Why Memorizing Scripts Is Foolish For Real Estate Agents

I know I’m going to get some heat for this, but I live in the tropics so I’m used to the swelter.

One of our very first assignments as brand new real estate agents is to download common buyer and seller objections and then memorize objection handling scripts. Here’s a common one that I see all the time online:

Seller: I like everything I hear, but you’re more expensive than the other guy. Will you cut your commission?

Agent: NO! Any more questions?

This is very much like beginner self-defense classes where you’re taught to kick an attacker in the groin. What happens after your attacker blocks your kick and you freeze in fear?

The problem with memorizing scripts is that the approach is one-dimensional and linear. It assumes objections will flow in a predictable manner.

But we know conversations with customers rarely follow the same trajectory. They are fluid and differ depending on the prospect and the situation. Things can quickly go off the rails when your prospect asks questions or gives replies that don’t follow your script. As a result, simply memorizing scripts is an incredibly ineffective way of successfully navigating conversations.

This is why most real estate coaches, training websites, and social media platforms offer scripts for free. It provides minimal value and is an inconsequential freebie to give away.

Let’s be clear that scripts are not entirely pointless. In fact, studying scripts and objection handlers are an effective way of absorbing the substance of common talking points. I am specifically talking about the trainers and coaches who’s philosophy involves forcing agents to memorize and parrot scripts verbatim.

So, now that I’ve talked about why memorizing scripts is best left for movie scenes, let’s use a different approach instead.

We’re going to go into the business of selling glass jars to people who like to make their own pickles. Before we load up our trunks with boxes of jars, we need to first understand the process of making pickles.

Simple Pickle Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar (optional, for slightly sweet pickles)
• 1-2 cucumbers, sliced
• 2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• Fresh dill (a few sprigs)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns (optional)
• Red pepper flakes (optional, for a spicy kick)

Equipment:

• Clean jar with a tight-fitting lid

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Brine:
   • In a saucepan, combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar (if using). Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
     
2. Prepare the Jar:
   • Place the sliced cucumbers in the jar. Add the crushed garlic, fresh dill, and, if using, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, and red pepper flakes.
     
3. Add the Brine:
   • Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers in the jar, ensuring the cucumbers are completely submerged. If you need more liquid, add a mix of equal parts water and vinegar.
     
4. Cool and Seal:
   • Let the jar cool to room temperature. Once cooled, seal the jar and shake gently to distribute the flavors.
     
5. Refrigerate:
   • Refrigerate the pickles for at least 24 hours before eating. The flavors will develop more over time.
     
6. Enjoy:
   • Your pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

If you just spent a good minute reading through that entire recipe, congratulations. You’ve demonstrated that you are willing to understand the process that your customer must take – this is important. Have you taken time to understand the process in real estate?

Back to the recipe…

You would have noticed that part of the process was to pour hot brine into the jar. What sort of challenges would a customer encounter during this process when it comes to the type of jar they’re using?

The Potential Jar Problem

1. Type of Glass:
   • It’s important to use food-grade glass jars for pickling to ensure safety and prevent contamination. Non-food-grade glass might release chemicals into the pickles over time.
2. Jar Size and Shape:
   • The size and shape of the jar can affect how well your pickles are submerged in the brine. Jars with wide mouths are generally preferable because they allow for easy packing and removal of the contents.
3. Seal Integrity:
   • Jars with tight-fitting lids are essential to keep the contents sealed and uncontaminated. If air gets into the jar, it can lead to spoilage and mold growth.
4. Cracked or Chipped Jars:
   • Using jars that are cracked, chipped, or otherwise damaged is risky because they may harbor bacteria or break completely.
5. Cleaning and Sterilization:
   • Even if a jar looks clean, it must be properly sterilized before use to eliminate any bacteria that could cause the pickles to spoil. You can sterilize jars by boiling them in water for 10 minutes or using a dishwasher on a high heat cycle.
6. Using Metal or Plastic Containers:
   • Metal containers can react with vinegar and salt, leading to corrosion and a metallic taste in the pickles. Plastic containers might not be suitable for hot brine and could leach chemicals into the food. It’s best to stick with glass jars specifically designed for canning and pickling.

