Many real estate professionals approach the phone with some trepidation.  The anticipation of rejection is often so overwhelming that many agents avoid the phone entirely in favor of hoping on referral business or sitting at an open house.

Now, although I have been able to get business from referrals and open houses, I will say that being able to effectively handle objections has lead to more appointments and more commission dollars than any single activity. 

Being in offices where we have done group calls to support each in booking appointments I have seen some common mistakes (yes I have run in to them as well).  Here are some of the obstacles preventing agents from booking a serious number of appointments.

• Not controlling the conversation from the first words
• Not anticipating rejection
• Not knowing what to say

Knowing that these are some of the most common stumbling blocks is the first step, now we have to know what to do to handle them. 

1. Not controlling the conversation
   1. If you ask open ended questions like “how are you doing this evening?” you are asking for trouble.  You need to keep your questions to simple yes/no questions because that will enable you to control the conversation.  Ask simple questions like “Do you need to sell something in order to buy?” or “Is this going to be your first purchase?” because you will get simple yes/no answers.  Getting simple answers will allow you to direct the flow of conversation to where you need it to go…an appointment!
2. Not anticipating rejection
   1. You will get prospective clients rejecting you on the phone, so anticipate it.  The better prepared you are to handle the rejection the easier it will be.  I approach each and every phone call with the simple aspect of this “they want an appointment, they just don’t know it yet” and that helps me to work through the rejection because I strive to help them see how lucky they are if they get to meet with me.
3. Not knowing what to say
   1. The sound of silence can be extremely painful.  If you don’t know what to say to common objections then your time following up on leads from your real estate website or blog can be frustrating.  Realize that prospective buyers and sellers are going to have some common objections and be prepared with answers.  If you run into an objection that you didn’t anticipate ask another question as it gives you time to think. 
   2. For example:
      1. Client: “I am waiting for the prices to come down”
      2. Your Question: “That’s great sir, what price were you looking for them to come down to?” 
   3. Challenging their line of thinking will help you to uncover their true motivation and give you time to think!

Effectively handling objections from buyers and sellers will help you to enjoy real estate more and bring more appointments and commissions.  If you want additional help on your scripts, try our complete buyer script system so you can start booking more appointments immediately.

Related Posts:

Say the right thing, get more appointments, get more commissions

3 Things You Shouldn’t Say to an Internet Prospect