Getting Over the Fear of the Phone
By Bill Butler, RE/MAX Leading Edge Productivity Coach
Ok…today’s the day! Four and half months left in the year and I’m ready to finish the year strong! Time to finally hit the phones and find my next listing and buyer consultation!
Here we go! Now…who to call? I’ll call my beloved clients and ask them for referrals - perfect! Wait…I haven’t talked to most of them since the Sox won the World Series…the first time. Maybe I’ll send them a postcard first…yeah need to do that first, then I’ll call them…
FSBOs! Yes! Most FSBOs end up selling with an agent and I’m going to be that person….....ok…….well…the market is so hot right now and they’re all selling so they’ll be a waste of time.
Expired…Here we go! I know an agent who crushes these! Ok, how do I get their phone numbers? Most are unlisted…oh and I HATE getting calls from telemarketers…why would I want to be one of THOSE people?
…Oh I just got an email, better read it now…and Sally just commented on Fred’s post on Facebook? Gotta check that out! Oh and before I forget…it's lunchtime!
Sound familiar? Terrified of picking up the phone for fear of being ‘salesy’ or getting verbally assaulted? You’re not alone. The good news is, help is merely a small adjustment of your mindset away. It’s simply a belief in yourself and the value you provide.
We Have the Cure!
We’ve assembled the most powerful mindset elixirs proven to position your mindset to elicit the confidence you seek to pick up the phone and provide value!
Symptom: Fear of talking to past clients due to a lack of contact with them recently.
Elixir: You need to realize your past clients are NOT saying to themselves every quarter, “Where’s Bill? Why haven’t I heard from him?” I’m sorry, but you’re not that important to them! You need to call them today. You’ll most likely get a voicemail anyway…if so, leave this message or open the conversation by saying, “Hi (client name), it’s (first name) (last name) with (brokerage). It’s been so long…how ARE you/spouse/kids?! (Now provide value) Hey, I was thinking about you! Interest rates are so incredibly low right now…have you refinanced since you purchased? (no) You may be able to save a few hundred dollars a month…do you want to talk to my lender to see if it makes sense??”
Symptom: Sounding “sales-y” and being a bothersome telemarketer.
Elixir: This is where you need a major ‘check up from the neck up’ (per Zig Ziglar! - google him if you’re under 40 yrs old)! Look…If you don’t honestly believe that you can net a FSBO more money by listing with you vs. selling on their own, you may want to consider retiring or taking a serious look at your marketing plan. When calling expired listings, you need to OWN the belief that you are calling them to save them! Save them from themselves or from an unqualified prior agent. If their home didn’t sell in one of the most historically ‘hot’ real estate markets of all time, something went terribly wrong! Who is going to help them? You are!
You see, if you approach the phone with the mindset of ‘getting listings’ or ‘getting more sales’, you’ll sound just like the telemarketers that call and bother you.
Approach with an earnest problem-solving mindset for people who need your help and you’ll find rewards far beyond any paycheck could offer.
