Nuno Pombal, Head of Capital Markets at Aura REE Portugal
Today it is common to hear that all the big companies make a “Tailor-Made Approach”, but, what is the meaning of a tailor-made approach?
There are many theories, some say that it is studying the customer to be able to personalize the service, while others talk about accompanying, “limpet style”, the customer at all stages of the buying or selling process, with commercials that give many personal opinions, who are always wanting to show that they know the market, both in the surrounding area and in the city, and that they always know the latest political or economic news, in short, people who talk a lot and listen little.
As the old saying goes, “Whoever talks a lot, doesn’t get it right”, and in my almost 25 years in the profession, I’ve been noticing that it’s the old people, who claimed to know nothing, who have taught me a lot.
Easy access to information, through a machine, of whatever kind, is undoubtedly a great tool that we can no longer alienate ourselves from. Still, human relationships, which are being lost day after day, are and will always be the best means of communication, and the best way to get to know each other and their needs.
Take as an example an episode in my professional life, where in addition to other functions within one of the construction companies in our market, I was the one who promoted a specific development in Lisbon, with almost no experience, I sold more than 80% of the development. This success, because I consider it a success, was because I, not knowing how to sell an apartment, decided to ask the same question to all the people who entered the development, the question I asked was, “What makes you want to buy a house here, and not somewhere else?”. This question was a real unlocker that got people talking, often for hours, thus allowing me to gather all the important information to be able to present the product that best suited the needs of that customer. It was they who spoke, I limited myself to listening, nodding, making sounds of agreement, and little more than that. In the end, they left happy because they had acquired a new house and I, a newbie in this market, had sold another house.
With this example of my inexperience in the real estate business, I can tell you that, in an immature way, I made a “Tailor-Made Approach” for more than 50 families. Each house was chosen according to the needs of each member of the family, where turned each of the windows was, the solar orientation of each of the houses, the proximity to certain services within the development, and so many other factors that were only possible to satisfy because I was there for many, many hours listening to what my customers had for my tell, even if it was a simple outburst. Many of these acquisitions were made in a very emotional way, the realization of a dream, and like all the dreams we have in life, they are only possible to achieve if we have someone available to listen to us and give their point of view to help us, otherwise, nothing will happen.
In short, today’s “Tailor-Made Approach” is without a doubt something that depends more and more on knowing how to listen, and not on knowing how to give an opinion or knowing how to judge, because only by listening will we know what we should or should not present as a solution to problems. Problems that are put to us daily by our clients.
Listening is the secret of the business!
