PROView - October 2008 - (Page 7) carefully. When your ears get used to the speaker’s unique music, the words start appearing as if by magic. When you don’t understand, it’s perfectly fine to ask someone to repeat him or herself. It shows that you’re interested and that you want to understand. If you’re still not certain you’ve understood an important point or that you’ve been understood, then send a hand-written summary note after the meeting. Please don’t speak to foreign-born consumers as though they are mentally impaired or hard of hearing. Speak clearly and deliberately, but don’t overdo it. Have you ever seen someone operating under the delusion that if people don’t understand English, they’ll understand loud English? Also, avoid the well-intentioned mistake of immediately offering a translator from your office if someone walks in and has a heavy accent. Your consumer may be offended. He speaks English. Why would he need a translator? Value of time People from different cultures may have different approaches to time and appointments. Say, for example, you have a 6:00 p.m. appointment. You might want to call that morning to confirm the appointment. In the conversation, you might want to say how much you look forward to seeing her at six that evening and that you have to be at another appointment at seven. That way, you’re letting the consumer know that if she’s an hour late, she’ll miss the appointment. Need to consult People in the United States tend to be very individualistic in their decision making. A U.S. husband and wife may choose a property without consulting anyone except a property inspector. People from other cultures may want to consult with family members and others. They may bring several people to see a property they’re considering. The point is that you need to be patient. They don’t want to impose on you. If they hear the slightest sign of displeasure in your voice, they’ll take their business elsewhere. So, you need to be hospitable with the family members, godparents, co-workers and neighbors they bring along. Think of it as an opportunity to widen your network. Establish credibility When you’re doing business with people from other cultures, make sure you have a resume or personal brochure that establishes your credibility. It’s best to do this in writing. You might be perceived as too boastful if you toot your own horn verbally. The Chinese have a proverb, “An empty bottle makes a lot of noise.” But you can, and should, establish your credibility in print. If you’ve been in business for 20 years, say so. If you work for a large firm, make sure that’s clear. Don’t believe the myth that foreign-born men won’t do business with women. They will if you establish your credibility and if they see you as an authority figure. Explaining the ground rules Use your brochure as a forum for establishing the ground rules. Again, it’s best to do this in writing. Don’t take it for granted that consumers understand the process of buying real estate. Explain it to them. Explain how the commission is structured. Your brochure might say, “As a commissioned sales associate, I do not get paid until the transaction is completed. Usually the commission is paid by the selling party and is split between the real estate offices representing buyer and seller. I receive a portion of the sales commission received by my office.” This also sets the stage for protecting your commission. You’ve explained to the consumer up front that you don’t receive the full amount of the commission that’s paid. Of course, that may not prevent him or her from trying to negotiate with you. If that occurs, invoke a higher authority. Explain that you can’t make that decision, that the commission is received by the broker and that you will speak with the broker about it. Consumers may consider it rude if you look them in the eye and say no. They’ll be more understanding if they’re informed that your broker won’t allow you to adjust the commission. Qualifying consumers It’s often uncomfortable to obtain the financial information you need to proceed with a transaction. This is sometimes even more difficult with foreign-born consumers. You need to explain that you must have certain financial information so that you can help them get the very best deal—not because you’ll be sitting in judgment of them, which is what many people fear. Here’s where you want a loan officer to do the work. A loan officer will be perceived as having the authority to talk about money. The more computerized he or she is, the more impressive. Make sure that the loan agent is sensitive to the nuances of working with foreign-born consumers. Role of negotiation In this country, we don’t tend to negotiate except in buying cars and homes. People from other cultures may have negotiated all their lives. They tend to like negotiating and usually expect to negotiate. They may come in with very low offers. If you’re the selling agent, educate your sellers. Encourage them to counter. I recently saw a salesperson at a seminar who had previously taken one of my courses. He wanted to tell me a success story. He said that he’s a heavy lister and in the past when he’s gotten very low offers on property, he hadn’t always encouraged his insulted sellers to counter. After hearing my seminar, he received a very low offer and after calming his sellers down, encouraged them to counter, coming down very little. The buyers came up a lot, and the property closed. The associate said it was a transaction that he would have thrown away in the past. PINELLAS REALTOR® ORGANIZATION October 2008 7
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PROView - October 2008 PROView - October 2008 Contents Chairman's Notes Feature Story PROActive Brokerage Design Marketplace Analysis Home Sales Report MLS Update MLS Mind Your Manners Calendar of Events & Programs New REALTOR® and Affiliate Members Technology PROView - October 2008 PROView - October 2008 - PROView - October 2008 (Page Cover1) PROView - October 2008 - PROView - October 2008 (Page Cover2) PROView - October 2008 - Contents (Page 1) PROView - October 2008 - Chairman's Notes (Page 2) PROView - October 2008 - Chairman's Notes (Page 3) PROView - October 2008 - Feature Story (Page 4) PROView - October 2008 - Feature Story (Page 5) PROView - October 2008 - Feature Story (Page 6) PROView - October 2008 - Feature Story (Page 7) PROView - October 2008 - PROActive (Page 8) PROView - October 2008 - PROActive (Page 9) PROView - October 2008 - Brokerage Design (Page 10) PROView - October 2008 - Brokerage Design (Page 11) PROView - October 2008 - Marketplace Analysis (Page 12) PROView - October 2008 - Home Sales Report (Page 13) PROView - October 2008 - MLS Update (Page 14) PROView - October 2008 - MLS Update (Page 15) PROView - October 2008 - MLS Mind Your Manners (Page 16) PROView - October 2008 - Calendar of Events & Programs (Page 17) PROView - October 2008 - Calendar of Events & Programs (Page 18) PROView - October 2008 - New REALTOR® and Affiliate Members (Page 19) PROView - October 2008 - Technology (Page 20) PROView - October 2008 - Technology (Page 21) PROView - October 2008 - Technology (Page 22) PROView - October 2008 - Technology (Page 23) PROView - October 2008 - Technology (Page 24) PROView - October 2008 - Technology (Page 25)
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