A very wise man once told me, “I’m often not the smartest guy in the room, but I sure ask the right questions!” He described to me the most valuable concept of “level 2 thinking.”

Communications skills are a huge advantage in sales; specifically real estate. There are two types of communication levels: Level 1 and 2.When I say communication, that means all forms: talking, moving, and listening. Level 1 is what 98% of us achieve when we interact with our clients. Getting to level 2 is where the magic happens. And believe or not, it’s pretty easy to get there. But first, let me explain what level 1 is:

Level 1 is like surface level thought, ie: what’s your name, where do you work, when do you need to sell your house by? These are questions and conversations that only skim the surface. At the end of the conversation ask yourself, do I really know this person?

Level 2, in its most simplistic form (since I love simplicity), is understanding and communicating your clients emotions and internal motivations. It’s what makes them tick. The deeper meaning why they want to sell. It’s understanding their FEARS, ASPIRATIONS, and ANXIETIES. Level 2 get’s us to a place where we really “connect” with people and truly understand where they are coming from.

We all engage in this at one time or the other without realizing it. Level 2 communicating is one of the most powerful skills to learn. Imagine the possibilities once you really understand the inner workings of people; negotiations will run smoother, sales will come easier, and getting listings will seem like a piece of cake. But how do we get to Level 2? It’s really easy actually. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Have empathy. As soon as you can understand what a person feels the greater chance he.she will become emotionally vested in you.
2. Ask deep questions. What keeps you up at night? What really is going to make you happy?
3. Reaffirm emotions. If someone confides in you and tells you their deep fear, acknowledge it and show gratitude for them sharing. It’s not easy opening up to a stranger.
4. Anticipate. You have to plan and think ahead. Pick up on small clues like the car they drive, clothes they wear, specific word choices. Thinking and anticipating what they feel will help connect you faster.
5. Keep it confidential. Trust is a huge issue. Keep the conversations confidential at all times. Explicitly say it to, “…I just want to say that I appreciate you opening up; trust me, everything we discussed is totally confidential. I’ll never speak it to anyone.”

See, it’s not that hard. The main goal is to connect on a deeper and emotional understanding level. You can take this understanding and have a profoundly better response in your marketing by using key emotional words in emails, open house flyers, listing flyers, and/or brochures. By doing so, you’ll gain the trust of your clients, improve your relationships, and it’ll boost your business.

I hope this helps and you find it useful.