Identifying customer needs

Do not focus on trying to sell product which you produce. Warehouses throughout country are full of products nobody wants to buy. Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions! Find out what benefit your customer desires. Talk to your customers. You will be surprised how often price is not priority. They may be looking for a local supplier, excellent service, a guarantee, any risk of loss to be assumed by supplier, immediate delivery, staged payments. If you know your customer, then you have a far greater chance of forming a lasting relationship which should lead to permanent relationship selling.

Be Great at making presentations

Giving a presentation is one of most feared events in Western society. In surveys of people's fears, death is usually ranked around number six. Giving a presentation is usually number one. To be excellent at selling, you have to give presentation.

Be prepared to handle objections

"We don't want it, we can't afford it, we don't believe you, we've tried it before and it didn't work, we are perfectly happy with our present supplier and it's not in budget." Your initial reaction could be that you are not going to make sale. This is incorrect. You have to understand that an objection is a request for more information. As long as customer is objecting, you are selling.

Close deal

A customer is someone who is willing and able to purchase benefit you offer. In a successful sales presentation, you eventually reach point when it is time to ask for action, time to close that deal.

6. Know What You Need And What You'll Concede What is essential to one homebuyer may be of no value to another. Creating "need-to-have" and "nice-to-have" lists can be helpful. Your first "need-to-have" list may be very different from your final version; still, it serves as a starting point for you to discuss and decide upon those features that are absolute essentials. For instance, public transportation to shopping areas might be a "need-to-have" if you do not own a car, while it is another person's "nice-to-have." If someone in your family is disabled, a one-level home with wheel chair access may be a necessary feature. However, you may decide that adding a customized ramp after home purchase is more cost effective. Identifying what you want and what you need helps your real estate agent pinpoint your ideal home.

7. Keep Score Of The Houses You Tour After inspecting a home, record its positive and negative aspects and write down your overall impressions. Eliminate those homes which do not measure up to your satisfaction. Review your "nice-to-have" list to see how many additional positive points each property may possess. These scorecards will be very helpful in narrowing field for your final selection. Continued from previous page

8. Maneuver The Maze In Just Seven Days A firm understanding of mortgage process will help mini- mize delays and ensure your smooth transition from house hunter to homeowner. At pre-qualification, a list of required documentation is presented, and as you approach application process this documentation must be produced. At application, loan officer collects documentation, and assists you in completing an application form. You receive a Truth in Lending Statement and a Good Faith Estimate outlining costs and estimated fees involved in your mortgage. Loan registration assures that money is available at a set interest rate if and when your application is approved. With proper documentation, most lenders should be able to provide a letter of committment, subject to appraisal, in as little as seven business days.

The property must be adequately collateralized to secure loan once an appraisal is performed. Processors organize your information and may verify your employment status, bank balances and other information from your application. An underwriter reviews all information in your loan file to determine if application meets lending guidelines. At this point, loan is either approved or denied. Closing is when ownership of property is transferred. All fees are paid, remainder of downpayment is remitted, as are closing costs such as title insurance and taxes.

9. If At First They Deny, Give It A Fresh Try The loan for which you apply may not be loan for which you are ultimately approved. Sometimes a mortgage lender offers a program with different terms or a counter offer. They may grant your loan, but with certain conditions to be met prior to closing (such as a termite inspection). If your application is denied, you will receive an adverse action notice stating a specific reason(s) for denial. Many of reasons for denial such as insufficient funds, excessive debt or poor credit history can be improved over time.