By Michelle Glover
Imagine you are hosting a dinner party. You shop for fresh ingredients, select just the right wine to accompany the meal, and even bake the most amazing dessert. Everyone shows up smiling and hungry so you show them the beautiful table set with a picture perfect meal. You ask them if they like it and then you thank them for coming and show them to the door. Sounds absurd, right?
There are great agents in our sales offices right now. They come armed with all of the right “ingredients” and Marketing is “setting the table” with beautiful models so why are we letting our guests leave without enjoying the “party”? 
In dozens of recent video shops we watched as really great salespeople did just that. After getting prospects excited about a home, they ended the meeting without asking them to become a member of their community. In some cases, the agents even insisted that they closed until they viewed the tape themselves! But more commonly we hear concerns about sounding too pushy. There are hundreds of closes out there but if agents are uncomfortable using them they are useless. So let’s narrow it down to three potential approaches that may help overcome these perspectives and close the sale.
1. “What next?” – Here is the most pressure-free way to close. Let the Buyer tell you they are ready. As a salesperson, I often closed with this simple question. It is amazing to hear the customer say it is time to buy. Any other answer they give just uncovers the steps needed to close.
2. Narrow to ONE home before they leave. The plan they love and a home site that works for their timeframe. Knowing which home works will make it easier to “take the next step”. It’s either: Ready now? Don’t lose out. OR: Future release? Agree on a Follow-up plan.
3. Assume you will not have a second chance. You have nothing to lose. If asking your prospect to secure their home today is enough to run them off, the issues are deeper than you being “pushy”. It is “now or never”; there are too many opinions and options out there. The minute they leave they will be bombarded with messages that aren’t yours. Make a home theirs and it will turn those messages off – or at least lower the volume.
Of course, none of these closes will work unless there is a foundation of trust. Trust is built by asking questions and listening to the answers. It sounds simple but we are creatures of habit and “presenting” is our habit. Save the facts. There is plenty of time after the sale to educate. Our knowledge is only impressive if it paves the way to the sale but real estate is an emotional business. So improve your results with this simple plan.
1. Ask & Listen.
2. Keep it personal not product.
3. End the visit with one of the three closes above.
The table is set for a mouth-watering feast. Ask your guests what they like and be sure to invite them to stay for the party!
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