by Melanie Robitaille, Sr. Staff Writer & Graphic Designer
The saying may go, “Out with the old; in with new,” but the real ramifications of the retirement exodus are just starting to be felt as one hands-on, people-oriented generation gives way to the next highly technological one.
This recent demographic shift has disrupted the real estate industry in some fascinating ways, bringing exciting technologies and next-level methodologies to bare, but a certain few like Mike McCarron, fear that a technology addiction and dependency has left some real estate professionals ill-equipped to handle a business built on relationships and people.
“Some are calling the mobile phone the sixth sense. How scary is that?” questions EXIT Realty’s Supervisor of Growth and Development for Canada. “There’s a huge difference between communication and connection. The thinking is people have relationships by phone, but a relationship is a practiced skill. They say, ‘trust your gut’ or ‘follow your heart’, but because so many young people aren’t connecting with heart anymore, they have nothing to follow.”
Because there’s always a person at the heart of any business transaction including real estate, and the need for good negotiation and interpersonal skills is great, Mike offers these tried and true techniques to the young professionals he mentors:
F.O.R.M. Your Communication
Build connections based around the conversational elements of Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Motivation.
The Art of Asking for More
Probing with these three powerful statements can help you learn more about a person: Help me understand, tell me more, and paint the big picture for me.
Having Presence
It’s not what you say or do, it’s how you make people feel. Are you creating a presence that has presence when you’re not present?
Eye Contact
Maintain good eye contact by choosing only one eye to look at. Our right represents our logical side, and our left represents heart and soul. If you find someone has a hard time maintaining your gaze with their left eye, it could mean they are experiencing some emotional discomfort.
Personal Attention
Be present in the moment. Don’t just communicate effectively but also interact in the way each generation expects. When you’re with someone NEVER answer your phone unless it’s an emergency. Don’t check it or text. Turn off notifications or set your device to silent mode. The minute you stop paying attention to the clients in front of you, you’re telling them they’re not as important as the person trying to reach you.
Authentic Recognition
Step away from your device and try your hand at written notes. Well-known industry experts including Brian Buffini can attest to the power of the hand-written thank you note. Make it a habit you take care of first thing in the day and in six month’s-time the business will take care of itself.
Learn How to A.C.T.
Ultimately, we all come into this life with nothing and go out with nothing. It’s about what you actively give in between. When you’re in the moment take time to ask yourself, is this learning experience something I can APPLY to myself, something that’s going to CHANGE me, or something I need to TEACH to someone else?
Mike reminds that, “in real estate, you have the product, but you build the relationship by trying to fulfill needs. Don’t ever underestimate the power of the relationship. The adage goes, if you give you get back tenfold. And it’s not just about money, it comes from all different sources.”
