How often have you called a great prospect only to be put off by them?  Nothing is more annoying than finally getting someone that you want to talk to on the phone and finally answer with an abrupt or terse response.  Quite often, this reaction is a defense mechanism that is being used because the recipient is either very busy or is anticipating a sales pitch.

 

A very effective way to handle this situation in advance of the situation is to proactively address it before it happens.  In other words, let your prospect know right away that you respect their time and will be brief.  You will find that they will be more receptive to your brief comments and are much more likely to answer a call from you in the future.

 

The next time you call someone that you’re attempting to do business with but you don’t know very well, try the following approach:

 

“John, this is Evan Smith, at Illustrious Realtors.  I know you’re busy so let me get right to the point (insert your message here) are you interested?”  Listen to their response and if they have no interest, respond with, “thanks for your time and we’ll keep in touch.” 

 

This brief, to the point approach shows your prospect that your contacts are concise, respectful of their time, and informative.  This approach is ideal to use if you have a buyer that would be interested in their property or with expireds to secure a listing.  It can also be used to share market information or to ask if they know of anyone that is thinking about moving.