How asking quality questions gets listings and makes customers into raving fans - Episode #196

All of us who work as real estate agents know that we’re supposed to ask quality questions of our customers. But do we really know what that means? I’m convinced that most of us don’t know how to do it. Why am I so convinced? Because I have been geeking out about this topic - studying it, reading lots of stuff about the quality of questions we can ask to help buyers move their decision along - and I’m telling you, this is powerful stuff. That’s not an exaggeration, it’s fact. On this episode of Agent Rise, I am going to walk you through the principles behind asking the right kind of questions and explain why it’s a vital skill for every agent to learn.

When you ask quality questions that lead a customer to share openly, everybody wins

Let’s consider the average listing appointment. As the listing agent, you’ve got lots to say right? You need to explain your process, inform the customer about what to expect, address legal issues, and more. But should you launch right into your prepared speech? Maybe a better question is this: Should you have a speech at all?

I suggest you learn to ask quality questions that get your customer talking - because when your customer talks, you have the opportunity to learn exactly what they are looking for. That provides the insight you need to serve them extraordinarily well. When you ask questions that get your customers talking, you can...

Determine their personality type - which tells you how to best communicate with them Learn their expectations - and get the opportunity to address concerns Set expectations - help your customers know how you plan to serve them Hear what NOT to do - from the past experiences they share with you

Asking the right kind of questions makes the conversation better, which leads to serving your customer better. All of that adds up to a really happy client, and we all know what ecstatically happy clients do - they refer others.

Assessment: In your last listing appointment, how much did you talk compared to your customer?

You may be doing a great job when it comes to asking the right kind of quality questions. But I’ve found that it’s easy to think you’re doing great when you really aren’t. How can you know? Here’s a quick way to get your finger on the pulse of how you’re communicating with clients…

In your last listing appointment, how much did you talk compared to the customer? Most agents I ask, say they talked 70% to 80%, to 90% of the time. If that’s you, you need to learn to ask better questions. When you are doing all the talking you don’t have time to find out the crucial things you need to know in order to set the stage for a supremely happy customer experience.

On this episode, I explain a little bit of how I avoid talking so much at listing appointments. My process focuses on doing the “talking” in bite-sized chunks the customer can digest - and NOT doing it all during the listing appointment.

People pay attention to the things you ask about

One of the most powerful things to know about developing the skill of asking quality questions is this: People pay attention to the topics that you ask questions about. When you know that, it opens the door to all kinds of opportunities to guide the conversation where you know it needs to go.

There’s another secret power of asking the right kind of questions and it’s this: The right kind of questions enable people to drop their guard and truly engage with you on a heart level. THAT is the kind of response you want because when you get your customers talking on that level, you’re going to find out all kinds of things that will help you serve them well.

And be sure you pay special attention to that last part - this is all about service. There’s no manipulation or coercion involved in what I’m talking about. Asking quality questions is you helping your customers let you help them. Read that last line again…. It’s a bit confusing but vitally important.

Ask the difficult questions to experience the biggest wins

Perhaps the toughest part of asking quality questions is that sometimes, they are the hardest questions to ask. Why? Because the places you feel tension in your interaction with a customer - or the subjects that the customer seems least eager to get into - are often the places where the greatest needs exist. And remember, your job as an agent is to meet your customer’s needs, to solve their problems. You can’t do that if they won’t talk about things.

So - you’re going to need courage to step into the awkward questions waters. You’re going to need to care about your customer more than you care about your own comfort. Serving people isn’t easy. It takes commitment, willingness to sacrifice to help them accomplish their goals, and willingness to wade into the waters that you know are the most troubled. But often, the greatest rewards come from those places.

Outline of this great episode [0:38] TOPIC: The quality of your questions determine SO MUCH! [3:09] My latest geek-out topic: Asking quality questions [8:20] The thought process behind asking the right kind of questions [12:20] You can experience a curveball when working with spouses [15:51] A challenge for you: Ask the HARD questions - they lead to big results [17:40] Knowledge only becomes powerful when you put it into practice

Recommended Resources

Easy Agent Pro - to get a website like mine (neilmathweg.com) go to www.easyagentpro.com/oj The Agent Marketer - to take your digital marketing to next level go to www.TheAgentMarketer.com To hear more great shows like Agent Rise visit www.industrysyndicate.com. Resources and Links mentioned in this episode Watch Masterclass “5 Steps To Building An Uncommon Real Estate Career”. It’s free. https://neilmathweg.lpages.co/agent-rise-masterclass/ To get my listing presentation tips, text “LISTING” to 44222 Join the Agent Rise Facebook Group (free) at www.Facebook.com/groups/agentrise  To learn more about coaching, go to www.neilmathwegcoaching.com If you want to see my website as a REALTOR in Madison Wi go to www.neilmathweg.com

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