Are You a Rainmaker?
The most important success factor in real estate is having clients. This is more important than any creative marketing idea, social media strategy, new technology or organizing your business.
Don’t confuse a customer with a client. Simply put, it’s the difference between dating and marriage. It is your clients that pay for your salary, your retirement, and your vacations. We only survive in business because of our clients. The more of them you have, the better you are as a rainmaker.
Without exception, your primary job every day is to find and keep clients. If you view everything you do through this lens, it will have an immense effect on your success, your business and your income.
DAILY AFFIRMATIONS
In sales we need to remind ourselves every day of what is important, or we can easily get off course. Daily affirmations are a positive activity that ensures we start each day with the right attitude. Remember…our #1 priority is to get clients and keep them.
My suggestion is not to read your affirmations once, but to read them several times throughout the day, especially before you head out on a buyer or seller appointment, or whenever you run into a setback. I am down for anything that keeps me focused and gets me back on track.
Here are some examples:
- I am a real estate leader. Every day I will do and say things that contribute to my success.
- I treat my clients like they are my best friends.
- I thank each client sincerely and often.
- I always deliver exceptional value for my fees.
- I am a rainmaker. As such, I am acutely aware of the difference between socializing and selling.
- As a rainmaker, I always put my clients’ best interests above all else, except the law.
- I walk with an air of confidence, but I always have time to show others that I care (remember where you started and how hard it was).
THE BIRTH OF A RAINMAKER
So many salespeople get poor results when they prospect, so they get discouraged and give up. I want to give you the secret that will dramatically change the way you prospect. Never make a prospecting call unless you can answer this question:
”Why should a buyer or seller do business with me?”
Your conversation must be articulated in such a way that the buyer or seller clearly understands the benefits they get by working with you. And hopefully the benefits (plural) are unique to you, or at the very least you can articulate how your service is better than your competitors.
One of the success factors in real estate sales is “Are you available?” We work when most people have time off. We are expected to work nights, weekends and holidays. Simply put, we need to fit to the client’s agenda, not the other way around. If you think you can have success working 10-2 every day that is not going to happen.
A rainmaker makes clients feel good about their decisions. A rainmaker doesn’t just solve a problem for the client, they simplify the solution to make it easy for clients to make a move.
- Transactional agents talk FEATURES. A transactional agent would say “This location is perfect for you because it is closer to work.”
- Rainmakers talk BENEFITS. A rainmaker would say “This location is better than we expected. It will cut your commute time by an hour/day and over 5 days/week that is 20 hours a month that you can spend with your family, not to mention the wear and tear on your vehicle. I know that’s important to you. Wouldn’t you agree?”
The rainmaker answers the question of WHY the client should buy this house. It saves them time that they can reinvest with family (sensitive). It saves on vehicle fuel and maintenance (frugal). Your advice connects with the client both emotionally and logically. It lets them feel good about the decision because it makes sense. They want to buy, so give them logical reasons to support their emotional decisions.
If you want your clients to trust your advice, you must treat them like they feed, house and clothe your family. Treat them the way you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes. Treat your clients as if they were your best friends. Be patient. This is a big decision and they are nervous.
Chris Leader
President
Leader’s Edge Training