Video Mystery Shopping Tip – Can you close better than a 5th grader? Are you CAPTIVATED?

This week I continue my blog series ‘Can you close better than a 5^th grader’ by discussing the third trait that fifth graders possess that make them natural closers. Have you ever noticed that fifth graders have an innate tendency to be…..Captivated? The definition of captivated is to be ‘strongly attracted and filled with wonder and delight.’

As many of you know I am a huge movie buff. I LOVE going to the movies! It is my guilty pleasure to sneak away for a couple of hours to the cinema! I order bottled water, bring my secret stash of high protein snacks (no buttered popcorn for me!) and sit silently in the dark theatre, mesmerized by the latest movie release. For 2 hours I emerge myself. I free my mind of anything else that is happening in the world and I become fully engaged in the moment. I literally ‘become one’ with the movie. In other words, I am CAPTIVATED.

Let’s compare my movie “captivation” with new home sales “captivation”. When your prospects walk into your new home sales office, do you become captivated with them or is your mind running in a thousand different directions? Do you allow yourself to be filled with wonder and delight about your potential buyers or do you glance at your watch and wonder just how long these people are going to be here?

One of the secrets of super successful new home sales associates is they understand how to be captivated by their prospects. When a potential buyer walks through their door, everything else in the world STOPS. Their entire focus is on the prospect. It becomes the sales associate’s single goal in life to learn everything they can about their prospects. They give them their undivided attention and hang on their every word!

So, how can you become more captivated as a new home sales associate? Here are a couple of tips for you to try out.

Minimize any potential distractions that could come about. When a potential buyer comes into your office put your cell phone on vibrate. Nothing is less captivating (or more irritating) than being with someone who seems more interested in who is calling, e-mailing or texting than they are with the live body that is in front of them.
Ask questions, and really listen to the answers. Questions show that you are curious and interested in your prospects. But, the real key is listening to how they respond to you. This is where you become captivated by everything they tell you.
Make it a personal goal to truly get to know your prospects. Your mission is to find them the perfect home, and the only way to do so is to understand what is important to THEM.
Remember the value of your prospect’s time. They have graciously given you this gift, use it wisely. Always be sure to ask them up front how much time THEY have to share with you. If it is one hour, 30 minutes, or ten minutes make a commitment to be fully in the moment with them during the entire time.

One final note about being Captivated……when you are devoting 100% of your time and attention to your prospects, it shows. Trust me, they will know it. Allow them to be the ‘star’ of the show!