Talking Yourself Up
- The Orange Stack
- Feb 7, 2018
- 2 min read
Business is all about credibility. When people do business with each other, it’s because they believe the other person has what it takes to deliver. This couldn’t be truer for real estate agents. With over 400,000 registered real estate agents in the US, you need strong credibility to stand out from the crowd. But how do you build this credibility? More importantly, how do you communicate it without coming off as a braggard. In this post, we’ll be discussing how to talk about yourself without talking about yourself. We’ll show you how to talk yourself up in the right way to boost your credibility and use your social proof to close deals.
Talking yourself up doesn’t mean bragging. Let’s say you’ve sold over a hundred homes the past year, have multiple deals currently lined up, and have a stellar track record of closing deals. While this glowing list of accolades may be great for the local real estate agents’ association dinner, your customers don’t care. What they care more about is what value you have to offer them. What they want to know is what you did to help your previous clients navigate the complex process of buying or selling a home. This sort of value-based credibility is what resonates with customers. Doubtless they have questions and are possibly facing challenges as they try to buy or sell a home. Showing you care and that they can trust you to help them navigate these uncharted waters is what matters more compared to how many homes you sold last year.
How do you present yourself in this case? Talk less about your achievements and more about what you can do for the client. If they are stuck in the mortgage stage, talk them through it, send them resources, give them pointers. The more you demonstrate your helpfulness, the more you make a mark in their mind. Considering most buyers or seller are dealing with between 3 and 5 real estate agents at the same time you must be the one that stands out for you to win the business.
Building up social proof takes time but contributes immensely to the deals you close. As the saying goes, your reputation precedes you. If you have invested in helping your clients, this is what your new clients will be looking for when they come to you. The converse is also true. To get you on the right track, here are some things to remember as you build your social proof and represent yourself well:
Focus on the client’s needs, not your achievements.
When talking about past transactions, focus on how you helped the client, not how well you performed.
In every situation, always ask yourself, “What value can I offer?”
Credibility is all about standing out from the crowd. Focus on standing out, not fitting in.
Brands outlive achievements. If you build a strong brand, it will weather any storm and help you keep winning.
Next time you find yourself in front of a lead about to give them the full treatment of your achievements, hold your tongue for a second and remember, they care more about how you can help, not what you have done.
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