After frequent and sometimes embarrassing attempts to follow-up prospects, you finally caught the attention of one.
You likely felt a surge of excitement for the opportunity but not long after that, you suddenly felt nervous.
You probably start overthinking on what outfit to wear, ideas to present, and the more daunting part of any sales appointment: how to handle client objections.
The truth is, you don’t have to feel that way.
If you prepare enough, you can show up in that meeting looking as if you’ve done it countless times.
We sized down 11 proven ways that new agents can do to prepare for sales meetings. Read along:
1. Do your homework about the client.
With a quick Google search, you can see if the prospect has legit claims about who he says he is. LinkedIn can be a powerful source for identifying business professionals. Meanwhile, company owners who don’t use social media are often times featured on their company websites and news articles.
Be careful though with prospects with no relevant Google results. Some high-profile individuals prefer not to disclose all their personal information. Instead, they go by alternative names that they give to strangers.
2. Confirm within at least 24 hours prior to meeting.
Call or e-mail to confirm a client meeting within 24 hours before the scheduled meeting. And then shoot a quick text 1-2 hours before to give them a heads up that you’re on the way. Same is the case should you arrive a little earlier.
Last-minute events and business engagements spring up at random times during the day for the busy professional. So they would appreciate your initiative and you won’t have to wonder yourself on their whereabouts.
3. Prepare a one-page Sales material in print.
Fire up MS Office and make a quick yet comprehensive compilation of all the important details about the project that you will be presenting.
As an added tip, don’t forget to bring a pen you can use during presentation or taking down notes.
Remember back when you were a child, you were transfixed to your teacher’s hand movements in the board during lessons? Such concept never left us even as a grown up.
When presented with new ideas, humans are visual creatures and have the tendency to remember ideas more when spelled out.
Meanwhile, the one-pager does the trick of leaving behind something your prospect can review later on.
4. Bring a Booking Form/Letter of Intent.
If you’re in a Sales position, that means you’re helpful as well as hopeful.
The problem with some agents, they’re not as confident to ask for the sale. A couple of reasons might be because of shyness, not truly believing in the product or the worst kind, they simply did not come prepared.
When you show up for a meeting with the intention to help clients land their dream homes whether they’re buying or renting, you must remain hopeful to seal the deal.
Being a real estate agent is not charity and how to win friends. It’s about how to win deals and you must always be prepared for that outcome.
5. Stay updated on current economic affairs.
Being on top of current affairs not only make you a well-informed citizen, it gives you an opportunity to form an opinion that you can share with your conversations with your prospects.
You don’t have to be always agreeable to potential clients. But you will leave an impression if you express your insights on matters about the property market.
6. Study about the technical aspects of the project you’re selling, its neighbourhood and its competitors.
In an ideal world, a prospect gently asks you with questions about the building amenities, unit floor area and total price in cash then voila, you got yourself a deal. Bonus if you laugh at each other’s jokes and pop open a bottle to toast the new venture.
But you’re not wrong to feel nervous. In the real world, prospects could start brigading questions that sometimes even a politician running for city mayor may not even remember answers for.
Some clients can be demanding. They will ask you about the nitty-gritty details of the home, its surroundings and viability of the property as an investment.
So it’s advisable to be knowledgeable not only about project details per se. But also with the proximity of the project to public transportation and presence of prominent establishments nearby.
It would also work in your favor to be updated about your competitors new developments. Set up press releases alerts to make it easier to draw a fair comparison to what you are selling.
7. Be knowledgeable about taxation and property costs.
It’s simple memorization to know the building height of the residence. And you can consult the developers on the advantages of mortgage over cash payment term for off-plan properties.
When it comes to real numbers in real estate, taxation, buying/selling costs and miscellaneous fees take significant roles.
So for new agents, do your research about the apartment’s association fees, professional fees and property management fees. Also keep a reference of any amendments on zonal values and local taxation laws of the area you’re selling.
8. Decide on your outfit the night before so you don’t stress about it in the morning.
In this workwear article, it’s said that real estate agents must make themselves presentable enough to secure a good first impression.
If you’re new in the game, you’d want to give time in deciding what to wear during your sales meetings. By crossing off this challenging task from your morning routine, you can focus instead on getting a nice shower and grooming.
Or better yet, you can practice your elevator pitch in front of the mirror as you’re getting ready.
9. Look out for weather and traffic updates days before.
In some cities, there are certain districts that are more concentrated during particular hours of the day/week. It’s your job to gain idea of the average travel time so you can give allowance if it’s somewhere unfamiliar.
In some cases, roads are blocked due to construction or accidents which may require you to find alternative routes, so Google, Citymapper or Waze can be your friendly source for that.
Punctuality is a very important factor that clients look out for people they do business with and you don’t want to ruin your chances because you were caught in traffic while soaking wet from the heavy rain.
10. Ask your supervisor to conduct an oral revalida or role play with a colleague.
They say the more you know, the better you become at something.
But in my books, this guiding principle has proven to be more practicable: the more mistakes you make, the more you can learn how to correct them.
So for new agents, don’t be afraid to approach your boss or colleague to assess everything you’ve learned so far. Ask for advice.
Role playing is a great example since the outcome of the practice retains with you, improve your results and won’t put you in a position begging for a do-over with a client.
11. Make it a goal to arrive first in the meeting.
Not being late is good but having arrived first and patiently wait for your client is commendable. Not only does it give you the upper hand to observe the opposing side, you have time to calm down your nerves.
While waiting, you can harbour your inner Mary Kay Ash who is about to crush her meeting with a client.
Though sometimes it happens the initial meeting with a prospect is not appropriate for a sales call. That’s okay.
If you follow this advice, you will land yourself a second and third meeting with a client. By that time, you have a better understanding of what he/she wants and have more to offer.
Everything might be easier said than done. So in order to become good at handling client meetings, you need to build consistency. As a new agent, you need prepare until it becomes your habit.
With good habits, come a good reputation. And the kind of reputation you want if to last in the business is not that of a newbie. But rather one that says you’re a reliable and trustworthy real estate agent.
READ MORE: Simple and Effective Sunday Reset Routine of Successful Agents
What are the 3 habits you usually do when preparing for a Sales meeting? Share them in the comments below.
