Home > Blogs > Gary Woltal > Gary Woltal's Blog

Understanding When Someone Tells You MAYBE What That Means

By Gary Woltal

Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty 0575737

March 28, 2011 07:05 AM

WHAT DOES A MAYBE MEAN??????

There are not all that many ABSOLUTES in life. Sure in laws of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Spiritual Laws of right and wrong. But since all other times we live in such GREY AREAS you have to play the odds with what things mean and go with trends or empirical evidence. Take the word MAYBE. You should

Understand When Someone Tells You MAYBE What That Means.

I will frame this in the business world but it can be extended to your personal relationships as well but it is more dependent on really knowing that particular person for a good period of time if a maybe really is a maybe or tilts much more positive to a yes more often, or negative toward a no more often.

In the business world a MAYBE means a NO!!!

I would venture to guess looking at the pie chart, the percentage of times it is a NO is a whole bunch. You leave the listing appointment and they say they maybe will work with you. You set up a meeting with someone at the coffee shop and maybe they tell you they will attend. You ask a colleague if they will attend your training class you are giving and they say maybe. You have an Open House this Sunday and one of your prospective buyers you call and say this house would be perfect for them and why don't they swing by and see it? They say "MAYBE."

Guess what? MAYBE in all those cases is as firm a no as them saying the no right to you. Fact is they don't want to hurt your feelings, be confrontational, or just let you know they would rather play golf that day, see a movie, or they have much better uses of their time then to give you a YES. With a listing they have already ruled you out cause you priced their house correctly but the part time REALTOR says they can get $20,000 more or their Uncle Harry was going to list the house from the beginning and they were just "checking" with you since you were a nice fellow or you were the pretty REALTOR they found on the web who has been selling all those houses in Charlotte.

Remember, MAYBE is NO, and the way you get to a YES is stay with the conversation, do not accept maybe, get a YES (or a NO), tell them your feelings won't be hurt, pile on more evidence of why a COMMITTED yes is a great decision, and decide WITH THEM, even if it is a no. Get away from maybe's and you won't be disappointed so much with your expectations.

You as the one wanting a YES decision are just as wishy washy as them if you accept maybes. Remember the pie chart above about what a MAYBE turns into. I have given you your decoder ring now, so don't remove it and fall back into your old ways. LOL.

Re-Blog

Featured

Comments(48)

Comment

Show All Comments

Sort:

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Sharon: A true person I will never figure out. Maybe I will flip a coin with you LOL.

Hella: I see what you mean where you can't get away with that with people close to you cause they know you. With clients you can keep working with them "up to the point" of pressuring them then you have to back off.

Elisa: I think you are a Funny Bunny LOL.

Barbara: You are just deflecting confrontation or not wanting to hurt feelings like the rest of us. Welcome to the club LOL.

Robert: Right on back at ya : )

Patricia: Well it could go either way NATURALLY or get stuck at maybe but in business I tell you it seems like it falls into the No category a lot. Test it in your own life, you will see.

Mar 28, 2011 02:44 PM

Linda Humphrey

Humphrey Home Connections Realty, Reno, Nevada - Reno, NV

CRS, Broker/Owner HHC Realty

Anyone that has ever been a parent (or a network marketer) knows exactly what "maybe" means. It means go away happy and hopefully you'll forget about this. Reminds me of the Japanese, who, I am told, don't have a word for "no" in their language because they consider it rude. That could be an old wives tale, I certainly don't speak Japanese, but it sounds plausible. Deep down, I think most of us are nonconfrontational.

Mar 28, 2011 03:06 PM

Carla Freund

Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC

NC Real Estate Transition & Relocation 919-602-848

Gary - Doesn't Maybe mean, "Talk me into in"? That's what my kids think. And to be honest, if my husband says maybe to me, I see that as a window of opportunity. So, yes, if we hear a Maybe, that probably does mean "no" until we either give them more information or talk them into it. We just have to decide if we want to spend the energy to talk them into it or if talking someone into something is the right thing to do.

Mar 28, 2011 03:33 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Linda: The nonconfrontational side of us also shows up when a salesperson in a department store asks if they can help us and we say we are just looking. I did not know that about the Japanese with no use of no.

Carla: I agree don't be manipulative but keep the dialogue going. Excellent point you make.

Mar 28, 2011 03:40 PM

Michelle Francis

Tim Francis Realty LLC - Atlanta, GA

Realtor, Buckhead Atlanta Homes for Sale & Lease

Gary,

So very true! I agree that maybe is the nice way of saying no. Learning what's important to our clients and helping them communicate that with us is critical!

