pay close attention to what the other party REALLY wants. We often don’t
have enough information or haven’t asked what the most important aspects of a
dealare. What is REALLY important (is it price, timing). The better you do your homework
on what is important to the other party, the better your position. For instance, if
net is the most important, you may get concessions on closing date, or personal property
or the interest rate on a seller carryback.
COACH'S ACTION TIP >
Be prepared. Dig to find out everything you can about what the needs of the
other party are and where the points of negotiation lie. Ask the other agent lots of
"what if….." questions. Then look creatively at ways they can get what is
MOST important to them and you can get concessions in OTHER areas to sweeten your
position. Never give on a point without also asking for something back. Get comfortable
with Silence Silence is more than golden: it’s power. Once you have presented
your offer, given your position, be quiet. Don’t explain or overcome objections that
have not, as yet, been raised. Others will whittle their own position or start explaining.
This information will give you more information about what is REALLY their position.
COACH'S ACTION TIP >
Human beings want to fill the void when there is silence. There’s much to
be learned by waiting and allowing the other party to fill the void. He who is most
comfortable with silence has power on his side. Next time, say to yourself " he who
speaks first, comes in last….. he who speaks first, comes in last……".
Keep repeating this until the other person talks. Always ask for more than what you
want. You just may get it! But what is there to lose? If you position yourself so
you can compromise more than the other party to come to a final win/win, they feel really
good because you have given more than half. Their perception is that they "won",
when in fact you strategized the game to give you the benefit of being able to give back
more.
COACH'S ACTION TIP >
"Build your adversary a golden bridge to retreat across"
- Sun Tzu
Meeting in the middle usually seems fair to people. Use this knowledge to
position yourself. Next time you are in a negotiation, begin by asking for MORE than you
want! Some books on negotiating:
- Negotiate Like
the Pros by John Patrick Dolan
- You Can Negotiate
Anything by Herb Cohen
- Getting To Yes by
William Ury also: Getting Past No
Use the next 30 days to improve your skills in negotiating. It’s a way to
work smarter, not harder. If you increase the number of offers you put together, you are
using your time effectively. The power of your creativity and intentionality can move
mountains!
 |
POWER TOOL OF THE MONTH
A personal digital assistant (PDA) is a convenient means to
stay away from the morass of dozens of slips of paper and a huge daytimer. Small enough to
easily fit in your pocket on purse, but powerful enough to store most of what you need
while out of the office, you’ll find a PDA indispensable! Prices are affordable. You
can easily download to your computer on most and many have handwriting recognition, so you
use a pen instead of a kyboard. If you haven’t checked them out lately, do it now!
One of my favorite is the PalmPilot by 3Com (pictured at left). You can
find information on this at www.palmpilot.3com.com
Two sites that review the top pda's are http://www.zdnet.com/products/content/zdim/0302/265745.html
(ZDNet's site) http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/features/handheld_pc/index.html
(PC Magazine's) Shop for prices on technology items at sites such as Pricewatch, http://www.pricewatch.com. |
Joeann Fossland is a personal & business coach. She
provides tools and structures to make it easy for highly motivated individuals and groups
to bridge the gap to their next level of success! Call Joeann at 888-484-9608 to schedule
a free 20 minute introductory coaching call or for more info!
Trend Watch - Buyer
Loyalty
Do you take open listings? If not, why not? My guess
is because you don’t want to invest money with a seller only to lose it all if the
house isn’t sold by you. Why, then, do you work with buyers without having
their loyalty? Why do you risk your time and money without protecting yourself? Have you
ever spent days (even weeks?) with buyers who, without you, buy on their own or from the
listing agent of the weekend open house they wandered into? Sadly, most of us have been in
this position. Buyers Agency has come a long way in the last 10 years, change the dynamics
of our business. Most agents explain agency and get a disclosure signed but do not take it
to the next step by having their buyers sign an exclusive buyer agency agreement. Even
fewer ask for a non-refundable deposit. But the ones that are find they have loyalty and
have further prequalified that buyer. Most of the time, these deposits are credited back
upon closing or if the buyer does not buy, the agents keeps it for expenses. Isn’t it
time you got paid for the time you spend? Buyers can take a lot of time and energy. What
are you doing to increase the quality of those you spendyour time on?
You may be thinking, why would anybody do that
if the other agents will do it for free. Give some
thought to the old saw "you get what you pay for." Just by asking, you are
sending a message you do things differently; that you believe your time is valuable and
you expect them to respect it. If you haven’t designed a buyer’s services
strategic plan, it’s time to think about it! What services can you provide that will
back up your audaciousness? How should you structure your presentation to build the value
of what you are going to do for them?
Work ON your business this month: upgrade your buyer
presentation and then ask them to SHOW YOU THE MONEY!!!!
Resources for the
ADvantage
SHAMELESS
PLUG: I'm published!!!!!!!!!!!
1. This month’s RECOMMENDED BOOK: Chocolate
For A Woman’s Heart. A great collection of 77 stories of love, kindness
& compassion to nourish your soul and sweeten your dreams ( includes one by yours
truly!!!!!) Not just for women: John Gray says" Endearing and uplifting…a joy
for both men & women."
SPECIAL OFFER: Order directly from me by May 30, and
you’ll get a signed copy for only $10! Order by email with a credit card or mail your
check to PO Box 133, Cortaro, AZ 85652 As always, recommended books can be found on my
website at www.joeann.com/fun.htm.
2. Looking for a network? Synchronizing your
contacts across your office and sharing an internet connection are only a couple of the
benefits. Advantage Technologies can give your office the connectivity that it
needs, at a fraction of the price that you would expect. Serving all 50 states, give
them a call at 810-765-8427, e-mail advantage@adv-tech.com,
or visit http://www.adv-tech.com.
3. As a Senior Coach
& Instructor, I am excited about the formation of RE/COACH, the first global
association for the advancement of the real estate coaching profession. The real estate
coaching technique is a relatively new niche in the field of real estate, in which
managers, agents and top producers are provided with support, tools of the trade, and
structure to accomplish more as individual practitioners. Commonly used throughout the
business community today, this form of mentoring is relatively unknown in real estate
circles. Real estate coaches function as part consultant, part mentor, and part best
friend, as they enable their clients to achieve more through personal production
enhancement and a clear focus on achievable results. While the accountability element of
having a coach is a piece of the picture, a good coach also enables you to enhance a broad
range of skills for ultimate personal effectiveness.
RE/COACH is dedicated to the vision that coaching and being
coached are tools that will enable professionals to expand both their personal lives and
their professional practices. RE/COACH has a mission of providing members enhanced
learning and knowledge through leadership and standards of practice, education,
technology, and ethics. For further information or to request a RE/COACH application form,
contact Bill Fletcher at mailto:w.fletcher@worldnet.att.net.
4. RE/MAX agent Judi Wolfson is an expert on generating
business on the web! She closed $4.2 million in sales from the WEB alone last year
(31 transactions) and 17transactions in the first 120 days of 1998. She teaches others how
to "do what she does" to make more $$$ from the Internet! Join her on the
free teleclass this month! Or contact her directly for more information about her
seminars and services email her at bestagent@realtor.com |