Frustrated by not knowing what to say?
If you want to become a hugely successful agent, you must learn to master your real estate sales scripts. I am in the process of building a course designed to help you master prospecting, and thus create an unlimited income.
One of the most important steps is script mastery, so I thought this post would give us a good outline as to what to focus on. We will go into more detail in the course, and this will definitely help you get started on the right foot.
So, how many of you cringed as soon as you heard the word “scripts?” It’s okay. You can be honest. I know I hated scripts when I first started my real estate career. I fought them tooth and nail.
“This doesn’t sound anything like me.” That was my favorite line. I would tell my productivity coach this every week. Every week she would tell me that it doesn’t sound like me because I refuse to not just learn the script, but internalize it. You see, internalizing the script is one of the keys to making it sound more like you.
Okay, great. Now we know we need to “internalize the scripts.” What the hell does that even mean?! Well, I finally asked my coach what she meant by internalizing them and she explained. Simply put, when you internalize the scripts, you know them so well, inside and out, that you don’t have to think about the words. They just come out.
Great. Now what?
Well, by not having to think about the words that you are saying, you can actually LISTEN to what the client (or lead, depending on where you are in the sales cycle) is saying. When the person you are speaking with is talking, they are giving you clues as to what their true motivation is. You need to listen to what they are saying, so you can build rapport, and create trust. They know when you are not paying attention, and if your scripts aren’t internalized, you will be too busy worried about what you are going to say next, rather than listening to their needs.
So step #1 is INTERNALIZE THE SCRIPTS VERBATIM
In order to this, we need to practice, practice, practice!
What is the best way to practice your scripts?
- Read them out loud as fast as possible.
- Learn the tonality and inflection points in the script.
- Over-emphasize the pauses, the down swings, and the up swings…when you are doing them live, you will automatically lower the intensity, which is why we over-emphasize in practice.
Step #2 is ROLE-PLAY
- Role-play each script several times a day with different personality types until you don’t need the paper in front of you anymore.
- Always keep the script in front of you, even when you know it inside out. Keep a copy in front of you while role-playing. Keep a copy in front of you while prospecting. Keep a copy in your car for those times when you are talking to a potential client in between appointments.
- Once you have mastered the script, and internalized it, keep a daily role-play partner and work on each script several times a week. I prefer having 2 different role-play partners every day, and changing them up 60-90 days or so, to keep things fresh.
Step #3 is Understand The Reasons For Using Scripts
So we have the mechanics down now as to how to internalize the scripts and how to role-play them for maximum results.
Here’s the rub…if you don’t understand the psychology and philosophy behind using the scripts in the first place, you won’t be able to reap the maximum benefits.
There are 2 main reasons why we use scripts in the first place.
- Scripts set appointments and create signed contracts. Period. When you use the right scripts, it forces you to ask the right questions. When you ask the right questions, you help the client or lead realize they NEED to meet with you and WORK with you.
- By asking the right questions you can uncover a client or lead’s true motivation. Without knowing the motivation, you will not know if they are ready to work with an agent. By knowing their motivation, you will know whether or not it is worth your time to cultivate this client at this time, or to put them on a drip campaign and follow up in the future.
Remember, you always want to be asking questions. By asking questions, you take on a consultative approach. By taking on a consultative approach, you will bring more value to your client. People won’t care how much you know by telling them things, until they know how much you care. By staying in curiosity and asking questions, it shows them that you really want to understand their situation, therefore showing them you care. If you come from contribution, the money will always follow.