It's January, it's cold, and we haven't gotten back into the swing of things yet. So rather than relaying some information on a deep subject, I found the following quiz that I hope will cause a smile.

Understanding the role gut instincts play in buyers' and sellers' likes, dislikes, and attention span can help you win their business, says Kare Anderson, a national columnist and former Wall Street Journal reporter, who writes and speaks on the topic.

At the same time, gaining insight into people's gut instincts only takes a keen eye and ear--not a large investment in marketing materials or technology.

Test your readiness for working with customers the "gutsy" way with this quiz developed by Anderson.

1.	People get along better when talking to each other if they are
	a. Facing each other. b. Standing side by side.
2.	Who tends to stand side by side, facing more or less the same way?
	a. Men b. Women c. Children
3.	If you want to increase the chance of knowing if consumers are lying to you--perhaps about whether they'll be using your services--what's one helpful characteristic to notice when they're talking to you?
	a. Whether they're winking. b. Fidgety feet. c. The timing and duration of their first reactive expression to your question or comment.
4.	If you want to keep someone's attention, wear a
	a. Patterned shirt or blouse. b. Plain shirt or blouse. c. Hat.
5.	What's the most 'emotional' of all the senses--the one that bypasses the thought process causing the quickest, most intense emotional reaction?
	a. Smell b. Site c. Touch
6 .	Are you more likely to get someone to use your real estate services if you give them something up front, unasked, before you ask for their business?
	a. Yes b. No
7 .	Who tends to maintain wider peripheral vision when they enter a new place?
	a. Men b. Women c. Children
8 .	Who tends to be more specific in their descriptions?
	a. Adults b. Children
9.	Which of the questions in this quiz will people most likely ask for the answer to or comment on first?
	a. Number 3 b. Number 4 c. Number 5

 
1. People get along better when talking to each other if they are

B. Standing side by side.

Researchers aren't sure why, but people get along better when they "sidle," stand or sit side by side, rather than face each other. In fact, buyers and sellers are more likely to think positively about you if they sit next to you.

TIP: Don't sit opposite buyers or sellers at a table. Sit at a right angle to them, or talk to them while you're seated side-by-side in a car. When they're by your side, they won't feel coerced and controlled.

2. Who tends to stand side by side, facing more or less the same way?

A. Men.

Men are more likely to sidle than women.

3. If you want to increase the chance of knowing if consumers are lying to you--perhaps about whether they'll be using your services--what's one helpful characteristic to notice when they're talking to you?

C. The timing and duration of their first reactive expression to your question or comment.

TIP: When lying, most people can affect an innocent expression. Yet few--except pathological liars--will maintain the right timing or duration of that expression. Ignore the expression itself and consider if it occurs too soon or too late to be natural. Trust your gut, and you'll greatly increase your chances of knowing if someone is lying.

4. If you want to keep someone's attention, wear a

B. Plain shirt or blouse.

TIP: A plain shirt or blouse will increase the chance that buyers and sellers will listen to you longer than if you wear a patterned top, ornate jewelry, or loud tie, which will break hearers' attention span more quickly. When you get dressed tomorrow morning, consider carefully what you'll wear to that listing presentation so that sellers focus on your spiel, not your shirt.

5. What's the most 'emotional' of all the senses--the one that bypasses the thought process causing the quickest, most intense emotional reaction?

A. Smell.

The right natural scent can refresh or relax people. Vanilla, apple, and chocolate are the scents Americans like most.

TIP: It's an oldie but a goodie: Keep encouraging sellers to bake cookies for open house visitors. The listing will be memorable and welcoming. Add a subtle scent, such as vanilla or eucalyptus, to your car, too, to de-stress the home search process.

6. Are you more likely to get someone to use your real estate services if you give them something up front, unasked, before you ask for their business?

A. Yes.

You're up to 14 times more likely to get their business, according to research from MIT and Japan's Nomura Securities. In fact, this cause-and-effect gut reaction has a name: reciprocity reflex.

TIP: Buyers and sellers want information not advertising. For instance, instead of passing out business cards like everyone other real estate practitioner, give prospective sellers a packet with 15 criteria to look for in the real estate practitioners they're interviewing. A moving checklist is a good idea, too. You have to give to get.

7. Who tends to maintain wider peripheral vision when they enter a new place?

B. Women.

In fact, store owners increase their sales to men if they feature prominent, eye-level signage over large displays so men will see signs soon after entering a store.

TIP: How does this concept relate to real estate? If you display listing sheets during an open house, put them in a holder closer to eye level, for instance. In these and other marketing materials, make text headlines large and use bullet points. Men, more so than women, process information better when the messages are clear.

8. Who tends to be more specific in their descriptions?

B. Children.

Children are more vividly specific, hitting their prime around the fourth grade, after which they begin to speak in generalities like adults.

TIP: If clients or customers ask you a question, answer that question first--with your first breath. Then offer the background.

If someone asks you to describe a home, don't say, "It's a beautiful home." Say, "The window in the family room frames the woods and lake perfectly." If you identify the specifics too late, consumers' minds will have moved on, and it's less likely they'll ever listen to you again. But if you speak in specifics, you'll be more memorable and credible.

9. Which of the questions in this quiz will people most likely ask for the answer to or comment on first?

A. Number 3.

It seems that we have an inordinate interest in lying.

(The above quiz was taken from REALTOR^® magazine.)

See you next week.

Back to Ronnie REALTOR^® Archive >>