Traditional sales (and the training that supports it) relies too heavily on closing strategies and overcoming objections. The typical reason given for this approach is based upon the mythology that you need to ask people to buy multiple times to get them to say “yes” and that objections are “buying signs”.

The real reason for this tendency, however, lies in something far simpler than the common rationalizations. More sales opportunities are lost because salespeople (and this issue certainly applies to leasing associates) don’t know how to manage the event when a prospect doesn’t make a decision immediately.

The moment the prospect leaves the community, salespeople lose control of the interaction, and turn their energy toward the next prospect that comes in the door. As time allows, they chase the ever elusive “follow up.” Walk through a leasing office in an afternoon or on a quiet morning and take a look at the stack of guest cards awaiting follow ups (we realize that the stack today is not always physical and may reside in a community’s CRM or PMS system).

We’ve seen it (as I’m sure many of you have as well). A leasing associate gets some downtime, picks up a stack of cards and starts plowing through…

• Hi, this is Debbie from Acme Communities, just following up on your visit to our community. Can you call me back when you get this message?
• Hi, just wanted to check-in on your efforts to find a new home.
• Just wanted to let you know that the price on the unit you looked at will probably be increasing soon.

For the few people that leasing associates are able to connect with, the conversations are typically valueless, meaningless and ineffective. Sure, some prospects move forward in this process, but it’s unpredictable and the follow up approach has little to nothing to do with moving the decision forward – prospects move forward despite the follow up approach, not because of it.

Every break in the conversation between a salesperson/leasing associate and a prospect/resident is a vulnerability point in the sales process. This is true whether the interaction occurs at the beginning of the sale (when a resident makes their first inquiry) or the end (after the tour and they’ve been asked to lease).

Research conducted by Neil Rackham, author of one of the bestselling books on selling of all-time, SPIN Selling, identified a crucial strategic sales decision that demonstrates a causal relationship between successful and unsuccessful outcomes.

In observing thousands of sales interactions, he discovered that salespeople treated such breaks in one of two fashions:

• Most interactions merely allowed the conversation to be continued. This approach typically led to a failed outcome. These interactions are continuations.
• Stronger salespeople who experienced far more success did not allow these conversations to continue, instead they purposefully advanced the conversation. These conversations are advances.

An interaction is classified as an advance when specific actions/commitments are taken/made by both parties that move the process towards a decision. When both parties (and especially the prospect) don’t make clear commitments, or the commitment doesn’t move the decision forward, it’s a continuation.

For example, “why don’t we talk in a couple of days and see what you’re thinking,” is a continuation not an advance; as is “call me with any questions,” or “I’ll follow up with you [fill in date].”

The vast majority of interactions between leasing associates and prospects end in continuations, and are highly ineffective. Opportunities are consistently lost because leasing associates haven’t been taught how to effectively advance conversations.

Here’s a scenario to illustrate the difference:

Susan and Will have just finished touring your community. They’ve identified the floor plan they like, and Oakley, their leasing associate, has shared the pricing and details. Oakley asks Susan and Will if they’re ready to sign their lease.

Will replies that they’re still looking and getting a feel for the options that are out there.

Oakley continues the conversation if she says something like, “Okay. How about if I call you Monday afternoon and you can share with me what you’ve seen at other communities? I can also let you know if the pricing is going to change soon.”

Or she could advance the conversation:

Oakley:  That makes a lot of sense. How many communities are you planning on looking at?

Will:  Probably two or three.

Oakley:  Have you identified which communities?

Will:  Yeah, we’re going to Doe Community and Zeta. Then there are still a couple we’re considering.

Oakley:  Those are both very nice communities. When do you plan on visiting them?

Susan:  We’ll be done over the next three days or so.

Oakley:  How about we do this. Today’s Thursday. So, why don’t you commit to visiting at least Doe and Zeta by the end of the weekend. Then send me an email with any thoughts or questions you have. Then we can talk at 3pm on Sunday and I’ll be happy to share some insights and answer the questions on your mind. You can let me know how things compare; and Susan should be able to get the information on the elementary schools you asked about. Would that work for you?

Which interaction do you think has a better chance of leading to a successful outcome?

Teaching your associates how to advance the conversation, and giving them the systems to support it can have a dramatic impact on their effectiveness. As a start, meet with your team and discuss the difference between continue vs advance, then brainstorm five different ways they can advance sales conversations.