Tying the N.O.T.

I can't exactly remember where I first learned this. It was part of a training class I took once upon a time, but it stuck with me and I have used it on more occasions than I can count with a high level of success. In my humble opinion, it is the best approach to starting a meeting where you know that the other party is expecting you to sell them something.

Let's take your typical listing appointment, for example. You have a game plan. You might have even given the prospective seller a little expectation setting about the meeting in advance. Kudos to you on that if you did. Now you're there, in the living room, and ready to convince them that you are the best agent in the world and will sell their home in a mere matter of hours and for at least asking price. Right?

But, are you sure you want them as much as you want them to want you?

Seriously, are they the right client for you? We've all probably had a client that we regret. They were a giant time suck, created problems, and when you averaged it out, you probably made about $10 an hour once you got to closing. Time to incorporate tying the NOT into your listing presentation. The beauty of the NOT is that it makes the sales pitch a two way street and gives both parties an out without any hurt feelings.

Why would you want to give your prospective client an out at the very beginning of the presentation? Because it immediately lowers their defenses and puts them at ease with you.

NOT - Naturally, Obviously, Typically. It's a simple three step intro to the listing presentation that doesn't take more than about 45 seconds to complete. The result, however, is that it almost immediately puts the potential client at ease, lays out some expectations, and sets you up for success. Here's an example of how it might go:

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me this evening about selling your lovely home. Naturally, I'm sure you have a number of questions for me about the home selling process. Obviously, I have some questions for you about the house and also about your goals with the sale of your home. Typically this meeting takes about 45 minutes to an hour and, at the end, we will both have a pretty good idea if we are a good fit for each other."

Naturally, you are going to want to customize this for your clients based on your personal style. I, obviously, don't use that exact script every time. Typically, though, it goes something along those lines and works like a charm. It is a small, but easy to implement, set of statements that has a deep psychological effect on your prospective client. (See what I did there?)

Tie the NOT, get the client! Best of luck.