The Tension Between Being Scripted Versus Free Wheeling
In the real estate coaching and training world, there has forever been the debate between those that believe the only way to success is by strictly following scripts versus those that believe that you must strive to build rapport and personal relationship. I've never understood why there needs to be a debate at all because both are not only necessary but also natural components of any real estate sale. Those that follow scripts, inevitably and naturally begin to make adjustments that drift towards listening to rapport building, while those that are successful at building rapport are following a repeated pattern like a script.
How A Formulaic Outline Helps Your Focus
Therefore, with either approach, you're following a formulaic outline. Before you rail against this statement take a beat and think about anything that we do in life; we typically follow routines whether or not you are doing so consciously or subconsciously. However, in a business context, if you want to scale your business, you must begin to extract your process into a written formula. The primary reason for writing down an outline or checklist-based process is so that you can gain more leverage over your time. The more precise the process, the less time is taken to execute. Furthermore, if you want to add people, it's exponentially more effective if you can teach them your formulas rather than hope they will bring you a great effort.
Why You Should Discover & Rediscover What's Motivating Your Prospect
Once you have outlined your formula that you'll follow to help sellers and buyers, you should have yourself an overview of the process that simple enough to explain and be understood. However, the most critical starting point for any great formula is to ensure that there's a step that focuses on discovering what is motivating your seller or buyer. Asking the simple question, "Why are you making this move?" set's you up to help your prospect stay focused on why your formula gives them the best chance to achieve their goals. Simply put, it takes the pressure off of you to oversell your plan and stick to your formula in the way that they can achieve their goal.
How To Move Towards A Clear Closing
Once your plan is in place, you must remember the reason that you're following a formulaic approach. The simple reason is that you want the prospect to come to their own conclusion that you are the right person for the job. However, many agents that follow a script too strictly often don't allow the prospect to fully express themselves and often push too hard for the outcome only to lose the opportunity. Others that push for rapport too hard also run the risk of not listening enough and fall off track only to forget to close. Ultimately, you must remember to ask for the deal once you have fully listened and ensured them that your formula is a safe and sure direction.