SALES CLINIC
Ralph Roberts diagnoses your selling maladies

Roberts, a nationally recognized expert on real estate sales and marketing, is the author of Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman and 52 Weeks of Sales Success (New York: Harper Business). He’s also the owner of Ralph R. Roberts Real Estate Inc., Warren, Mich.

Pick and chooseSaying 'No' to Listings

Use these guildlines to decide when to take a pass on a listing.

BY RALPH R. ROBERTS

Q. After two years in the real estate business, I’m finally getting more listing clients than I can service efficiently. I’m not ready to hire an assistant, so I need to be selective in working with sellers. How should I communicate to potential clients that I can’t (or don’t have the time to) take their listing?

You should always be selective about which listings you take. Screen your listings carefully. Create accurate CMAs, and don’t be afraid to say “no” if the seller doesn’t want to be realistic about the market value of a home.

Also look at the salability of a home. Is it in a bad location? Is it a marketable home? Do you have cooperative sellers? You don’t want to develop a reputation for carrying hard-to-show or overpriced listings. If your homes are seen as hard to sell, other salespeople won’t show your listings.

If you go to a listing appointment and the sellers insist on a price you feel is unworkable, explain to them how you determined your estimate of fair market value and why you feel this price fits their home. If the sellers are inflexibile in price or you realize that this isn’t a home that you want to market for another reason, firmly let the sellers know that their home isn’t one that you can service properly. Explain that their home deserves a level of attention that you can’t provide currently because of your other commitments. Refer them to a salesperson who has less of a workload and can devote the necessary time and energy to sell their home. You may also be able to receive a referral fee from that salesperson.

Q. My company requires that I charge a processing fee to buyers and sellers to cover paperwork my closing department handles. How do you get sellers and buyers to agree to this additional fee on top of my regular commission?

I have a special form called a “Purchasers’, or Sellers’, Sale Addendum” that we have clients sign as part of every transaction. The form consists of a recap of some of the language used in a standard listing and purchase agreement and introduces the fee that my company will charge for processing the transaction. When I present the form, I focus on the extra services covered by the fee and the extra time I can devote to the transaction because I don’t have to spend time to completing the tasks and paperwork needed to close.. If you offer the best service and take special care of your customers, you should always be able to collect the fee without a problem.

Q. I’m owner-broker of a small real estate company. I’ve always believed that dressing for success and creating a positive, professional image are crucial in developing a following and getting your customers and peers to trust and respect you.

Currently, I have a several salespeople in my office who don’t think appearance is important and who continue to come into to the office looking unprofessional, even after one client wouldn’t work with a particular salesperson because of his unruly appearance. What’s the best way to get these sloppily dressed, poorly groomed salespeople to improve their appearances without insulting them?

When I first started in real estate, I didn’t think appearance was important. I wore gold chains with an open shirt. I always thought, as long as I was selling, it didn’t matter how I looked. I was the top salesperson in the office with more than100 listings. Finally, one day my manager called me into his office and fired me. He told me that I would never be successful because of the way I dressed and appeared to customers. I realized then that even though I was doing well in the business, I would do better by dressing the part and creating a more professional image.

The best way to teach your salespeople to dress the part is to lead by example. Always dress professionally. Since this doesn’t seem to be enough in your cases, create a dress code for the office that includes this guideline: If salespeople are coming into the office to conduct business, they should be dressed appropriately. Define what you consider appropriate—jackets and ties for men; suits, pantsuits with jackets, or dresses for women. Although it’s impossible to actually “enforce” a dress code if your salespeople work as independent contractors, you can at least encourage them to comply. Just the existence of the code may help point them in the right direction.

Every year I have an awards banquet. Along with awards for top salesperson and the largest sale, I also give fun awards, such as “best-dressed salesperson.” This is a great way to motivate your salespeople to take their jobs seriously and “act as if” they are all top-producing professionals

In a world where “business casual” has become the norm, why not take the extra step and command the respect and trust that a well-dressed, well-groomed professional should?

Want Ralph to advise you? Send your questions to salesclinic@realtors.org