Have you ever wondered why most salespeople are annoying? Especially real estate agents?

As a lifelong salesperson and 17 year agent, let me tell you a secret. (don’t tell anyone, this is just between us)

You ready?

-looks both ways, whispers- They’re trying to sell you something.

Nothing wrong with that, it’s just the way they go about it that rubs us wrong.

Instinctively, we distrust.

When I became a writer and a student of persuasion I learned that context is king.

You cannot fully trust a person, a service or a product, without first hearing the story.

As a real estate agent, I was the product. Selling myself. I used to try to convince total strangers that I was trustworthy in short bursts of communication.

Email. Ads. Spam.

Every day I would strive to get an appointment. No context, just doing what I was taught, GET THE APPOINTMENT!

Once the appointment was made it is almost impossible to get someone who didn’t know me to trust me. There just wasn’t enough time to truly share my story.

So being a salesperson was all that was left.

Always on stage. Always trying to convince. Always trying to convert. Always trying to close.

And I hated it.

I resolved to never sell again. To strive to convince someone to use my services. To beg for business. To act like a salesperson.

Salespeople try to give you context in 7 second elevator pitches.

Pressure. Pitches. Scripts.

In essence, shortcutting relationship norms.

That’s why we don’t like them.

Context is king.

It’s what makes storytelling such a powerful alternative.

In life we should continually strive to grow our circle of friends.

By feeding them. Clothing them. Visiting them in prison. But, most importantly, by getting to know them.

Well, how do you get to know someone? Really know someone?

By hearing their story. By sharing your story.

It’s how it’s done. It’s how it will always be done.

Wanna make a positive impact in someone’s life?

Stop acting like a salesperson.

Start sharing your story.

Context is king.