Perhaps the most important part of the discussion. If you don't Establish the Rules properly, you have torpedoed the rest of the appointment. This is where you get agreement from the seller on how each of you will act, why you would work together, and that you will tell each other if this isn't working out.

Finding the real reason the client needs to sell is crucial to being able to craft an offer that meets their needs. After all, you're here to solve their problem – how can you do that if you don't know what the real problem is? If an issue like time, move assistance, etc. is more important than price, you had better know it.

Underrated yet supremely important is the transition point. Here you are recapping the Rules you set, touching the Pain Points again, and demonstrating that you understand their situation. This section creates comfort for the homeowner that you get it, and reinforce how the rest of the appointment will go.

We're not making an offer until we know what they want. You need to know what they're thinking before proceeding further. Otherwise, you could spend a lot of time on other issues only to discover that they have an entirely unrealistic price in mind. You're not making an offer here, just gathering key data on where their mind is.

Often, time is a more pressing concern for the seller than price, although usually they won't tell you that. It may be they need to move out of state, or need to stay for three months, or need to sell by Tuesday to avoid foreclosure. Knowing their timeline can change how you need to structure your offer or what you can offer.

You don't want to spend a lot of time with a prospect only to discover that they can't make the decision to sell. Now you have to do everything over again, because the person you spoke with cannot possibly relay to the true decision maker what you told them. Without all decision makers present, your efforts are useless.

The moment you have been waiting for – but tread carefully! We need to review the entire appointment with the prospect, from the Rules to decision makers, because now is the time to catch any unspoken objections, problems, or other reasons the client won't sell. Only then can you get a contract signed.

This point is frequently overlooked or not touched at all, but it is crucial to ensuring the client goes through with the deal. The questions specifically work to extract any final objections, and also provides support to the client so they can defend the deal from any relatives or friends who may try to talk them out of it.