Switch your [listing] pitch

So what do potential vendor’s really think of you? In most cases, you’re not the only agent they are courting. They are judging your presentation not only on its merits but each agent on their word. Ensure your first impression wins out with pitching secrets that make you the most appealing.

Like most of us, I enjoy the guilty pleasure of losing myself in non-intellectual television once I’ve switched off my laptop for the night. Lately, my wind-down drug of choice has been The Voice, where people belt out well-worn tunes in an attempt to get judges to turn their chairs around. If their audition goes well, all the judges want to coach them. The potential future superstars have the upper hand – they get to take their pick of experienced celebrity mentors.

One moment in the latest Australian season of the show that really got me thinking was when judge Ronan Keating tried to win a contestant to his team by listing the people he knew and his many achievements within the entertainment industry. Despite his past success, his pitch technique to the contestant just didn’t cut it. The amateur singer went with Jessie J instead of him.

Image source: The Voice Australia, 9jumpin.com.au

The moment of truth

So what did Ronan miss, that Jessie had down pat in her coaching pitch? There’s no denying Ronan is an experienced musician and mentor. In his coaching pitch, he reminisced about the time he busked with Bono plus pointed out to the contestant that he was wearing a similar t-shirt and owned the same guitar as the talent on the stage. Conversely, Jessie J and Delta Goodrem were speaking more directly to contestants, saying things like “I want you to enjoy this”, “I love digging deep into what you want to achieve” and “I want to be the catalyst for you to be the best version of yourself.” These pitches were winning contestants onto their teams.

In the end Ronan seemed to get the picture. He stopped talking about his own fabulous credentials, “dropping names” as he put it, and started rethinking his pitches to get the best singers to train with him.

Watching this unfold really hit home to me how essential the right pitch is, no matter what industry you’re in and no matter how qualified you are.

First impressions count

Beyond the physical first impression that you give, the first verbal exchange you have with a potential client will have them deciding in seconds if they want to continue to deal with you.

You need to appear friendly and relatable to build that vital ingredient – rapport. Most importantly, however, your potential client needs to leave the conversation convinced that you’re the right person to help them with exactly what they want to achieve.

You might not be as recognisable as Ronan Keating but as Keating himself found, it doesn’t matter how successful you have been in the past if you don’t share insights as to how you are going to be on their side moving forward.

Bragging = boring

Think about when you meet a successful businessperson at a networking event. Even if they have had a remarkable career, have travelled the world, dined with the rich and famous and own their own superyacht, if this is all that they talk about you find yourself looking for the nearest exit.

The most interesting people are the ones who explain a little about themselves and then take an interest in you. That’s what keeps the conversation going. When you’re meeting people, once you have told them a little about yourself, they’ll find you more appealing if you explain what you can potentially do to help them.

The past achievements of yours that people care most about aren’t how successful you are personally but how you have helped other people. For example, if you’re a real estate agent getting to know a potential vendor, you can share details of how you achieved better than market results for your last few clients. Talk about clients that were going through a similar life change as them and they’ll be able to more easily envisage how you can help. You’re still sharing your positive attributes, but in a way that lets potential clients gain an understanding for your aptitude and ability to serve their particular needs.

Is it time to switch your listing pitch?

The most tried and tested technique of marketing any product or service is to define your customer’s problem and express how you can provide a solution.

First things first, when you approach any new real estate listing presentation first get to know the person you are pitching to. Learn something about them, find out what motivates them and identify the specific problem or life change that you can help them solve.

Once you have that information, you can share your own personal story. Make sure it demonstrates that you have the knowledge, the experience and the ability to give your new client a positive and successful outcome.

It’s not about you, it’s about them

This is the simple truth.

First and foremost, your clients are thinking about themselves and their own needs. They don’t need every specific statistic about the 1500 properties you have sold in six years or the total value of those sales. These numbers are big but meaningless to them. Those stat’s are more relevant to your industry peers i.e. fellow real estate professionals. Vendors are more interested in having a stress free sale that put’s the most money in their pocket for their next life adventure.

Pitch with this in mind and you’ll be on track to career success and notoriety as good as any reality TV judge. Failing that, you could always audition for The Voice!

Want help defining your own unique selling proposition? Contact me for a free 1 hour phone chat, where I will review your online profiles and give you on the spot tips.

Written by Melanie Hoole

My team and I specialise in helping real estate and property professionals perfect their personal brand, build a first-class digital profile and implement inbound marketing activities to attract leads. If you are unsure which direction to take with your digital marketing contact me for help.