New This Month
Print Article Archives
Reprints / Subscriptions
Editorial Calendar
Media Kit
Architecture Guide
Cost vs. Value Report
Good Neighbor Awards
Handouts for Customers
Top 100 Companies
Take a Quiz
30 under 30
Young Professionals
REALTOR® Emeritus |
 |
SALES MEETING TOOL KIT: DEALING WITH DIFFICULT CLIENTS |
|
|
 Component 1: Facilitator Talking Points Component 2: Working with Difficult Clients Agenda Component 3: Handout 1, Ten Tips on Dealing with Difficult People Component 4: Activity 1, Five Common Jerks and How to Deal with Them Component 5: Activity 1, Five Common Jerks Idea Sheet Component 6: Handout 2, Identifying Communication Styles Component 7: Handout 3, Defusing Dialogues Component 8: Activity 2, Scenes from a Difficult Life Component 9: Activity 2, Scenes from a Difficult Life Ideas Sheet Component 10: Handout 4, Firing Your Client Component 11: Other Resources |
Component 1: Facilitator Talking Points These notes will guide you and your salespeople through a discussion and activities that will help them acquire new skills in dealing more successfully with difficult clients. Pre-meeting preparation:
Print the following: 1. These facilitator notes—Component 1 2. The Working with Difficult People Agenda—Component 2 3. Handout 1: Ten Tips on Dealing with Difficult People—Component 3 4. Activity 1: Five Common Jerks and How to Deal with Them—Component 4 5. Activity 1: Common Jerks Idea Sheet—Component 5 6. Handout 2: Identifying Communication Styles—Component 6 7. Handout 3: Defusing Dialogues—Component 7 8. Activity 2: Scenes from a Difficult Life—Component 8 9. Activity 2: Difficult Life Idea Sheet—Component 9 10. Handout 4: Firing Your Client—Component 10 Welcome (1 min.) True stories (2 min.) 1. Relate a personal story about a difficult client who eventually bought a home from you. 2. Ask the group to share stories about the most difficult client they ever worked with. Ask if they were able to salvage the situation. To segue from the true stories to the discussion, remind participants that difficult clients still buy homes; so learning to work with them can mean a higher sales volume. Background and goals (2 min.) In some instances, people act difficult because they are placed in a difficult situation. In many others, they behave in a difficult fashion for the same reason that a 3-year-old child cries; last time it got the results they wanted, so they are going to do it again. In this meeting, we will:
Handout 1: Ten Tips for Dealing with Difficult People (5 min.) Ask one participant to read one of the tips and then to give an example of a situation in which this tip might be useful.
Activity 1: Five Common Jerks and How to Deal with Them. (10 min.) Ask participants to read the descriptions of the difficult people described in the handout and write down ideas for dealing with each type of client. Call on participants to share their responses with the group and write each response on a flip chart. Use the Jerks Idea Sheet (Component 5) provided to guide the discussion.
Handout 2: Identifying Communication Styles (5 min.) Discuss each of the three principal ways that people absorb and convey information. After reading each approach, ask one or more participants to suggest a way to adapt their usual ways of speaking to this style.
Handout 3: Defusing Dialogues (5 min.) Consider some words and responses that may help defuse difficult situations. After reviewing the phrases in the handout (Component 7), ask participants to suggest other words or phrases that they have used successfully and write them on a flip chart.
Activity 2: Scenes from Difficult Life (10-15 min.) Read each of the three scenarios. Ask participants what actions our harried salesperson could have taken that might have improved these situations. Use the explanations provided (Component 9) to guide the discussion.
Handout 4: Firing Your Client (5 min.) Review phrases that salespeople can use to severe a relationship with a client. Emphasize that this break should be handled professionally, and that, if possible, the client should be referred to another salesperson in the company.
Adjourn. Thank participants for their time.
Running Time: 50 min. |
|
|
|
|
|