[VIDEO] -The Language of Sales with Chicago Real Estate Broker Olin Eargle
Chicago real estate broker Olin Eargle speaks with public speaking coach Marianna Swallow and story strategist Randy Ford about the language of sales.
I haven’t always had the best experience with real estate brokers. I’m sure plenty of you can relate. They can come off as too pushy or too focused on their own gain. That’s exactly why I love meeting real estate professionals like Olin Eargle, who puts the needs of his clients first.
As he likes to say, “I’m not a transactional broker, I’m a relationship broker.” Yet with this approach, Olin still secures the kind of sales that make him a successful agent in the tough Chicago market.
In this week’s video, Randy and I sit down with Olin to discuss how he excels at the language of sales. He highlights the importance of understanding, education, and being transparent with your customer. One of the clear takeaways of our talk is how establishing expectations up front can help build trust and avoid headaches down the line.
Check out our video to learn more about how Olin seals the deal, no hard sell required.
Watch our stories below, or keep scrolling to read a synopsis.
“The art of persuasion in sales is about giving [the client] the facts they need.”
Tip #1: Listen to your clients and take the time to understand what they truly need.
Olin began his career as a leasing agent and worked his way to dealing with buyers and sellers. His understanding of what clients need has evolved with each experience. A renter’s list of requirements is different from that of a homebuyer. This is why Olin sees his job as different from that of a traditional salesperson.
“You have to listen, you have to truly understand what that person is looking to do, because inevitably, if they’re not getting what they want, they can go back as quick as they came,” he said. For Olin, digging deep is imperative to the language of sales. You need to understand what’s important to your client, what they care about, and what it is they envision.
“They should feel heard and wanted.”
Tip #2: Set expectations up front
I was interested in hearing how this approach affected his use of persuasive language when it came to sales. For Olin, “the art of persuasion in sales is about giving [the client] the facts they need.”
On a practical level, that means allowing the client to establish clear expectations of what they want from the get-go. Olin sees his role as more of an advisor. It’s his job to give his clients relevant information to help them make a decision.
Tip #3: Transparency is key
Because of the rapid nature of real estate timelines, the language of sales may involve a positive push. “I don’t want them to feel pressured, but I want them to feel the pressure.” Still, even in these cases, Olin refuses to use a twist-arm tactic. You want the client to trust you and one of the most effective ways of achieving that is by being transparent.
Olin doesn’t shy away from talking about how and when he gets paid as a real estate broker. (Fun fact: only when a transaction is completed.) He also takes the time to clarify what his role is in the process from the very beginning, since not everyone may be aware of how the industry works. For Olin, education is a huge factor in putting clients at ease.
As Randy said, “education is persuasion.” It’s a lesson Randy learned his freshman year in college when he was disqualified from a public speaking competition for being too informative. But a professor came to his defense saying that information was the foundation for a persuasive argument and he was later reinstated. This philosophy prevailed then and it prevails in Olin’s line of work.
The three of us may have different professional backgrounds and different experiences with the real estate industry, but we all agreed that the language of sales doesn’t involve sneaky tactics or rhetorical flourishes. It comes down to being straightforward, informative, and receptive to what your clients want.
How about you? What are some ways your organization puts prospective clients at ease?
About Me…
Hi! I’m Marianna. I make the process of public speaking easier for my clients. I help with everything from preparation to managing anxiety and nerves to speaking with strength and confidence. Need some coaching, or a workshop? Get in touch.
