JP here with part 2 of a 3-part series about how to build instant rapport and credibility with sellers.
If you missed part one, check it out right here.
I learned this valuable info from my good pal Shaun McCloskey back when he was doing a ton of investing.
So, let’s get right to today’s details that come from Shaun’s time-tested, proven tricks he used for years.
Again, this applies to everyone you come in contact with… no matter whether you’re meeting him/her for the first time… in person or on the phone… homeowner or lender or Realtor…
It’s good for real estate — and also in your daily life in general.
So, the 2nd way to sway sellers…
Ask open-ended Qs
Asking open-ended questions gets the other person talking about their favorite subject.
What is everyone’s favorite subject?
I got news for you… their favorite subject is themselves.
So the more we can get them opening up and talking about themselves and their situation, the more we can build more rapport with them.
Perfect example from Shaun. He and his wife went out to dinner with another couple, and at the end of the dinner, Shaun told his wife how much fun the dinner was, how great the couple was, how he enjoyed talking all night, how he felt like he could relate to them so much. Shaun’s wife looked at him and said, “Of course you did, that’s because you talked about yourself the whole night! They hardly said anything. All they did was ask you questions about your business and your life and our married life together. And you talked about it all.”
Sure enough, we’d built unlimited rapport with them. Or I should say, they built it with me because I sat there and talked about myself the entire night.
There is certainly a lot of truth to that.
And I realized, if I want to build instant rapport with somebody, I just need to get them talking about themselves.
Boom. It works.
And the way you do that is by asking open-ended questions. Here’s what I mean… a close-ended question is something that requires a one- or two-word response. What is your favorite color?
An open-ended question is something like:
- “Tell me, Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner, how will you feel when all of this has been put behind you and you now have learned all of the valuable lessons for this?”
- “How will you feel after your family is on the other side of this foreclosure?”
- “How has this foreclosure affected your relationship with your family?”
- “How has your experience been when you’ve had conversations with your bank about your current situation?”
Those are not questions that allow them to give simple yes or no answers. They have to think about it and they have to generate a longer response, which opens them up…
It gets them talking about their situation. And next thing you know, they feel like they have rapport with you when they’re the ones who have done all the talking.
This method works great… even with somebody who’s normally shy. They’ll become engaged in the conversation because they’re talking about their favorite subject: themselves.
Just like with mirroring and modeling, I strongly encourage you to start practicing this useful technique today.
Stay Tuned
In our final article in this 3-part series, I’m sharing details about the 2 different roles that we typically play during conversations — when and how to use each to our benefit.