What Clients Say vs What They Mean
The biggest part of sales is communication. Actually, it might be the biggest part of anything that involves more than one person. We think communication means being clear, saying what you mean, and listening. All true.
But this is also where things get tricky.
Clients don’t always say what they mean. They might love your product, love the apartment, or love the idea, but will they actually move forward?
That’s where most people get tripped up. They’re listening to the words and missing everything else. The tone, the body language, and the level of engagement. It's all about whether they’re moving to the next step.
There’s an art to it, and it shows up when you try to move things forward. When someone says no, it's pretty straightforward. You have a bigger problem when they say yes and do nothing.
I had a buyer who kept telling me how much they loved every apartment we saw. They loved everything about it and were so excited. "This could be the one." And then, no offer. This happened over and over again. At some point, you realize something's off.
This is the job.
It's not to push harder or sell more. It's to figure out what’s actually going on. Many people won’t always tell you directly. Sometimes they don’t know how, and sometimes they’re still figuring it out themselves.
That’s where questions come in, and more importantly, listening beyond the answer. It takes time, trust, and paying attention to what's not being said.
The truth is, people don't buy based on what they say. They buy based on what they feel. Once you know that, you don't have to guess.
