Mack Powers

I was talking today to a sales professional in the real estate industry. We were discussing how different the markets were today than they were 6-18 months ago. In the past, he said that his role was to bring a willing seller together with a willing buyer. In today’s market, he said that he now has to the difficult challenge of bringing a distressed seller, who is generally selling short, together with a buyer who is skeptical and wondering what is wrong with the deal.

As a sales professional, your value might be changing as well. In the past you probably have played the role of a facilitator. Today however, your role might be closer to the role of a mediator than you have ever experienced. Have you considered the difference? Consider that a facilitator is simply someone who makes progress easier. Therefore in the past your role was one of connecting people who were both comfortable and ready to move forward with a deal. In that environment there is little or no friction with both parties trying to get the deal done. Today as a sales mediator, you might need to position yourself differently. Why, because not everyone will be excited about having to carry out the transaction. Here are several thoughts about what mediation is. Even though buyers and sellers aren’t generally in a dispute, consider how these rules could be slightly modified and applied to you in your sales and business development role.

1. The role of the mediator is to reduce obstacles to communication, assist in identifying issues, exploring alternatives, and facilitating voluntary agreements resolving the dispute.
2. The mediator is responsible for assisting you in reaching informed and voluntary decisions while protecting your right of self-determination.
3. The mediator must maintain impartiality throughout mediation. Impartiality means freedom from favoritism or bias in word, action or appearance, and includes a commitment to assist all parties and not any one person.

Applying these rules will allow you to establish trust with any party who is not favorable towards the deal. Trust in every economy is at the heart of every deal. Try this new role out or a variation of them and let me know how they work for you.