This is great, because now we understand the pain points we can address when it comes to talking about our jars. Note that we are not preparing any written scripts, we are simply understanding common problems with jars.

Other Jar Options Available

We’re not going to be the only jar on the market that a customer can use, so we need to understand their options thoroughly. In this case, the easiest and cheapest option is using a plastic bottle or jar because everyone has them in abundance at home. What’s the point of buying an expensive glass jar when any container can be used?

Let’s make a list of pros and cons when it comes to using plastic jars vs glass jars.

Plastic Jars

Pros:

• Lightweight: Plastic jars are lighter than glass, making them easier to handle and cheaper to transport.
• Less Fragile: They are less likely to break if dropped, which reduces the risk of accidents in the kitchen.
• Cost-Effective: Generally, plastic containers are cheaper to produce and purchase than glass jars.

Cons:

• Chemical Leaching: Some plastics can leach chemicals into the food, especially when used for acidic contents like pickles. This can be a health concern if the plastic is not food-grade or specifically meant for acidic contents.
• Not as Sustainable: Plastic is not as environmentally friendly as glass. It degrades slower and can release harmful chemicals as it breaks down, contributing to pollution.
• Odor Retention: Plastic can absorb odors and stains more readily than glass, which could affect the flavor of the pickles over time.

Glass Jars

Pros:

• Chemical Inertness: Glass is non-reactive and does not leach chemicals into the pickles, making it a healthier choice for food preservation.
• Sustainability: Glass is more sustainable and can be recycled indefinitely without loss of quality, making it more environmentally friendly.
• Cleanliness and Taste Preservation: Glass does not absorb odors or flavors, helping to preserve the original taste and purity of the pickles.

Cons:

• Weight: Glass jars are heavier, which can make handling and shipping more difficult and expensive.
• Fragility: They are more prone to breaking than plastic jars, which can lead to a higher risk of injury and waste.
• Cost: Glass jars generally cost more than plastic jars both in terms of initial purchase and transport.

Wow, okay at this point you’ve learned more about pickles and jars than you expected. After all, this was supposed to be a guide about real estate scripts. What do we do with all of this information?

Lets review the important tasks we just completed:

• we broke down the process to understand it
• we identified the potential problems our customers could encounter
• we determined competing products

Now that we’ve internalized all of this information, we can better understand our product’s key features, the problems we need to solve for our customers, and the most likely objections that may come up (and why our product still makes the most sense).

Even if a customer has an extra plastic jar at home they could use, there is value in paying money for a glass jar in order to safely contain hot water without chemical intrusion, keep a solid seal to ensure maximum freshness, and is reusable for environmental benefits.

The sales interaction is no different when it comes to real estate.

If you want to become better at listing presentations, the process can be replicated in the same way.

1. Understand the listing and selling process forward, backwards, and upside-down. This means knowing the entire selling process and what you’re specifically going to do to sell the property.
2. Identifying seller’s pain points with the process, such as commission fees, lack of communication, promises not being delivered, poor marketing strategies, unfavorable market conditions, and bad advice. Go through these objections and understand how you specifically address them.
3. Determining your seller’s options and your competition in the market place, and being able to convey your value and how it will provide specific outcomes for your seller over working with a competing agent.

Once you know all of this information, you can confidently talk about your value and anticipate common concerns and objections a seller may bring up.

Memorizing scripts about a sales process without fully understanding and experiencing it is like trying to remember an entire conversation in another language and then flying to that country for an important business meeting.

If you approach it the right way from the beginning, you’ll never have to struggle remembering lines and find yourself in a pickle of a situation.