FACT: 70% of new home salespeople have never experienced sales during a downturn, and many owners and sales managers have never led a team through slow times. That means that the majority of us may be ill-prepared for what’s coming – and we “don’t know what we don’t know.”
When we don’t know what’s coming and how to deal with it, panic can set in. “What do I do now? Why isn’t the sales technique that got me here working anymore? How do I get my sales back on track?”
Seasoned sales professionals do know what it takes – mastering the basics of listening, presenting, qualifying, overcoming objections, and building trust, rapport, and confidence. Those skills don’t come naturally; they must be developed through training, practice, and repetition. For example, in recent years, selling meant helping buyers find the right home and walking them through the process. We didn’t have to persuade anyone to buy; we just had to help buyers down the path to homeownership.
To keep selling what you’ve been selling – and earning what you’ve been earning – will take more effort, study, and professional development, on an individual basis as well as for sales teams. But that’s what will make the difference!
Will you invest in sales training for yourself or, if you’re a manager, for your team? Will you submit to things like role-playing and practice sessions, mystery shopping, and professional development seminars – the things that have sustained sales professionals for decades prior to the last few years? Or will you decide that what you already know and what you’ve been doing is enough to get you by? What athlete succeeds without a coach or trainer?
Investing in training to develop your skills will pay huge dividends in your income and your career.
