By Jerry Bresser

One of the most counter-productive activities I have ever witnessed is a broker, manager or (egads) a trainer telling two new agents to practice making listing presentations with whatever comes into their heads. Practice makes habits. Habits can be either good or bad. And there are degrees of good and bad. Kinda bad or kinda good is still imperfect.

It’s not enough to know about something. You must speak with precise words if you want your prospect to react in your favour.

When you hear or see a phrase or sentence that will help you get a listing , or a better price or a higher commission, commit it to memory and practice it until comes out of your mouth exactly right and instantly.

Here’s an example for times when a seller wants you to give a discount on your listing commission: “Discount commissions are offered by desperate agents who don’t know how to negotiate … for themselves … or for you.”

Self testing your presentations: Situation: you just made a listing presentation and didn’t get the listing; or spoke to a FSBO who decides to keep trying on his own; or made a pricing presentation and the sellers still want to overprice it; or (one more) made a commission presentation and the sellers still decided they will only pay a discounted commission.

Ask yourself – honestly – would you quit being a FSBO or would you list with yourself or lower the price or raise the commission based solely on what you just said?

Solution: Compile a personal “language book” of questions to ask, points to make, things to say to convince sellers to quit being a FSBO or list with you  or list at the right price or pay a full commission. Memorize them and practice them so you have the right words to say when the time arises.

Keep listing prospects focused on their goal. Every seller wants the same three things: The most money, the quickest sale and the fewest problems.

You can put it as a question: “Is it fair to assume that you want the most money, the quickest sale and the fewest problems?”

Or you can make it a statement: “What you want is the most money, the quickest sale and the fewest problems, isn’t that right?”

You can also build the phrase into another thought to make a great test question. Suppose you have just presented a CMA and shown the prospects several recent sales, several current well-priced listings and a couple of expired or reduced listings. When the sellers look up from the CMA, ask: “Folks, do you want the most money, the quickest sale and the fewest problems?” They will always say yes.

Then say, “The best way to do that is to price your home right in the first place. Does that make sense?” Most sellers will say yes again. Finish with: “Based on the information I have just given you, what price do you think will get you the most money, the quickest sale and the fewest problems?”

Remember, it’s their house. They have the right to decide. In fact, it’s their job, their responsibility, to pick the price.

Jerry Bresser has been training and coaching real estate agents how to sell homes faster and for more money for over 35 years. He recently published his second book, More Money In Your Pocket. www.jerrybresser.com or for information about the book, www.moremoneyinyourpocket.biz