Digging Deep into Empathy and Asking the Right Questions

Developing relationships. When I first started as an OSC, I saw this as my focus. Develop authentic relationships with the people who call me or email me and ask me about a house. This was my strategy, and it helped me become a high producing OSC.

“What?” you might ask, “Does that have to do with setting an appointment for sales?”

Well, the people who called me and who were interested in more information in the 2007, 2008, and 2009 downturn both desiring a new home, but were afraid of certain factors that had the housing market stalled. I watched that slow down and stall and kept thinking, if only people would get over their fear, everyone was too afraid, and it paralyzed a lot of people. Which then caused things to get worse.

I think if there was more empathy, and more people asking the right questions, we wouldn’t have to slow down because everyone’s needs would be met, and fears would be quelled.

If someone is calling you, or filling out a form on your website, there is a part of them that wants a house. It’s important to find out what those things are that are motivating them to look for something new.

What are their pain points?

What are their wants, needs, and desires?

What is their current home not meeting that has them looking for something else?

When you can sit back and listen, discover those things, and then learn to remind people why it will be so important to satisfy those needs it’s easier to help a buyer along their journey.  Online sales counselors are not just appointment setters. They are match makers making a match between someone’s wants in a new home, and the homes that they have available. And it may take time to dig deeper into the motivations someone has to move.

But with empathy, and asking the right questions we will find the right matches and set the strong appointments that the sales agents need in order to convert our leads into happy homeowners.