Is there anything wrong with this opening?

I'm cold calling real estate agents and using this opening however, for some reason it's just not getting me appointments or presentations.

"This is David speaking with Agent Advantage and I saw some of your listings. Can you hear me ok? Great, well look I’m helping agents’ in your area close on an extra 5-6 leads a month. The reason I'm calling you is to find out if you would be interested in seeing a way to sell more homes. (pause) Well it takes just a couple minutes in front of a computer to show you how, would you like to see it now, or should we set-up a time that’s more convenient?"

At the pause I'm getting 90% of agents saying not interested and of course thats typical and I do my best to keep them on the phone a little longer. My question is what's wrong with the opening, what could I change to make it better? I mean it states who I am, who I'm with, what I do, gets straight to the point and I state a benefit that says I can help him/her sell more homes. So what's the deal? Does it sound to salesman-like? -DavidC89

I'd ask them how they got their listings first. Are they getting enough; are they having difficulty getting listings; what methods do they employ in getting listings; how long between listings; what does it cost them for listings on average; what market are you working; do you have adequate exposure; how much time do you spend looking for listings; how quickly are the moving; do you have time for an extra 5-6 listings each month?

Aloha... :cool: -rattus58

I think you might be mistaking listings for leads. What do you mean if their having difficulty getting listings or if they have enough time for an extra 5-6 listings a month? These agents already have listings and the first question I ask in the presentation (if I can even get them to listen to me) is how many listings they currently have. Those are some excellent questions though I didn't think of some of them, will be employing some of those questions into my script thanks.

The thing about asking questions right off the bat in my experience is they usually cut me off and ask me what's this about or say they don't have time for this. I usually save all my questions once I get them into a presentation. -DavidC89

I did mistake Listings for Leads, but whatever you're working with, I'd be asking the same kind of questions.

If you want to say you're a lead company first that's certainly appropriate, and that with the stress on our incomes today isn't it important for us to keep seeking out new sellers? For most of us its more crucial than ever to keep our lead funnel/book/files full, would you agree? Then to ask them questions on their lead development would certainly be in your interest in order to develop interest in your service I would think. :)

Aloha.. :cool: -rattus58

If the agent has a negative preconception about your company you are already out.

Quote:

Can you hear me ok?

There is no value in this... I would remove it.

Quote:

Great, well look I’m helping agents’ in your area close on an extra 5-6 leads a month.

My initial reaction would be... good for you but I don't care about that.

Quote:

The reason I'm calling you is to find out if you would be interested in seeing a way to sell more homes.

This is too vague, too general, in my opinion.

Ask yourself this... what compelling reason am I giving for the other person to give me his time and attention? -Swamprat

Well the compelling reason would be to seeing a way to increase their revenue by selling more homes of course. Could you give me an example of what you would say to get them to a presentation or an appointment? To help you, we increase their exposure and generate more leads for their listings, those are the main features. The benefit is helping them to sell more homes. -DavidC89

Hi this is Fred.

We're a lead generation company and I've been asked to call you to find out if you'd be interested in getting some customer leads?

If you can get near a computer I can show you how it works in a couple minutes?

If they say not interested just ask. Ok no problem. Do you know of any real estate agent in your area who might be interested?

Have fun. -helisell

Solid and viable. -Ace Coldiron

If that was a compelling enough reason we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Sure, I'll help. Tell me more about:

• What your company does for the client and how you do it.
• Who you are targeting and why.
• The desired outcome of the call

-Swamprat

Simple enough... you're providing the Ace Coldiron "proposition" with your entre'.

Aloha... Tom :cool: -rattus58

I used this verbatim for 50 calls, it works. It sounds kinda robotic even with my tonality. I even had a guy ask me "Is this a real person?". I can see how this works, hopefully once I feel more comfortable using this approach it will be more effective.

On another note, I think I just had a breakthrough in my sales. Rattus58 the questions you mentioned, just wow. I don't think I ever understood the power of asking questions until now. I always just wanted to tell them what I have to offer. I asked the questions you mentioned and I had this guy just pour his soul out and had him talking for 20 minutes non-stop. He straight up told me his main concern his exact words were "Here's my main problem, right now where I'm hurting most is..." and he told me exactly what I should offer him. Unfortunately, he had clients waiting in an open house and he told me to give him a call in an hour and a half. His last words were and I never had a prospect ever tell me this "Give me a callback in an hour and 30 I think we should do business together". The amazing thing about this is, I haven't even presented what we can do for him and he's already ready to buy. Does asking questions always work like this or did I just get really lucky? -DavidC89

Hi David...sn;

If you're asking ME, it is the only way to "learn" your client and be able to relate to them effectively. You may have got lucky with this one client, but you're going to find that your "luck" will change with understanding your client.

