NO FEAR! Young people use that phrase often, but it turns out that they have more fear than older folks do.
There is a lesson here that we can apply to our selling technique, so don't stop reading just yet.
The older we get, the more opportunities we have had to experience fearful events. The more times we are exposed to an event, the less fear we experience, so it just follows that older folks are less fearful in general. That doesn't mean that they (older folks) will not be afraid of falling, or other such events, as they become quite aged...that's another study.
Studies have shown that: As compared to older people, younger people reflect longer on negative events. I've noticed that we (real estate agents) spend more time trying to calm older folks when in fact it is the younger folks who need the comforting. Older folks are much more calm and are not motivated by fear as younger people are. Surely, you have been witness to this. Have you ever warned an older person about another potential offer coming in on a home that they were thinking about - that they may lose it, if they don't act now? Your comment was meant to motivate them into action, but instead it backfired. They more than likely stated - calmly "that's ok, we'll find another home". They are just not motivated by fear in that way.
When selling to older folks it is a far better approach to emphasize the positive outcomes of a choice. In the above example, we emphasized the negative outcome...losing this home if they don't act. Emphasizing the positive outcome instead...if you act now, we should be successful in getting this home, is more effective.
Finding out about your buyer's life experiences can help you determine their level of risk and fear. The fear of losing...losing money, losing identity, or just plain losing against an opponent, is very motivational.
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