Who is Your Expert??

I’ll never forget speaking with a well respected trainer about how easy it is to brand yourself as an expert in any field. After my discussion with him I returned home and turned on the Food Channel. The subject of the day was the Frosty from Wendy’s. Next thing you know, up popped a face on my screen with the words “Frosty Expert” under his name. While I might not have been the best student in college, I don’t remember seeing Frosty 101 as a course offering. When we look at the world of Real Estate, we find ourselves being influenced by many so called experts. Whether homes sales or any other industry, we must watch carefully who were are listening to for advice. I can think of so many examples of seminars in which the presenter has not sat across from a buyer in years and they are preaching the same thing as if the buyers or the process has not changed in the last 20 years. While some of the basics like good follow up, hand written thank you notes, and the general sales process are still valid, some of them have no clue about the psychographic differences between the buyer of today and the one 20 years ago. Many of them are more master presenters rather than trainers. In addition, there are so many “arm chair” trainers out there that begin sentences with “what sales counselors/Realtors need is…..” when they have never played the role themselves. As a sharp contrast, I look at people like Mike Lyon (www.doyouconvert.com) who has half the years of experience as some more nationally known trainers but the fact that he specializes in one area of the sales process and is continuously in front of today’s buyers, his credibility and relevant content makes him a top trainer in the industry. So the question becomes where do we go for advice and whose message do we incorporate into our sales process.
The answer is not as easy as it sounds because the truth is, there is no single trainer you should ever emulate rather your sales process should be a good mix of advice, tactics, and processes from a multitude of sources. A person does not need a website, a blog, or nationally known name to give you ideas on how to better your sales skills. A few years ago I was in a 3 day sales training class and when the topic of selling small lots came up, a student that had not uttered a word in the previous 2 days, said “what I do is have them look at the lot diagonally so it expands the depth”. At the time I was sales manager of a community with small lots, so guess what was my first piece of advice at the next sales meeting? The truth is other people in our industry as well as the “experts” can influence us and help improve our skills. The real task is to soak in every piece of advice and training we can and incorporate them into to our sales style. There is no one “golden trainer” except you. It is up to you to try new concepts and methods but still be yourself.