As a side note of my own.... my son, new in the business, sat with an old grizzled contractor last week and took notes. When the gentleman came in to my sons office and sat with him and his mentor (another agent I work with with a $3,000,000 book of business) this contractor who just moved to Hawaii from the Mainand, told both of them that in his entire carreer, he NEVER had anyone take notes of his answers (which helped when they started discussing gaps in his program)

Questions rule.... I'm convinced.

Much Aloha.... shds; ;bg -rattus58

Powerful, and not often discussed here. I have encouraged colleagues to enter a sales interview with nothing more than a clean, blank YELLOW legal pad for note taking.

I'm tempted to "pull a helisell" and quiz..."Anybody care to guess why the clean, blank YELLOW legal pad?" -Ace Coldiron

David, one of the absolute best books on the subject is from Thomas Freese and is called "Secrets of Question Based Selling". That book is worth its weight in gold. If this was the only book you ever read on selling you'd be ahead of 84% of everyone else in sales today.

http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Questi.../dp/1570715882 -Vito

I'm thinking that we use a yellow pad because we think of attorneys with yellow pads and I think subconsciously we want to impart the same sense of interest and concern for their needs as your attorney should for you with a legal question.

Aloha... Tom :cool: -rattus58

"We're a lead generation company and I've been asked to call you to find out if you'd be interested in getting some customer leads?"

This may seem like an unusual question but, is this suppose to be said like a question or a statement? For example the last two words "customer leads" is my tonality suppose to seem like it's the first time I've ever heard those two words or just straight-forward? -DavidC89

PM me. I'll record myself delivering the lines so that you can just listen to them and upload the mp3 for you. -helisell

DavidC89
I've come in a little late on this but hope that I can help with some thoughts.

If 90% of people say no when you take a pause, I'd suggest not pausing or changing your close.

Before you get there however there isn't any real finding out / rapport building so people aren't warming to you and they're not thinking 'this guy understands my business'
You might want to try:

This is David from....
We help people like yourself in businesses like yours, develop more sales / close more business.

I think that we may have something that will be of use to you, I'm not sure but it will only take a couple minutes to find out.

Tell me.... questioning

Then based on your questioning to identify needs, wants -

So from what you tell me it seems as though what you are looking for is something that will:
deliver more sure fire leads,
save you time in sifting the data
and help you close more sales and make more money
(put in benefits relevant to the prospect).
Is that about the size of it?

When would suit you best to get together so that I can show you personally how it would work for you - is friday at 2.00 Ok? (or differing close)
Hope this helps -marky

I want to acknowledge you for a well developed, industry based pitch.

The only problem is that your competitors are saying the same thing in the same way. Your prospects soon become desensitized to the noise (just like we all do.)

Let's face it... You're attempting to make your pitch better than that of you competitor so people will buy from you. But, does your pitch truly answer this question: In a marketplace filled with competition... why should people buy from you?

If you had the answer we wouldn't be having this discussion.

My partner and I developed a concept called Contrary Marketing™ which champions the following idea:

"Being better is one thing. Being different is EVERYTHING! "©

Can you craft your pitch differently enough from your competitors that it has a chance to break through the noise?

Here's an example of a contrary approach:

"Hi, This is ________. I don't know if my name rings a bell, as a matter of fact, I'm not sure if you have a need for what I offer. If I can briefly describe the reason for my call you can decide whether or not we continue. Is that OK?"

Is that the best opening available in the universe? I don't know... but it certainly is contrary to most of the suggestions on this thread, and it works.

How you proceed after they say "OK" (and they do) is part of broader sales strategy we suggest to our clients.

Remember..most of the suggestions on the thread are great...if you 're willing to sound like everyone else. -ikrieger

I noticed that you use the word "strategies" in your signature. Then surely you know that in strategic selling you must use standard approaches when making contact with a prospect. Innovation--creativity--surprise comes later.

I'm not saying that other suggestions on this thread are standard approaches--only that your ideas are not in alignment with strategy in selling. -Ace Coldiron