Thanks for the decoder:-)

All the best, Michelle

Mar 28, 2011 04:00 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Michelle: You have your decoder ring, but it sounds like you already know about people's niceness to us with their maybe's.

Mar 28, 2011 04:20 PM

Sidney Kutchuk - Realty Works Temecula Kutchuk - Realty Works Temecula

Realty Works Temecula - Temecula, CA

Realty Works Temecula

Gary: I think that absolutely positively maybe you're right.

Mar 28, 2011 04:24 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Jane: You guys are so funny that MAYBE I am right. You're killing me here. I am a astute observer of human nature. Well at least I can produce pie charts LOL.

Mar 28, 2011 04:28 PM

Matthew Desaulniers

Welcome Home Realty - Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix Real Estate - 602-845-9440

Sooooo trueee

Mar 28, 2011 04:29 PM

Mel Ahrens, MBA, Kelly Right Real Estate

Kelly Right Real Estate - Hood River, OR

Customized Choices for your Real Estate Needs

I use "maybe" all the time with my kids. It means I need to think about it when I have more time. That is not the message you want to give in business.

Gretchen

Mar 28, 2011 04:37 PM

Stacey Smith

Keller Williams Realty - Aliso Viejo, CA

Your Orange County Beach Cities Realtor

Your blog reminded me of one of my favorite songs.. Hope you enjoy it to.. I am a straight shooter a direct question deserves a direct answer.. Yes or No.. and anything other than a yes.. Most of the time means no!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYAYE7Ods3k

Mar 28, 2011 05:58 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Matthew: Glad you see it that way.

Mel and Gretchen: Thinking about it in business is a big stall, something you don't want to hear, cause NOTHING happens.

Stacey: Very catchy tune, and perfect song, Maybe pretty much always means no, to illustrate it.... THANKS!!! I should have just written a song instead of a blog. Good pick!!!

Mar 28, 2011 06:18 PM

Gita Bantwal

RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA

REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

Thank you for the post. I really did not think that 'Maybe' meant 'NO. '

Mar 28, 2011 11:57 PM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA

Put 40 years of experience to work for you

I could not live in a world of "maybes." I think it would drive me nuts. Can you imagine a short sale bank saying, "Maybe we'll honor our approval letter, maybe not." Or a seller saying, "Maybe I'l list with you, maybe not." With "maybe people," I say: do it or don't do it but get out of my face.

Mar 29, 2011 02:39 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Gita: You now have your decoder ring <smile>

Elizabeth: I am glad MAYBES infuriate you too, cause then we can get off the dime and figure out what's really going on and move forward.

Mar 29, 2011 03:35 AM

Richie Alan Naggar

people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA

agent & author

I operate very well under the YES...NO or I DON'T KNOW banner......I haven't heard or used maybe since my honeymoon...

Mar 29, 2011 03:53 AM

Mike Frazier

Carousel Realty of Dyer County - Dyersburg, TN

Northwest Tennessee Realtor

Gary, sounds like we need to press until we get either a yes or no, not a maybe.

Mar 29, 2011 04:07 AM

Gabrielle Kamahele Rhind

KGC Properties LLC, Tucson Property Management & Real Estate - Tucson, AZ

Broker/Owner

GOOD MORNING GARY! Oh yes - I learned as a kid that every time my parents said "maybe" they meant no. Yes or no is a much better answer - it takes the weight off the person who says maybe because it's over, and it takes the wondering and hoping away from the person waiting for an answer!

Mar 29, 2011 04:28 AM

Jim Poole

Tampa, FL

Zero Down, USDA Purchase Loans, FHA 203(K) Rehab & VA Streamline Loans

I've learned that to survive in this business we all have to be motivators of men. We can't force anyone to drink the water but we need to get them to it in order to have any hope that they will.

Mar 29, 2011 04:28 AM

William Johnson

Retired - La Jolla, CA

Retired

Hi Gary, Great advise. I am working with a non committal buyer. I asked him this morning if he liked the property that we discussed writing an offer on. He said he was still very interested. I proceeded to probe. I told him I thought he should give up thinking about about that one and we should look for something else that he would feel more certain about. He seemed relieved and re-invigorated that I forced him to say to no to the property in doubt. Better than sitting around wondering and missing other good opportunities. It is obviously not the right property.

Mar 29, 2011 05:52 AM