Sell More With Sales Coaching: Practical Solutions for Your Everyday Sales Challenges

Chapter 9

Sales Mistake #8

Missing Prospects’ Buying Cues

We’re house stalking. It’s early spring and frost is on the ground. We sit in our car looking at yet another house in town with a “For Sale” sign on its lawn. My husband has finally decided he’s ready to move. I’m excited.

We admire the house’s design and stone exterior and speculate about how life would be different if we lived in the city. We chat about hiking the conservation park trails every morning before starting our days. We talk about walking to local restaurants for our weekly dates. We speak about being part of a community that we always thought we missed by living in the country. We’re painting an enticing picture of what life would look like if we move. (As you know, prospects’ imaginations are one of the most powerful sales tools available to your team members.)

Then another car drives up, and the lovely little picture we are creating dissolves. My husband playfully says, “Looks like we have competition.” We naively thought we were the only ones who house stalked.

I should preface what is about to happen with this: At this point, we don’t have a real estate agent. Up until now, we have just been looking online at which houses are available in town.

The other car sits there for the longest time. Then, finally, the door opens and out steps a gentleman in a well-tailored gray suit—polished and professional looking.

He walks over to our car on my husband’s side and says, “Are you Mark?”

My husband says, “Nope,” ...