Unintentionally Repelling Prospects #277

Elite Agents Real Estate Podcast with Debbie De Grote

Hello, welcome to Debbie's Daily Tips.

Today we’re talking about how we can actually, without meaning to, repel our prospects from working with us.

I know repel is a pretty strong word, am I right? And yet thinking about it, have you ever been in a situation where you met someone and their personality style, their approach, their method of communication, was so uncomfortable for you, so repelling for you — and quite frankly, they really weren’t doing anything wrong, they weren’t being rude, they weren’t being obnoxious, they were just being themselves. And so here is the challenge, we all have our personality style, our trades, our tendency, it’s just who we are, it’s the way we were born. And that can work for us, and it can also work against us.

So I’m going to use myself as an example. On the DISC, which you're welcome to take on our website if you haven’t done so already, free DISC assessment right there under the free resource tab. I am a 99% D, 99% driver.

So here’s the good thing about my personality, I get things done, I'm a person of action, I'm tough, I’ll prospect, I’ll do what it takes, I am aggressive in my pursuit of my goals and my business. But here is the downside. If I were to go into a seller’s home to list it and the seller is not that high-D personality, they are soft-spoken and quiet and a little bit withdrawn, if I don't dial it back, if I don't take it down a few notches, almost like turning a thermostat up or down, if I don't take it down, calm down, slow down, not be quite so hyper-aggressive, I will instantly repel that seller.

So I could potentially be the most qualified agent for the job, I could have tremendous integrity, be willing to provide outstanding service, and yet that disconnect in our personality styles and our method of communicating could be so strong that it prevents that seller from choosing me.

So think about the chameleon, right, that little lizard. You can put them on your shirt and he'll match your colors because he adapts to his environment. So that’s exactly how we want to be as a salesperson, chameleon-like. That doesn’t mean to be phony, that doesn't mean to be fake, it just means to be aware of your situation, to be aware of their methods and style of communication. And think about it like that thermostat, dialing it up or down to meet them where they’re at.

So sales versatility, I want you to watch the people around you this week that you're communicating with. Let’s take a look at who repels you and why. So, without judgment, is it just simply the fact that they are not communicating in the style that you are comfortable with?

There are a lot of great books on this topic - Instant Rapport by Michael Brooks, The Little Black Book of Persuasion, and I think the author is Rintu Basu.

So read up a little about it and also on our website, I think we have a lot of great little tips and tools for you, and again take your DISC assessment because the first step in creating sales versatility is knowing who you really are.

Alright, guys make it a great day and I’ll talk to you next on the Debbie's Daily Tip.