7 Keys to Effective Role-Playing

Role-playing is an important part of your skills training in real estate and is a failsafe way to build your confidence in communication and presentations. Professional athletes spend endless hours in practice before they set foot in a game or competition. Becoming a professional real estate agent requires the same commitment to practice. Athletes don’t practice in a game or competition – they practice for a game. Your profession is no different – don’t practice on your clients – practice with a colleague or partner. You’ll be glad you did.

Here are 7 keys to maximize your role play time.

  1. Find a few ideal role play partners.
    • Choose partners who have a different communication style than you for a different perspective.
  2. Stand up for the best energy.
    • When you stand up, you project different energy.
    • You’re able to move your hands and get more passionate about what you are saying.
  3.  Use face-to-face video as well as the phone without video.
    • Learn how to build rapport both in person (video) as well as on the phone.
    • Practicing both situations in your role play time will ensure you’re prepared for anything.
  4. Always let your role play partners get the appointment and vice versa.
    • It’s important to get a positive result to gain momentum.
    • You can slowly make it more challenging but always let your partner win. You are training your subconscious mind to get a positive result.
  5. Use the sandwich technique when critiquing.
    • Start with what they did well, followed by something they could improve, then finish with something else they did well.
    • Here is an example:
      • Positive: Your opening was powerful.
      • Critique: You were talking a bit too fast.
      • Positive: You certainly sounded knowledgeable.
  6. Role play in 30-minute sessions, 5 days per week and be efficient with your time.
    • Role play first thing in the morning before you get into the thick of your day.
    • Avoid small talk, it may consume the entire 30 minutes.
    • Start role-playing within 2 to 3 minutes of calling your partner.
    • Practice with a number of partners to avoid getting complacent with the same person.
    • Record your sessions and re-listen to critique yourself.
    • Continually ask yourself, “If I were a client, how would it make me feel?”
  7.  Always learn from unsuccessful presentations.
    • Immediately after a presentation write down what you did well and what you could improve upon.
    • After making lead follow-up calls, ask yourself what went well and what could have been improved to have a better outcome.
    • Call back after unsuccessful presentations and ask what you could have done different or better.
    • Remember, failure is an illusion. We can’t fail, we can only learn and grow.

It’s a beautiful life, make it count.