We Are Selling with Lee Woodward

Using Words & Concepts to Power Negotiations with John McGrath & Renee Hardman

• Realtair • Episode 9

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We break down the power of words and concepts in negotiation—moving beyond scripts and into intentional language that drives decisions. Using real examples from John McGrath and Renee Hardman, this episode shows how top agents send the right signals at the right time to gain commitment.

• using “tie-downs” to isolate and close the final objection
• reframing commission from a percentage to a dollar value
• positioning fees as profit participation, not an expense
• using fairness language to gain consent
• summarising to close with clarity and confidence
• stating your case and clearly asking for the business
• why hunger, clarity, and intent win listings

A practical lesson in how elite agents use language to control outcomes and close with confidence.



Hosted by Lee Woodward Training Systems

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Lee Woodward:

Welcome to the podcast We Are Selling. Today we are discussing words and concepts, not scripts and dialogues. Let's get started with our program. Words are not just the scripts and dialogues you may have been taught of yesterday. Words and concepts are actually required to be done in a logical sequence and order to tell a story of you, the situation, or the plan and strategy that you're putting forward that would benefit the other person. In a negotiation, these are leverage points and great negotiators know and can see the outcome of the words and vision that they are delivering, which gives them that consistency of results. We have combed through thousands of agents recordings to extract and select some brilliant words and concepts being used to be the teaching system of today's program. As we listen to a dialogue, I'll then give you the concept or what was going on behind the message and signals. All the words we use send signals. When this is understood, it's only then we get the option to send the right signals at the right time. So let's get started. Our first one, I'm going to go straight into it. John McGrath's going to help me out with a fee objection. The presentation's been done, we're right at the last moment. We're trying to get that yes. I would like you to listen to how John uses a technique called a tie-down. And a tie down is where you say, if this is the way it is, can we proceed? And you're trying to get away from isolating one single item to tying down what they've said as the situation. And tie-downs are a great way to manoeuvre a conversation into a final outcome. Let's cross to John McGrath.

John McGrath:

Lee, thanks for raising that, because I think from our discussion it sounds as though you'd like to move ahead with us. So can I just understand that if we can agree on a commercial fee this morning, you're happy to move ahead with our company and have me look after the sale for you? John, I think I would. Yes. Okay, so I guess what I'd like to talk about now is our fee for your home, which is worth about half a million dollars, is three per cent. And I know you've been quoted two percent by agents that that have had a re have a reasonable reputation and would probably do quite a good job also. So what we're talking about is a five thousand dollar differential. So what I'm trying to do here, Lee, and if I can just break out a role play for a minute, is is one is just get them to agree that if you can agree on fees, then you've got the business. Because otherwise you can start you can do a great selling job on them and you can do a great presentation, and then all of a sudden they say, Okay, well thanks for doing that. Now let's talk about no fee, no charge. Now let's talk about I don't like auctioning, now let's talk about open agency. So I think you've got to tie it down to one specific issue. Then what I used to try and do is quantify that down to a dollar amount. So I've actually gone from 3% to 2% to $5,000. And then I would then sell the the McGraw added value for $5,000 and try and quantify that and I would I would write the things down. So Lee, you know, one of the things I'd like to run through again is you know what I think are the really key points of difference that our competitors certainly don't have. And let me just now talk about our website, our marketing plan, our auctioneers, and I would then list them down and I would go through each and every one of them. And then on the other column I'd have $5,000. So Lee, what I'm looking at here is a situation where I believe these are all added value, and I I think that they're gonna bring a tremendous result for you at the end of it. And there is a slightly high cost, and it equates to about $5,000. And then bring them back to the net sale proceeds and so forth. So I think it's really about tying them down to a specific to make sure that there's one final objection, and if that if you overcome that one, you're gonna move forward. Then quantify the actual dollar value. And now that was $5,000 in my instance. For a lot of listeners, the difference between them and a competitor could be hundreds or a thousand or two. It doesn't necessarily have to be five or ten or fifteen thousand dollars. So that should be relatively easy to overcome. Then I would make sure that that you've covered all of the areas of added value so they understand why you should be more expensive.

Lee Woodward:

Some brilliant dialogue words that John used in that concept, which is the tie down closing for the order. I loved it when he said thanks for raising that. Now that would have been the fee objection from the client. But when he said thanks for raising that, I think from our discussion it sounds like you would like to move ahead with us. When John uses that dialogue, that is moving forward dialogue, he's putting words into the situation and the minds of the actual consumers that we're getting close here, we're getting the yes, you want us and it was just really well done. And then separate to that, he also said this.

John McGrath:

And there is a slightly higher cost, and it equates to about five thousand dollars.

Lee Woodward:

Now this was interesting. An alternative dialogue or concept here is John could have added to that there is a perceived higher cost. But John and Mary, you don't actually pay me. I come off the sale price of the home at the end if I get the result that you are happy with. Because in the transaction of real estate, I don't ever write you a tax invoice and you physically pay me from your bank account. I generate the income from the sale of the property with the purchaser. I must negotiate with that purchaser to the highest level, and only then am I paid a percentage of that result. So you don't actually pay me, I come off the sale price of the home at the end, which means I'm part of your profits, not expenses. And I can't be fairer than that. Adding the words I can't be fairer than that is a great Australian technique. Meaning people like to perceive or be seen that they are fair. And when you nod your head and say, I can't be fairer than that, people agree with you, and it's another way of getting consent to what is being said. I'm gonna cross to Renee Hardman now and explain how she does it with a summary close. I've done what I needed to do. Let's cross to Renee and see what we think.

Renee Hardman:

We've gone through everything today. I've given you all the sales evidence, and you've told me that you're happy with the price that we've come up with together, and you're happy with all the advertising that we've done. Based on everything that we've done tonight, are you happy to list the property tonight so we can get it on the market for tomorrow?

Lee Woodward:

Renee, I I've got another couple of agents I'm interviewing and uh we're not quite sure which way to go. So can we get back to you?

Renee Hardman:

Sure, no problem at all. It's important to have some other agents come in because that'll give you a good spread on price and opinion. What if I give you a call tonight after you've seen the other agents and see how you went with them and then I can come back and see you after you've had a chat to them as well. Would that be okay?

Lee Woodward:

Yeah, that would be fine. Uh can we call you back or...

Renee Hardman:

Yeah, if that if you feel more comfortable with that. Generally what I like to do though, because it's just a standard procedure for me, and I really want your business, I would prefer to call you at a time that's suitable to you.

Lee Woodward:

Thank you, Renee. What Renee has done so well is she's mastered the technique that we all need to master called stating your case. At some point you must tell the owner, I want your business. I want to follow through. I can appreciate you want to see other people, but I really want the job. And a lot of sales agents don't win business because they don't state their case and demonstrate that hunger for winning the job, being a great agent, and sending the signal that I want this, I get jobs done, you need me on your side. Renee's a powerful agent and has not only won a lot of business her entire career, she has taken a lot of business from people that did not state their case. Okay, so that concludes this podcast of the We Are Selling. However, I think we've hit a little nerve here of things people want to know. I'm going to do a sequence of these, so I'll see you next podcast as we continue on with We Are Selling Words and Concepts. I'm Lee Woodward from Realtair. Thank you for listening.