"Why should I hire you?" This is the fundamental question faced by every Agent, every day, and by every person they meet. Why should I do business with you over the hundreds, or even thousands, of Agents I could choose? What makes you different from someone else I could select who might be cheaper? In order to not only survive but also thrive in the competitive world of real estate sales, we have to be able to answer the basic question for consumers, "Why should I hire you?"

WII FM Radio

Everyone in life, especially those we do business with, is tuned into WII FM Radio twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. WII FM Radio stands for, "What's in it for me?" One of the more significant mistakes that sales people make is not being tuned into their client's frequency channel. We are constantly selling with a narrow minded, self-egotistical, and grandstanding focus. All of our sales presentations and services need to be turned to the benefits for our clients. Our prospect can have the extreme attitude of "So what? Who cares? What's in it for me?" Our job is to show them what's in it for them. What they really want from you

To be a Champion Agent, you need to know what the prospect, customer, or client wants. What services do they want you to provide? What standard or measure are they going to use to determine if they have received good service and good, or even great, value? What are their ultimate goals and objections that you will be helping them achieve? If everything could be perfect what would that look like for them?

These are the types of questions and information we need to be able to formulate and service strategically to exceed their expectations. It also clearly uncovers when we have hit their "hot buttons" in selling them our services. It's much easier to sell to someone what he or she wants to buy than what you want to sell him or her.

The consumer's mindset

Consumers in most markets have a unique mindset about Real Estate Agents. At times, the mindset is market driven. When everything is selling quickly, many consumers don't feel they need an Agent. Their view is they can "save" the fee by selling For Sale By Owner. Another view is that it will sell easily, so why pay an Agent a full fee to generate the sale?

When the market is more challenging, consumers begin to see our value as professionals. We move beyond the necessary evil in a real estate transaction. We can hold the key to unlock the door of their wants and dreams. We always had that key, even in a robust market. It's our duty, as professionals, to inform them of our value and the reasons why they should hire us.

Published: November 5, 2010

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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.