Today's article is all about communication. Let me start with a story: A woman was standing in front of the mirror and said to her husband: "Oh my love, I'm so fat and so ugly. I really need to hear a nice compliment." Her husband replied: "You have great vision." Oh the trouble we can get into when our lips flap. Any married person can attest. Probably many Realtors, too. Because real estate is a people business, communication is the industry's bedrock. And I can say this next sentence with certainty: Top producers in real estate are expert communicators. If you want to join their ranks, you should jump at every opportunity to improve your communication skills. This article can help, and to get the most from the article I only need you to remember four letters and their meaning: DISC. DISC is a tool you can use to quickly assess a person's dominant personality. It's based on work by psychologist William Martson. Generally speaking, it turns out there are four primary types of personality styles out there: Directors, Interactors, Supporters and Compliants. The next time you're giving a listing presentation, you'll be talking to one of those four types of people. And when you understand which one you're talking to, you can be much more effective and more likely to get the result you want. So, let's dive into each and learn some practical tips you can start using in your daily life as a Realtor: Directors are direct. They want to make money, save time and be efficient. When you talk to directors, be short and to the point with closed questions. They seek productivity and the bottom line. They're motivated by new challenges and problems to solve. They enjoy power and authority to take risks and make decisions. And they want freedom from routine and mundane tasks. Interactors want, you guessed, interaction. Lots of it. They want to have fun and they enjoy talking about themselves. When you're talking to interactors, add humor and don't labor on the details. They seek recognition and fun. They're motivated by flattery, praise, popularity and acceptance, and they want other people available to handle details. Supporters are connectors. They want security, safety and a strong sense of belonging. When talking to supporters ask for their opinions and feelings and offer open-ended questions. They're motivated by recognition for loyalty and dependability and they don't care for sudden changes in procedure or lifestyle. They also like activities they can start and finish. Compliants are thinkers. They're always wondering how things work. They want practicality, logic, fairness and a systematic approach. When talking to thinkers give facts, documentation and data. They seek accuracy. They're motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, detailed tasks and logical organization of information. Yes, understanding people, listening to their needs and wants and responding appropriately all take work and attention. But because real estate is a people business, it's simply a must. And the better at it you become, the better living you'll make as an agent or broker. I promise. Best of luck to you! Share what's on your mind. Which style do you feel you are? When you read the four personality styles, do certain people come to mind? Do you think you'd be a better communicator if you could identify your clients' personality styles? What can you start doing today to be a better communicator? Bubba Mills is executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems for residential REALTOR, mortgage brokers and real estate companies.
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