What Makes Them Great?
I just arrived home from the Orthopaedic Foundation Gala, where one of the four honorees was our extraordinary Flatiron Sales Director Camille Duvall. Camille, a five-time world champion waterskier, also appears on Sports Illustrated’s list of the 100 greatest female athletes of the 20th century. In the cab home, I pondered what makes a top agent, as Camille was before she became a manager. Here are a few ideas about what makes a great sales professional in any field:
- My top agents come from diverse backgrounds. Some came to the business with a great Rolodex, some did not. Some grew up in New York, some did not. Some need the money to live, some do not. But they all feel driven to succeed. They work long hours, and they all care deeply about getting the job done thoroughly and well.
- Since a successful career in our business requires such diverse skills, the truly successful agents combine street smarts with brain power. More than half of Warburg agents have advanced degrees. They solve problems, and pivot quickly and seamlessly from issue to issue to consummate the deal.
- Top agents frequently lack patience for small frustrations: a computer glitch, a slow e-mail response. But when it comes to the big picture, they don’t let go. It’s common for us to consummate a transaction with a buyer many months or even years after first meeting to begin the search. In today’s market this is becoming more common with sellers as well. Top agents refine and refine their understanding of a client’s needs until they can actually make the call to say,”OK, this is it. This is the one for you.” And usually they nail it!
- The best agents feel excited every day by the job, and that energy engages both buyers and sellers. They can still fall in love with beautiful properties and feel excitement at making a match. For great agents the thrill of bringing the parties together never gets old, and it shows.
- Sometimes agents have to push back. The best agents combine respect for their principals with an understanding that placating a buyer or seller with a false reassuring answer creates more trouble for everyone in the long run. They are masters of artful directness.
- THEY CAN SELL. The best agents possess an indefinable ability to bring a deal together. I can’t necessarily define it, but I know it when I see it! They know how to talk to clients, deploying both data and persuasiveness. They are transparent and genuine, both a friend and a business advisor. They negotiate with skill and finesse, seeing which issues lend themselves to compromise and which do not. And time and again they wield these skills to get the deal done.
I think this list captures many of the fundamental qualities shared by the best salespeople. It’s not comprehensive. But if you are thinking about hiring a sales professional, or becoming one, looking for these qualities will be a good place to start.