Did a show in the SWS Virtual Studio last week about setting appropriate boundaries and expectations with clients upfront - walking that fine line between being the best thing to happen to your clients and... losing your mind! It's an imperfect balancing act, to be sure, but there ARE things you can do to minimize the likelihood of too much crazy-making!
As I explained in the first part of the show - a lot of it has more to do with YOUR attitude and expectation of what is reasonable and "normal." Once you've adjusted YOUR expectations and are committed to going with the flow more often, you'll find that your clients' behavior isn't nearly as frustrating and crazy-making as it used to be. Just because someone is different from you doesn't make them unreasonable or unusually demanding; in many cases it simply means they're DIFFERENT, but perfectly normal.
On the other hand, some people are crazy. Maybe not technically crazy, but their behavior IS outside the realm of normalcy and they are unreasonably demanding or critical. But many agents, especially new ones, don't realize this and beat themselves up for not being able to please these crazy people, even though, looking in from the outside, it's obvious they can't be pleased. When dealing with a crazy person who is driving YOU crazy, you may need to make a mercenary decision as to how likely they are to lead you to a payday - and fire or not fire accordingly. I can put up with a lot of nonsense if I'm pretty sure there's a payday for it in my future!
Anyway, at the end of the show, I asked the audience to tell me what they learned that was the most helpful to them. And here are the results!
Favoritest Tip #1: Ask, don't tell
Instead of telling your new clients what to expect from you, ASK them what they expect from you. Once they've said it outloud, it becomes their expectation. And most normal people will not demand unreasonable availability and response times out loud if they're asked. Say something like: "Bill, I'd like to talk about your expectations for me as to availability and responsiveness. For example, will you be okay if I'm with clients and can't return your call for a few hours? Or if I'm with my family on Sunday afternoon and don't get back to you until the evening? I just want to make sure I don't disappoint you."
Favoritest Tip #2: SHUT UP
If a client asks something of you that is unreasonable, respond respectfully, but briefly, and then stop talking. This is a fantastic strategy for declining monkeys.
Favortest Tip #3: Don't change your business model for crazy people
As mentioned above, some people are just crazy. In most cases, it's not necessary to change your business model just because a crazy person made your life hell for a few months. In other words, don't "punish" (and risk alienating) your perfectly normal future clients by setting off-putting ground rules unnecessarily. Most people will be respectful of your time and attention without being pre-emptively scolded about it!
Favoritest Tip #4: Different does not equal Difficult
As mentioned above, just because someone processes information differently from you doesn't make them difficult. For example, if a buyer needs more time than you think is reasonable to decide whether or not a house suits him, that's not wrong, it's just how his mind works (and you're not going to change him). So, be patient, be respectful, and let him do his thing, in his own time. When dealing with someone who is frustrating you - ask if they're truly unreasonable... or just different from you.
Other tips from the show:
- Ask a seller prior to listing: "What will you do if the house doesn't sell?" (What's your Plan B?)
- When things get difficult, STAY CALM. If you get antsy, your client will, too. And they'll become nervous and demanding.
- Don't apologize for not taking (or returning) after hours phone calls. Just return the call in the morning, no apologies, no defensiveness, no explanation. Many people call after hours not realizing they're not calling an office and don't really expect you to answer or respond.
- You can say NO. Just because someone asks doesn't mean you have to say YES. In most cases, a polite, respectful NO, with an alternative will be perfectly satisfactory.
- Let the buyer low-ball if he wants to. If he wants your opinion on offer price, he'll ask for it. If he doesn't, and you try to talk him up in price, he'll wonder if you're truly on his side. At some point you may decide to let him go, but don't try to persuade him to change his offer strategy.
Any other tips you'd like to share? Please do!
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