TEACHING BLAIR TO CLOSE

Recently, I was flying to New Orleans on business and had the good fortune to be seated next to the respected actor Blair Underwood.  He first made his name starring in the hit series “L.A. Law”, back in the 80’s and recently had a successful run in the sitcom “The New Adventures of Old Christine”.  He was on his way back to wrap up shooting a movie that he was starring in.

For those that don’t know, I am passionate about movies and wrote a screenplay many years ago, that actually starred world renowned actor James Earl Jones.  Meeting Mr. Jones and hearing him say the words that I had created in my study on my lap top, gave me goose bumps, and to this day is still one of the biggest thrills of my life!  Below is a picture of a very young me, with the great actor himself, while he was shooting the screenplay that I had written.  You can probably tell I was in awe of the great man!

Roland & James Earl Jones

Needless to say, when I realized who my seatmate was I could hardly contain my excitement. We chatted about Blair’s many film and TV credits, and when he found out that I was a professional sales trainer and coach, he asked me for my opinion on how to handle a “pitch” meeting. To explain, a pitch meeting is when actors and agents, meet with producers (and sometimes Studios) to pitch their project to raise money.

Poor Blair was trapped in the window seat, while I being positively giddy with enthusiasm, waxed lyrical about sales and movies, inadvertently spraying my Sun Chips all over the poor fellow.

After probing about the meeting, and the kind of discovery he engaged in prior to, and at the beginning of the meeting, I then asked him;

“So Blair, what happens at the end of the meeting when you ask for the sale?”

“What do you mean?” he replied.

“You know when you ask for their business?”   

 He looked at me slightly embarrassed. “I guess I don’t!”  He said sheepishly.

“What!  I exclaimed sun chips spewing forth. “How come?”

“I guess I never thought of it.” 

He responded quietly, politely wiping away damp crumbs of Sun Chips from his cheek.

We teach that the two main reasons people don’t ask for the sale, is either a fear of rejection or they don’t know the words and phrases. After further discussion it became clear that the main reason Blair and his agents didn’t ask for the biz, was that they didn’t know the words.

I asked the question:

“Blair, as a world famous actor, you get all dressed up and attend these” pitch” meetings, don’t  you at least deserve the feedback as to where you are with the investors, and the likelihood of them proceeding?”

I continued, stating boldly while thumping my tray:

“Isn’t it time you took control?”

“Control, I like that!”  Blair replied enthusiastically, and started taking notes.

The rest of the journey I gave Blair Underwood closing tips, and he wrote down phrases that he would use at upcoming pitch meetings.  He gave me his email address and when I got to my hotel I emailed him as much as I could about involvement and closing, tailoring the questions to his specific “movie” needs.

In our industry of New Home Sales, how many times do we get to the end of our presentation and ask for the sale? I hope the answer is every time! As long as we have done our job and narrowed down our customer’s choices to a one of a kind home and location, what have we got to lose by asking for the sale? A lot of extra business would be the answer. So from now on, let’s ensure that we don’t do what my illustrious seat mate had been doing, and lets go ahead and ask for the sale! 

As a follow up, sadly I haven’t heard back from Blair. Although, if you see his star rise even higher with leading roles in hugely successful motion pictures; you will know what could have helped him. By the way, I can’t’ really blame him for not responding …it was probably the sun chips!

For an article I wrote for NAHB’s, Sales and Marketing Ideas (SMI) magazine about Closing and Creating Urgency, please email to me at:

Roland@newhomespecialist.com

 
ROLAND ON THE ROAD

Here are some photos with our wonderful clients who we have been visiting with and training recently.  Of course, we also host live interactive Video conferences on a regular basis that take us as far away as Australia and India.

Landmark Homes of Tennessee

TIm Schaeffer Communities, South Jersey

Atlantic Builders, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Master Broker Forum, Boynton Beach, Florida

Ideal Homes (with some Realtor (r) guests), Norman, Oklahoma

Ivey Residential, Augusta, Georgia

Keystone Homes, Augusta, Georgia

Park Homes, in chilly Edmonton

                                                                                                                                                            SALES HEROES

Last month we sent out an e-blast recounting a true story about a brand new salesperson in Louisiana who after attending our New Home Sales Boot Camp ®, made a sale with a customer she had been working with for many months. She asked the customer what was different this time and the customer responded. “I was waiting for you to ask.”

In response to this e-blast we heard from Dan Flemming a terrific sales Manager for Tower Development in Birmingham, Alabama.

From: Flemming, Daniel
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2011 10:17 AM
To: roland@newhomespecialist.com

Subject: Re: “All you had to do was ask!”

How true! A prospect was looking at homes in each of our four new home communities. I asked him to let me know which on site agent asked for the sale! One day later I received a call from one of my on site agents asking for assistance in writing a buyer proposal. When I arrived, it was the same prospect! He said “Tiffany asked for the sale! So I am buying at her community”. Ask and you shall receive. 

Dan Flemming

Sales Manager, Tower Development, Birmingham Alabama

So congratulations to Tiffany Ballard for asking for and making the sale, and for Dan Flemming for being the kind of actively involved manager that takes the time to  recognize his sales teams efforts.

 Finally this wouldn’t be my blog if I didn’t have  a few recent photos of my little lad Max.  So here they are.

Max in his Mercedes!

My Max

2 Responses to “TEACHING BLAIR TO CLOSE”

1. Scott Baughman says:

   Nov 3, 2011 at 6:41 pm

   Roland – Love the blog today about sitting next to Blair on the plane and the conversation the two of you had. What seems like it should be obvious and come naturally for many of us never does. That is asking for what we want – without worrying about what the answer might be.

   I never sold up to what I felt like was my full potential in new home sales until you suggested that I ask everyone “Is this the type of home you’d like to own?” I started doing that and my sales immediately improved.

   To this day I still ask pretty much everyone that question and am no longer surprised when they say yes. Last month (October 2011) I sold seven homes and a big part of the success I had was just asking that question.

   Thanks for the blog tips – they are much appreciated.

   Reply
   • RNairnsey says:

     Nov 4, 2011 at 2:11 pm

     Scott,
     Thanks for the great comment. Congratulations on your having the courage to simply ask for the sale, and for your well deserved success as a result.
     Roland

     Reply