How can you sell when you don’t know the Product?

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day, and they asked me “How can my agent sell my house, when they don’t know anything about it?”  On further questioning she informed me that the agent never asked any questions about her home and when questioned replied, ‘I’ve sold similar properties to this before and actually a couple on this road so I know the houses’.  Now my friend found this arrogant but also insulting – was he saying that her home was the same as everyone else?  Needless to say she didn’t instruct the agent, but this got me thinking about product knowledge.

I know my story is a common one, as how many of your team when asked would say they honestly knew the product they were selling?

Show your Product Passion

Ask a furniture maker about a piece they have created, they will be able to tell you everything with such passion that you know he loves wood. Loving property is surely why you are in this business, isn’t it?

We sell houses; they are our product, our income, our business.  So why do we take so little time getting to know them?

The best sales people get results because of their knowledge, because they listen and take time to build relationships.  They consistently prepare and plan for every meeting and always strive to do better.  As a result they make more sales.

We talked about tips in my last post, Vendors are not your Sales People, how to prepare for viewings.  Just as you prepare for a viewing you need to prepare, research and learn about what you are selling.

The market appraisal is the best time to start building the valuable client/agent relationship and is the best way to discover their home.  What does the client think are the best parts of their home?  Do they have a best spot for the summer?  Is the view better from a particular window?  Remember the time of day and weather conditions may not give you the best impression.

Tell the Story

Every home has a story to tell and it’s your job to sell that story to potential buyers.  A staged home is selling a lifestyle, now the lifestyle needs a narrative.

“The owner loves this spot in the garden as it has the sun in the early evenings.  She told me that when she comes home from work she grabs a glass of wine and sits here to watch the sun come down.  I’m not surprised with that view it’s a perfect spot.  Did you know that you get the same view from the master bedroom?  How wonderful it must be to wake up to that every morning.”

You want to be the best? Prove you are the best.  Know your product, tell it’s story, build relationships and you will reap the rewards.