FRAMING IS IMPORTANT, SO WHY DON'T WE DO IT ALL THE TIME?
We all know that the way information is presented makes a huge difference in the success of our business We are in sales after all. We have to persuade sellers to list with us and buyers to work with us. However, we often don't take the same care in our day-to-day communications with our clients regarding the transaction side of our business.
We try to fit so many tasks in our day that breaking bad news to our clients becomes an unwelcome interruption to be dispatched as quickly as possible. We may get the bad news that an offer was rejected, a laundry list of inspection items is demanded by the buyer, or the a buyer has backed out. We have a fiduciary responsibility to inform our clients of this information in a timely fashion, so in the rush of our busy day we pick the phone and we drop the bare, naked bad news on their lap without any planning.
FOUR STEPS FOR DELIVERING BAD NEWS
I want to suggest that we take five minutes before picking up the phone to call our clients with bad news to plan our communications with them. I know this seems elementary and most of us do this most of the time, but if we can make this a habit that is automatic, the chances are better we will do this even when we are rushed and exhausted:
1) Get all the facts you can reasonably obtain before delivering the news. Think about the questions your client will ask when you tell them this information. In order to do that, you have to be able to get into your clients' head and both think and feel from their point of view. If you deliver the news and they ask you a dozen questions that you can't answer, they will feel that you didn't think about all the ramifications of this news.
Sometimes you have to deliver the news without having an answer to all their questions, but if you tell them upfront the questions you will be seeking answers to before they ask the questions themselves, then they will feel you are already on top of things. If you have the answers to some of their questions, they will feel even better. Of course, you have to deliver the news in a timely fashion, but sometimes a few quick calls will yield the information you need t
o verify the accuracy of the bad news and uncover
important facts about it.
2) Set the facts within a broader context. If the sale fell through then it's about the likelihood of getting another buyer at this price and within a certain timeframe given comparable sales and the current market. If it is an inspection item, then it is about the reasonableness of the request and the options for resolving the issue. Frame the bad news within a broader perspective that helps the client interpret the information accurately.
3) Understand your client's frame of mind. Our clients have ways of looking at the world. The information we give them will be interpreted in light of their own perspectives. Some clients will react emotionally and some will be calm and pragmatic. Think about your client's mindset as well as their situation. If a client has to sell for urgent financial reasons, the fall through of an expected sale will be more devastating than for someone who has no specific timeframe in which to sell. Adjust the framing of the bad news to include not just the broader context, but also the way your client will interpret the news given their mindset and circumstances.
4) Have a plan for next steps. Let your client know that you are a professional who understands their situation - both the emotions involved and the practical issues. You need to convey that you have the experience and expertise to guide them through this difficult time. Even if you don't have a plan for how to handle the situation right now, let them know a timeframe when you will get back to them with a plan.
BETTER RESULTS
Yes, you have a fiduciary responsibility to deliver bad news in a timely fashion, but you can take a few minutes to plan out your communication to your client. You are the intermediary between the negative information and your client. You need to think about how you will deliver the news to make the difference between a satisfied client who feels they are lucky to be in the hands of a caring, thoughtful professional or a dissatisfied one who won't be back as a repeat client in the future.
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