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SALES IS A PROFESSION
That means that just like an accountant, an attorney, a doctor, a surveyor; we are professionals. It is not a hobby, a past time, a job, or a way to make money. We are those who achieve the necessary expertise (education, training, specialty knowledge, and experience,) for the benefit of others. Similarly just as other professions would require services such as banking for attorneys or clinic management for doctors, real estate executives might also need an array of services to make their work easier. We serve clients, not customers. People who are trying to sell something to a person, deal with customers. We help clients accomplish whatever they want, safely and effectively, regardless of the product.
The word ‘professional’ is used often in real estate business names and in much agent advertising. It is a subtle acknowledgement we are aware that some (many?) in our industry are not professional and we want to differentiate ourselves from them. But adding a label does not make a professional.
I have yet to meet a realtor who all their lives aspired to become a realtor someday! Most of us came from other fields, other kinds of jobs, and often from dire circumstances hoping real estate could improve our lives. Most of us did not enter this field with professional sales training or experience. This is something I have sought to contribute to our Professional Cooperative from the beginning. When getting into this profession the use of sales training is an important factor and can be a great way for staff to learn more about what they need to do to bring in leads. Speaking of real estate lead generation, companies might want to look for software that can be Ideal for their agents, teams, and brokerages looking to increase their productivity. Such software can help in lead generation, CRM management, etc. Thus, businesses in real estate can be equipped with the necessary tools that can support and manage your data. This can be helped by using resources like https://www.fusecomms.com/simulations for training purposes, making it easier for staff to learn and connect with what they are doing.
So… if I say, “We are committed at Bella Casa Real Estate Group to Professional Sales Training”, what do you hear in that? I hope it is not that we are going to train you how to control and manipulate people to get them to do what you want them to do, which is spend more of their money and do it quickly so you can make more money! If you have seen the awful movie Glengarry Glen Ross you know exactly what I mean by that. I hope you hear that being a consummate professional means you become better at serving the needs of our clients.
PROFESSIONAL SALES IS A “SERVICE”
If you cannot handle the fact that this work makes you a servant, then you should get another career. This is not a popular perspective in our culture. Our work is not about us, it is about our clients. We cannot be motivated by what is good for us, we must always, without exception, be concerned for what is best for our clients. When you keep the client’s interest primary, you will end up being a distinguished professional and you will do well and you will find the financial reward satisfying. Customer satisfaction is the end goal to making good sales. If your employees are not yet accustomed to this fact, it may be a good idea to train them with the help of hansen beck or other similar training companies. Get the cart before the horse and you will go nowhere. Even if you start well, I can assure you that you will have a fall coming in your future and it will not be pretty!
Human nature is naive and prone to arrogance. Some people get into real estate and ‘get a name’ with their picture everywhere. With the notoriety comes swelling self-importance. “People need me; I have all the answers. They love me; I am the best; I am a rock star.” That is the beginning of the end. Your lack of humility will make you unteachable and undermine any skills you might develop. Your colleagues will wince when they have to work with you because you are condescending and a ‘know it all’ (but you do not). Your clients will spread the word that you are miserable to work with because at the very least they sense it. You will compromise and fall because your motivations will be wrong and The Oregon Real Estate Agency and the National Association of Realtors are ready to nail you and make you pay for your foolishness. You join the ranks of the past disgraced.
THE WORK OF SERVICE
As servants, we do the hard work. It is often grueling and intolerable. We routinely sacrifice for our clients and for the cause of excellence and integrity. This affects our lifestyles and interferes with our priorities; it causes stress and frustration and sometimes fear. It can cost us money out of our pockets.
We are not motivated by money alone, we are motivated by a job well-done and the satisfaction of knowing we protected our clients. We want to know we served them the best information, problem-solved for them, saved them from horrible things that can happen in real estate, and made the stressful and complex ordeal better for them. Being a servant is about making the client successful, satisfied, and pleased.
Our tag line is our commitment to them: Buy. Sell. Be Happy.
Almost anyone can be successful in real estate. However, the cornerstone of building your business is understanding and commitment to the reality that you are a servant. Get this wrong and there is diminished hope that you will be successful. Get this right first, and you are on your way to achieving success and wealth the right way.
Sincerely, Randy
Randy McCreith, Principal Broker Bella Casa Real Estate Group Direct: 503-310-9147 randy@thebellacasagroup.com