During one of my brief periods away from Active Rain I took the time to work on a project that took me 4 years to get right.  I perfected my listing presentation.  After 4 years in the business this idea had been rattling around in my head. 

I always left those listing presentation appointments with the same questions: How do I present all of this information in a succint compelling way so I can show the sellers the services I offer, and the value I add without their eyeballs rolling into the back of their head from boredom?  I was boring myself!

Here's the problem: All of the sales classes I've taken have taught "teach them the value before you talk about commission, or you'll lose everytime." If you compare me to the competition based solely on commission, I can't compete, but when you understand what you're getting for the money, you'll be willing to pay for me everytime!

But young professionals aren't interested in a long sales pitch, and the seniors I work with just want to know I'll get their home sold.  It took me a while to figure out  that the value is not as much in the marketing services I provide, but the interpretation of up to date market information and application of that data to a successful sale.  I've also learned I can't explain this skill to my clients-to-be, I have to SHOW them. I SHOW them through a conversational style presentation that gets to the heart of what they told me is important. I figure out the need and SHOW them the solution.  Empty blather about a long list of marketing services may or may not be important to them.

I finally found something that works for me, at least most of the time. An autorun PowerPoint presentation on CD.  Now I mail this out prior to my appointment, the consumer pops it into their CD player, and in 15 minutes they have a really good idea about the breadth of services I offer, and are also accustomed to hearing me talk since the CD is narrated by yours truly.  Of course, I have a backup plan that includes a brief outline I can go over in person and more information printed out they can review, but I will never again sit at a kitchen table and blather on and on about ME and MY SERVICES. 

Now when I get together with my clients-to-be my focus is on them, their goals, their concerns, their home, and correct pricing. 

My success rate before the Listing Presentation was 98%. I felt pretty good about that, because you can't win them all!  So far my success rate is still 98%. But what a different 98% it is!  The client's I'm not working with are the ones *I* chose not to work with because I didn't believe I could help them get their home sold at the price at which they wanted to sell it.

I'm very very happy with this new 98%!