How to Turn 'No' into a 5-Figure Commission

Anyone who works online leads knows it takes skill to turn a property inquiry into a potential client, let alone a commission-earning deal.

Texting only makes things more difficult, with no assurance of a timely response and no way to rely on body language to see if a connection is really being made.

Difficult, but, as San Diego-based real estate agent Steven Wener recently proved, not impossible.

Being tactical, thoughtful, and continually reiterating your commitment to your clients can help position an agent to successfully convert an online lead through text message.

According to Wener, the key is to express that you are truly in their corner from the get-go and have the courage to say, 'This what I'll do and this is how I'll show up for you.'

Wener recently experienced the opportunity to put his approach into action when he began working with an online lead that reached out under less than ideal terms.

The Beginning

After leaving a voice message for the lead, Wener followed up on his property inquiry with a text message. The lead had originally reached out with a specific property in mind but when he texted Wener back, he said he'd found a different property that he was interested in as well.

When Wener asked if he would provide the address, the lead said "no." You see, the lead was worried that Steve would share the hot property with his other buyers.

The Turn

Rather than being deterred by the client's response, Wener continued to gain his trust by doing due diligence on the original property and staying in regular touch with updates (even when the listing agent for that property wasn't getting back to him), which eventually led to an enthusiastic, "Thank You!!!!" text from the lead.

All the while, through their conversation, Wener reaffirmed his expertise in the market with texts like:

"After 24 years in the business, I'm always pushing to make things happen. As a top producer in the region, I never let up."

As well as reassuring the lead with texts like, "As we don't know each other well, it's not possible for you to understand my motivation, but when I'm hired, I work to make things happen and never let up or let off. I will keep pressing the other side, which shows you how poorly they are acting as representatives to the seller."

Eventually, the client not only sent over the address of the property he was interested in, but two others he had been looking at as well.

The Close

By the third day of communication, the client went from being guarded about the properties he was interested in, to asking if Wener could find out if one of the property's sellers was still entertaining backup offers.

Wener was able to transform an online lead into a client by artfully guiding the text conversation, and eventually landing a 5-figure commission.

Next time you are texting with a lead, keep Wener's communication tips in mind:

• Don't recoil if someone is direct
• Take emotion out of the equation and 'kill them with kindness'
• Show them your expertise and willingness to go above and beyond

Looking for more tips on how to be better at communicating with clients? Check out Steve's guide to connecting better in his ebook, The Communication Code.

To view the original article, visit the Chime Technologies blog.