Have you ever taken a personality test and listened to how the questions are graded so they could tell you which category you fit in to? Pretty fascinating stuff, and literally as old as the ancient astrologers determining how people have a penchant for one type of personality or another. But, given that there are so many personalities, how can I, as a Realtor learn to use this knowledge to my advantage? The answer is actually simple: it just takes two!

Some of the best salespeople in the country will tell you, people tend to think with their “heads” or their “hearts”. Think about it! Your buyer’s asking what the payment is, how did you arrive at this sales price, will they leave the washer? You have a “head” buyer, someone who might rationalize this decision made on numbers and facts. Now, the buyer’s spouse wants to know about the schools, who the neighbors are next door. Chances are good, they are the emotional counterpart, making decisions based on the “heart”.

 

Sellers do the same thing! I had one who didn’t care about anything except who had used me before and could he visit with them. Not hard to determine a “heart” seller there! The point is, if you can identify who it is using this simple two-sided yardstick, you’re chances of helping them make a smart decision is helped immensely by understanding their procedure for validating this decision.

Another way of looking at it is that “heart” people tend to be more comfortable thinking on an emotional level, while “head” people tend more toward the rational side of decisions. Be careful not to typecast either; I’ve found more husbands who tend to be “heart” buyers while their wives keep a sharp pencil watching the checkbook!  Forget astrology, learn these two personalities and start earning more commissions.