You know how it is. You employ a new enthusiastic negotiator, they’ve not worked in sales or lettings before, they’re really keen to learn and hang on to your every word, when you tell them how you want them to do the job.
Nothing is too much trouble. It’s not long before they’ve tied up their first deal and off they go. Within two months of starting, they’re top of all of your performance leagues.
They’re achieving the best deals and they’re embarrassing all of their more experienced colleagues with their cross-sales and referrals. Nothing seems to stop them. Why can’t all of your negotiators be like her/him?
Fast forward
Roll forward nine months and they’re now an “experienced” member of your team. Well on their way to becoming an “expert”. You can rely on them much more, they can capably handle things that used to scare them. They don’t need to come and ask you how to organise things every five minutes. However, the deals have dried up.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re still producing the same results as most of their peers, but that’s the point – they’ve become average. The number of viewings that they produce is much lower than it was, more often than not they return from a viewing without an offer, objections to cross-sales seem now to be getting in the way.
It must have been beginners’ luck.
Someone told them it was difficult
Why did it happen? Why does it happen so often? Why does it happen to so many people?
The truth is this. When someone starts in our profession they know nothing. Unlike all of the other “experts” in the office, they can’t tell a time-waster by the way they walk or the way they talk. They can’t tell whether or not someone would be interested in viewing a property just by looking at the address and the applicant details.
They certainly have a lot to learn from their experienced colleagues before they’ll be able to decide how quickly to respond to an email just by looking at the way it’s written.
The poor lambs! In this naive, inexperienced state, they have no choice than to talk to every prospect in exactly the same way. No choice but to overcome every objection with the same persistence every time. No choice but to close for an offer using the same old technique. In other words, doing it as they’ve been told. Doing it the way that you want them to.
But then something happens. As my first boss (hello Gerry Fitzjohn) used to say, admiringly observing a new negotiator going about their business of setting new records … let’s hope no one tells them that this job is difficult!!
The fact is that we all know that, over time, we end up doing business with one person in twenty, or thereabouts. When we first start, because we don’t know any different, we speak properly to every one of the twenty and – surprise surprise! – one of them does a deal. Then we get to be an expert – or someone tells that we should be.
Suddenly, we develop the skill of being able to spot the one in 20, so we don’t need to bother talking properly to the other 19. Then we wonder why the deals dry up.
Estate Agency is a contact sport. If we don’t “contact” everyone then we never find the one in 20.
Finally . . .
Finally, this week, can I just say to Ben Quiney of Audio Agent, Adrian Gill of LSL and Graham Bell of Countrywide, how much I hope that Sunday lunchtime proves thoroughly miserable for you and all others of your persuasion.
* Bob Scarff is former director of estate agency at Countrywide, and is now an industry consultant with several business interests, including Callwell
Editor’s note: We didn’t understand the somewhat mysterious last paragraph in Bob’s piece – but do now!
You may be able to offer an interpretation, in which case Bob is offering a prize for the first correct answer, and another prize for the most amusing wrong answer. Responses today, please! The second link is to a very short survey which Bob would appreciate readers answering.
I suspect Bob’s comment relates to a small football matter of Blues v Villains. As a Mad Hatter, I’m far more interested in Luton Town winning at Notts County.
Good article by the way.
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As Bob is a massive Birmingham City fan one can only conclude from his final comments that Messrs Quiney, Gill and Bell support Aston Villa. One of the fiercest rivalries in football will be battled out come midday on Sunday, this one being all the spicier as ex-Blues boss Steve Bruce has recently joined Villa as their manager. Like Julian O’Dell, my footballing interests lie elsewhere this weekend. I will be travelling to Cambridge with my three sons to hopefully watch the mighty Pompey overturn the U’s.
Back to Bob’s article, a very good read. On a similar subject to Bob’s theme, this is why children make such good sales people. They never take no for an answer, especially when they want that ice cream or packet of sweets 🙂
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This reads exactly like the work of someone up in an ivory tower and not doing the actual labour required at the coalface and probably ignorant of the situation on the coalface.
Is this a call for a high staff turnover? Because nothing holds work up more than having to constantly start things from scratch.
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Hi Mark,
You and I have never met, have we?
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Nope.
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I thought so……..
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http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/two-directors-at-countrywide-quitting-without-explanation/
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I have met you , and was not impressed ! Trying to re-invent yourself with a PR company ?I have read your ‘ Bobs Blogs ‘ LOL .
You destroyed our brands in London with your ill-informed cronies . And the boring old …’.Bob is a Birmingham supporter.’..give us a break ! Alison saw your worth , and took the appropriate action . Enjoy your Bentley with your personalised plates , but in my mind , you have nothing to offer Estate Agency in the modern day ! Up Villa !
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Stunningly good article Bob. 100% spot on. I’m sure you’ll agree that the best agency clients to consult for are those who do not come from an agency background. You just can’t hold ’em back. Have a great weekend and hope you’ve finished (started) your speech for the Conference on Tuesday! Which reminds me…
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This comes down to having the opportunity to talk to people.
Emails are fine but a good chat to an applicant or potential vendor is streets ahead of an anonymous, automated response. If you don’t talk to people you will never know what their motivations are , what they will and will not do and what they will compromise on.
That’s why new ‘negs’ are successful, because their days are uncluttered by the other ‘stuff’. Give them twenty applicants to call and let them get on with it. They will find the one who wants to do business.
We have gone through a period when it has been quite possible to be order-takers because so many people wanted to view the same few properties and most would offer. We now need to become proper agents again , to qualify buyers and motivate sellers; to make changes and negotiate deals. Even – (good grief!) persuade a seller to reduce their asking price.
I don’t believe that agents will always need to be on the High Street but when we stop actively looking for the ‘one in twenty’ we might as well shut up shop.
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