It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Business

As a professional, it can be difficult when you have a client that decides to work with their friend or family member, when you know that they would be better taken care of with you. This especially happens in the real estate profession, where the barrier of entry is particularly low, compared to other professional positions, and everyone has a “friend in real estate.” So how does one handle this situation when it arises?

It’s extremely important to remember that most professional service decisions are going to be based on trust. If you’re selling your services to a potential new client, and their family or good friend is involved, you’re starting at a disadvantage in the “trust” department.

You’re likely going to be able to explain why you’re the better fit business-wise by:

• Referencing past successes
• Showcase favorable client reviews
• Explaining your unique selling proposition (what you do that NOBODY else does)

The toughest part about these situations is that you KNOW that you’re the better professional for this client. You KNOW that the clouded judgement will likely cost your client thousands of dollars by the close of the deal. But how do you get the client to trust you enough to win them over?

1. Never Belittle Your Competitor — This is especially important if your competitor is a friend of family member. Telling them that their friend “only” did a few deals last year is not the way to go about it. Always lift yourself up, don’t tear someone else down.
2. Highlight Your Advantages — You know that you’re the better fit for the client, now you have to make them see that. Hopefully you can identify your advantages over the other agent and speak to that. If you know that the other agent doesn’t have much experience, highlight your experience. If the other agent is not tech-savvy, highlight your 3d virtual tours and social media reach.
3. Offer A Compromise — After its all said and done, if you feel like you might not be in the lead, be ready to offer a compromise. If the friend or family member is inexperienced, offer to bring them on as a co-listing agent on this deal and mentor them throughout. If they are experienced, but just not that good (I had this happen recently), offer a referral to the other agent, that way the client feels good about giving them some of the commission, but gets your expertise throughout the deal as well.

Again, when you find yourself in this position, you need to make sure that you’re helping the client get to the point where they feel comfortable telling their friend or family member that, “It’s not personal, it’s just business.”

This article was originally published on my LinkedIn on 1/19/2016