098: Navigating Client Conversations: Communicate Your Value with Confidence and Clarity with Lynn Madison: Part 1

Welcome back, Friends! Our podcast has received another award from AVA Digital Awards, an international competition that recognizes excellence by creative professionals in the area of digital communication. We received a Gold Award for Podcast and Audio Production! 

We have another amazing award-winning guest today! She has been recognized as an amazing instructor, having received the ABR® Hall of Fame Award, the REBI Distinguished Educator Award, REALTOR® of the Year, and Educator of the Year, both from the Illinois Association of REALTORS®. She is one of the primary authors of the ABR® designation course and we are thrilled to have her back with us again. She was with us last year to talk about the changes in the industry and how to prepare for them. We will link to that episode in the show notes.

Today, we are going to dig in deeper with Lynn, specifically about ways to show your value to your clients. We must improve our skill in communicating what we do and how valuable our skills are to our clients. We have two episodes this month with Lynn, and I hope you can listen to both of them! They are worth your time!

 

[3:19] Build your value proposition; if you don’t quantify what you’re doing, you don’t know the value you bring to buyers.

 

[4:46] You need the client to know what you do for them. It is sometimes harder and more work to get a lower-priced transaction to the closing table. The average buyer doesn’t know the value you bring if you haven’t explained it to them.

[7:39] Lynn notes that “value proposition” is sales language and people don’t want to be sold, they want to buy a house. Tell the buyer about the value you bring them, not about your value proposition.

 

[8:29] A contractor building a house has a standards sheet showing what is included and some optional upgrades. Lynn talks about using a Buyer Representation Agreement. Lynn makes sure the buyer understands the “big bucket” things she does for them.

 

[11:38] A weekly call with buyers keeps them updated on what you have done for them to help them buy a house. Lynn thinks we all should be doing that.

 

[13:46] Lynn tells buyers that not all available properties are on the internet and not all properties on the internet are available.

 

[14:03] If you don’t consistently touch base with the buyer, they go out looking with other people. Stay in touch weekly with your buyers!

 

[16:59] Use your analytical tool in your MLS and communicate to your buyers what the market is doing. Lynn shares a recent example about pricing listings.

 

[18:34] It’s hard for buyers to see we have an inventory shortage when the houses are everywhere. Unfortunately, in many cases, we’re not communicating this to our b