Three Client Questions You Should Never Answer
It’s common when you’re showing property for your clients to ask about the condition of various aspects of the property. Some common examples include:
- The roof looks terrible. Do you think we would have to replace it?
- Is that wall located on the property line?
- Is that a water stain on the ceiling?
For each of these questions, there is only one right answer. 
I don’t know. Would you like the name of a specialist who can give you an answer?
To be more specific:
- Roof: I don’t know. Would you like the names of three roofers you could contact about inspecting the roof?
- Property Line: I don’t know. Would like the names of three surveyors who could determine the exact location of the property line?
- Brown stain on the ceiling: I don’t know. Would you like the name of a roofer or an inspection service to determine the nature of the problem?
In case you’re wondering what that brown spot could be other than water, I’ve seen several houses with brown spots on the ceiling that resulted from bee hives in the attic.
You Only Get One Chance to Make a Great First Impression
Did you know that people make a judgment about whether they will consider working with you in just a few seconds? This is usually based upon your clothes and your speech patterns.
As we continue to move from doing meetings virtually to conducting more of our business face-to-face, what is the most appropriate dress for the client base you serve?
The answer is to dress like how your ideal client dresses when he or she is at work. Unless your client base is totally into tattoos, nose rings, or totally over-the-top jewelry and clothing, it’s probably best to save those for after work.
In terms of what you say, avoid slang, profanity and discussing politics and religion. As Zig Ziglar says, you only get one chance to make a great first impression.
A Simple Strategy to Avoid Burnout
If you are feeling burnt out or are struggling with a major problem, psychologists recommend making a list of activities that you can check off. Burnout often results from being overwhelmed with too much work.
The most noticeable symptom is constant fatigue.
To break this pattern, every day identify the top three business things you need to do today to achieve your goals and the top three personal items that are essential to your well-being and those you love.
Next, keep track of what you accomplish rather than what you did NOT accomplish. Focusing on what you need to do each day to complete the next leg of your journey can reduce burnout while creating profound differences in your level of success.
Feeling Stuck? Here’s How to Get Unstuck
Procrastination is a major reason that people get stuck as well as being the greatest enemy of increased production. If you’re stuck, here’s a simple approach to getting unstuck.
To make sure that you always complete the top activities that give you the greatest return in your business, identify the three core activities you must complete to increase your production. Now here’s the secret: do them at the beginning of your day, preferably before noon before the chaos of the day takes over.
If you’re really stuck, choose one simple activity to get yourself in motion. A great choice can be calling your favorite past client to check in and say hello. Sometimes taking one or two baby steps can break the log jam of procrastination, and who knows, that past client may be ready to move or knows someone who does.
A Simple Way to Make Your Advertising More Effective
Many agents post photos and videos online to market their listings. Regardless of the type of photo or video you post, be sure that you include the location, your name, address, as well as several descriptions of what the video/picture contains. A search engine cannot “read” the visual content of a picture or a photo.
If you’re shooting a video, however, both search engines and other mobile devices can convert the audio portion of a video into searchable text. This simple step helps buyers scan your listings more rapidly as well as increase your search engine ranking.