The listing presentation is your moment to show a prospective client all that you're worth. With the value of your services and the relationship you hope to have with a client on the line, it's hard to believe that the less said, the better.

But it's true -- the longer a listing presentation takes, the worse it gets. The client's mind begins to wander, and the agent begins to promise more in marketing and advertising to keep the client's attention and procure the listing. The commission rate will have a tendency to decrease and the listing price to increase. This will lead to longer marketing, less profit, or eventually an expired listing.

Truly, the longer your presentation goes the weaker it becomes; a short, focused presentation is the one that will speak volumes for you.

I realize that many speakers and trainers have been teaching agents for years how to do a two-hour listing presentation. But think about it: in today's busy society, does anyone really want to listen to an agent talk about himself and his company for two hours? In the seller's position, after an hour or so, wouldn't you find yourself thinking about what you would rather be doing with your family? Once the owners begin to think about things other than listing their home with you, it becomes very difficult to get them refocused on signing a contract or agreement. Remember that the length of your listing presentation is critical to your success.

One key to making the most effective presentation in the shortest amount of time is to ask questions. To be an effective agent, you need to find out the desires and expectations of the prospect. The only way to do this is by asking questions.

One of the biggest mistakes I see agents making is not asking enough - there is no way for them to learn anything! The person asking the questions is the one who controls the conversation.

Develop a series of questions for your listing presentations. This will help you to stay focused on your presentation. By asking each client similar questions, you will learn to evaluate each client's motivation, compatibility, and expectations. Working with a standard set of questions will also help you to remember to ask all of the necessary questions. By developing a series of questions, you will be able to standardize your presentation and control the time that your presentation takes.

Without a standardized presentation based on a set series of questions, you will have a tendency to take listings for too high a price, too short a term, or with people whose expectations are not compatible with what your skills and experience can offer them.

As you gather information from the sellers and present yourself to them, keep in mind that presentations should be directed, first and foremost, to price, rather than to secondary issues such as marketing or advertising. Price is king in real estate; it is the dominant reason a home sells or fails to sell. Our presentations need to accurately reflect this reality. Rather than focusing on marketing, focus on the issues that will really affect the sale of the home. I advocate rolling up your sleeves and getting down to the business of price, sooner rather than later. If you and the seller cannot agree on price, then nothing else you might say is going to make this relationship work; you should politely excuse yourself and move on to the next prospect.

Above all, you need to show the clients the benefit of working with you. This is, after all, what the clients will be paying you for. You need to show them how your skills, experience and strategy will benefit them. They need to know and understand the benefits of your approach to selling their home. Determine a few of the advantages you offer, and share them with the listing prospect.

If you create a step-by-step presentation that is well prepared, concise, focused on price and clear about what your business offers to the client, you will see the time you spend on each presentation reduced. You will also see an improvement in the number of listing presentations that lead to signed contracts. And your clients will thank you for demonstrating respect for their time.

You may even have a few minutes left over to spend laughing with your new clients at their stories of "the other Realtor who was here for two hours...."

Published: February 1, 1999

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Dirk Zeller is a sought out speaker, celebrated author and CEO of Real Estate Champions. His company trains more than 350,000 Agents worldwide each year through live events, online training, self-study programs, and newsletters. The Real Estate community has embraced and praised his six best-selling books; Your First Year in Real Estate, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent, The Champion Real Estate Team, Telephone Sales for Dummies®, Successful Time Management for Dummies®, and over 300 articles in print. To learn more regarding this article, please visit www.realestatechampions.com.