20 REM JANUARY 2016
The lost art of listening to clients By Ross Wilson “Never fail to know that if you are doing all the talking, you are boring somebody.” — Helen Gurley Brown n this segment of my series on effective communication, I offer this slightly abridged excerpt from my book, The Happy Agent. Here, I address the Art of Listening, arguably the more vital half of effective communication. When you think about it, poor listening renders speaking superfluous. In today’s hyper world of instantaneous digital communication, you might even say listening is becoming a lost art. Anyway, it’s something people take for granted. You’ve got ears, so
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it’s automatic. Right? Nope. You might think you’re listening to someone, but may be hearing your inner voice, remaining alert only enough to recognize the moment to respond. By failing to pay sincere attention, thus misinterpreting a speaker’s message, reactive and emotionally inappropriate responses are definitely within the realm of possibility. And whether a personal or business situation, a price could be paid for such inattentiveness. Have you ever met someone who had what is commonly referred to as the gift of gab? They may have been told they’d make a great salesperson. Why? Because the stereotypical perception of a salesperson is one who can blather on and on and talk anyone into doing anything. In reality, this definition couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s little doubt, though, that some salespeople fit this description. I’ve never met anyone who enjoys being coerced to buy some-
thing by an aggressive, high-pressure yakker spewing verbal diarrhoea. To escape the barrage, I suppose a pathetic prospect might surrender. However, just like a teacher can’t teach someone who refuses to learn, a salesman can’t normally sell to someone who doesn’t want to buy. If they don’t run away, the victim may sign the contract, later regret succumbing to the pressure and exercise their right to rescind. The buyer cool-off period for new condominium and vacation timeshare purchases exists for good reason. Also, if a high-pressure agent closes a hapless buyer, they shouldn’t count on that buyer ever referring anyone or returning for future service. “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” — Epictetus Given the chance, a client will deliver their hot buttons to you on how to sell them. The trick? Listen carefully. A gabber can miss impor-
At the root of it all
tant, sometimes subtle closing signals. While awaiting cues, they talk right past the clues. My theory is that they may be so fearfully insecure and desperately in need of a sale, they’d rather not hear what they believe their client might say if given the chance to speak. Therefore, they yammer away in the hope of offering so many good reasons to sign that the overwhelmed prospect finally surrenders. How can you successfully satisfy a client’s wants and needs without knowing what those needs are? Sometimes, they don’t even have a clear picture of what they want. If you don’t know what makes them tick, what motivates them, how can you serve effectively? Thoughtful, considerate listening by a trustworthy agent facilitates a clear response to a client’s questions and the gentle orchestration of a more pleasant sale – without the trusting buyer even realizing they were sold. To
enjoy a fruitful career, build a trusting client base by starting in the present listening moment, one client at a time. In the next column, I’ll delve into the three basic types of listeners – Wanderers, Catchers and Engagers. “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” — Stephen Covey Ross Wilson, broker with iPro Realty, has enjoyed a rewarding fourdecade career encompassing a highly productive referral sales practice and extensive experience as a brokerage owner, manager, trainer and mentor. His new book, The Happy Agent – Finding Harmony with a Thriving Realty Career and an Enriched Personal Life is available where print and e-books are sold, including the TREB, BREB, RAHB and OMDREB stores. Visit RealtyVoice.com. REM
By David Collini
It’s not part of most home inspections but it can cost buyers thousands of dollars in repairs
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very year, potential home buyers flock to realtor.ca in an attempt to land their dream home with turn-key expectations. Focused on the home’s location, the decor of the kitchen and lot size, buyers can easily become distracted with the layout of the home and not think about what lies beneath the ground. This is another area buyers need to focus their attention on when seriously considering the purchase of a home. At Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Drain Service, we frequently receive service requests from new homeowners who have recently experienced unexpected basement flooding. They express their shock and ask, “How this could happen? After all, we had an inspector go through the home before we purchased it.” The reality is that camera inspection of the main sanitary sewer is not included in your typical home inspection. It should be. Talk to any home insurance adjustor
today and they will tell you that the majority of insurance claims are related to water and sewage backups. The average home’s plumbing system represents approximately five to 10 per cent of the overall value. If you purchase a home in Toronto for $800,000, the cost to retrofit your entire plumbing system could be upwards of $80,000. The last thing you need after placing a down payment and taking on a mortgage is to deal with an unexpected plumbing problem that may cost several thousand dollars to repair. And that cost does not include the cosmetic restoration to the basement or the front yard landscaping, which is often a greater expense than the repair itself. All of Roto-Rooter’s cameras are equipped with RF locators, which our technicians can use to pinpoint where exactly in the pipe the obstruction is located. This in turn will provide the necessary information to either perform a spot
repair or replace the main sewer line. Video recordings are also available upon request should this information need to be relayed to a third party (the seller). There are a number of indicators that buyers should be aware of that would warrant a camera inspection: 1) If the home is 30 years or older, chances are the main sewer line is clay. Clay will deteriorate with age caused by erosion. The pipe will become brittle and tree
roots will breach the pipe either through the fittings or, if weak enough, right through the pipe itself. 2) If there are mature trees on the front lawn of the buyer’s property, or on the neighbouring properties, the probability that tree roots are an issue increases. Even roots from a tree that has been cut down can continue to grow underground and find their way into the main sewer line. 3) If the home has not been lived in for many years, the status of the main drain remains a mystery. A camera inspection will answer any questions you have regarding the state and condition of the sewer system. This gives buyers peace of mind and, more A technician uses a camera to pinpoint where importantly, inforthe obstruction in the pipe is located. mation on how they
should value the home. Do not be afraid to ask the seller if they have experienced a backup in the past. If it happened once, it can happen again and sometimes a backup will not occur unless there is heavy usage or rainfall. Buyers rarely visit the home they are buying in poor weather and sellers may not be obligated to disclose information pertaining to the plumbing in their home. With the smart investment of a camera inspection, the buyer can forego the surprise of an expensive plumbing nightmare. David Collini is with Roto-Rooter, which was established in 1935 and is the largest provider of plumbing and drain cleaning in North America. For your nearest Roto-Rooter Plumbing and Drain Service, call 1-800-GETROTO. Visit www.RotoRooter.com to schedule a service call. For useful homeowner tips visit the RotoRooterTV channel on YouTube. REM