If you’ve ever wondered how well you fare when it comes to the topic of communication, the simplest way to gage your effectiveness is by analysing the response you get from the outside world – your colleagues, customers and competitors – how do they respond to you? And more importantly, do you communicate equally with all humans big and small, no matter their status?
Agents who excel are typically great communicators by nature. And they don’t just save it for the special occasions.
They practise it with their families, their friends, and their most important clients.
The social skills sphere is their space and they shine in this element of emotional intelligence.
It is a space which has perhaps never been more important than now, as articulated by Samantha McLean, publisher of Elite Agent: “To get useful data out of the machines, humans still need to tell the machines what is useful and be able to interpret that in business and to other humans”.
Socially aware communicators have the talent to interpret, translate and transmit; they know how to tread gently, express sensitivity and be open and accessible – all of this whether they are on the receiving end of the world’s best news, or the worst!
They also know the secret behind getting their customers on board to work as a team in any property partnership that they embark on together.
Professionals with good social skills are also brilliant at managing change.
They know how to adapt and pivot, gracefully and seamlessly.
That helps when it comes to resolving conflict, which they also can manage with great tact and diplomacy.
How can you build social skills?
- Learn conflict resolution
Mastering conflict resolution skills is vital to survive in the ruthless world of real estate. Next time you are headed for conflict, make a note to assess and evaluate yourself whether it’s between colleagues, customers or chiefs. - Learn how to praise others
As a professional, you can inspire the loyalty of your customers and colleagues simply by being generous with praise. Learning how to praise others, and more specifically seeking and finding those things worthy of praise, is a fine art, but well worth the effort. - Notice the impact of your emotions on others
Understand the difference between self-judgment and self-critique. The latter occurs when you are quick to criticise yourself, whilst the former observes the ways in which your emotional states impact others.
The key is to view situations as though they are a social and scientific experiment.
That way you will be more likely to uncover and identify your feelings along the way.
You might also discover juxtapositions – like the different thought patterns that exist beneath the verbal patter – reminiscent of those times when you are feeling satisfied under the surface but where you come across as prickly above the surface.
Keep it up and you might notice that if you make a conscious effort to greet one of your more challenging customers with a warm and effusive welcome, that they are more likely to drop their guard with you. Or that when you are feeling tired and anxious that your customers are curt in return.
As you get into the rhythm of observing, it’s important to try to refrain from those old voices of self-criticism.
Better instead to focus on noticing, naming, and monitoring emotions as they unravel.
