The Greatest Gift

 

Winston Churchill said, “Of all the gifts bestowed upon men, none is as great as the gift of oratory. If a man looses all his friends, and is stripped of all his powers, he who commands this gift will still remain formidable”.

 

How can a salesperson acquire the gift of oratory? The best way is to join Toastmasters (www.toastmasters.org) The weekly meetings will allow members to practice their presentation and public speaking skills. This will build the confidence

to overcome the greatest fear most people have.

 

On a listing presentation an agent can have glossy full color materials, people skills, and the ability to overcome objections. But, confidence, speaking skills, listening, and the ability to ask the right questions may be more important factors to a seller selecting a listing agent.

 

A good agent is aware of matching & mirroring. For example, if a prospect speaks slowly, the agent should speak slowly. If a client speaks quietly, the agent should speak softly. If a seller crosses his arms, an agent can build rapport and form a stronger bond by matching their body language and crossing their arms.

 

Years ago, I met an agent who rang a FSBO doorbell. The seller opened the door and was handed a business card by the prospecting Realtor. After glancing at the card, the owner tore it to pieces and abruptly closed the door.

 

A few days later, the same agent rang the same FSBO bell. When the same man came to the door, the Realtor held out their card, pulled it back and ripped it up. The owner laughed and invited the agent inside. Matching & mirroring mission accomplished.

 

This is a great market to get back to the basics of prospecting, listing, negotiating, and selling. Most agents can afford the time to ‘sharpen their saws’, practice matching & mirroring, and join a Toastmaster club. The resulting confidence and competence will be a great gift to their personal growth.