Always Be Prepared
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One of the major problem areas, which permeate all real estate marketing groups, is-“How do we achieve good moderating at our meeting?” Often it is assumed that qualified Moderators will ensure quality production when in actuality, it is the relationship between the Moderator and Presenter that is crucial to achieve the desired results. If there is conflict or a struggle between the Moderator and the Presenter, the audience loses. This usually occurs because a Presenter is not properly prepared, or the Moderator is not properly schooled in the process, or both!
Needless to say, every marketing organization has within its midst several attendees who are, or can be, developed into competent Moderators. Many factors contribute to an ideal Moderator: confidence, awareness, sensitivity, poise, and knowledge are but a few. There are three ingredients that should be singled out as being imperative components to competent moderating: organization, sincerity, and interest. Without these three primary ingredients, it is nearly impossible to provide the Presenter or the audience with the information necessary to simulate productive thinking, or a verbal or written response. Nor does the enthusiasm exist that is needed to stimulate the audience to ask intelligent questions and to engage them in the brainstorming process. Organization, sincerity, and interest are the minimum that must come from the person who agrees to moderate, whether it be one package or a whole meeting.
If it is incumbent on the Moderator to be mentally prepared for their task, it is essential the Moderator be met with an equally prepared Presenter. That is, one who has taken the time to understand the client and the property they have accepted to represent in the marketplace. The prepared Presenter has formulated a complete marketing package, with appropriate backup information, with accurate information. This information includes, but is not limited to, the needs of the client, not the wants!
When a competent Moderator applies their skills to an ill prepared Presenter and package, frustration, aggressive behavior and defensiveness develop. Conversely, when a prepared Presenter and a complete package encounter a disorganized, uninterested and insincere Moderator, the situation is even graver. Each is determined not to be “found out,” and they use the “privilege of the podium” to obscure the information desired by the audience.
What is the audience seeking from any presentation? They are attempting to have delivered a clear and concise statements related to (1) the property, (2) the client, and (3) the objective of the client in order to determine the level of interest their client may have, or their own personal interest. The Moderator and the Presenter must work in concert to offer the audience an opportunity to visualize the benefits offered in the vehicle (property) being presented, and the benefits the client being represented is prepared to contribute to achieve their goal and objective. It is then that individuals in the audience are able to interpret the information provided to the advantage of their respective clients. Thus, becoming potential TAKERS. This visualization may become manifest in the form of further private discussions with the Presenter, an idea memo, a mini-form proposal, or a full-blown offer.
With respect to statements about the property, the audience needs a brief, general description. Included are particulars as to property type, income history, and/or projections, management, potential, deferred maintenance, and current financing.
As for the client, the audience is not interested in a discussion or revelation of intensely personal or confidential information as we are about how the client is prepared to contribute to the transactional making process. It is imperative for the Presenter to communicate any facts that are pertinent to understanding the benefits that their client can offer to the audience through their current resources. For example: To what extent are the clients knowledgeable and experienced in real estate ownership and in what areas? To what extent is the client prepared to accept property beyond their immediate community? How readily acceptable is the idea for the client to make a geographical move to achieve the benefits they seek? What negative cash flow or out of pocket capabilities will the client sustain to achieve their desired result? How much cash or other equities is the client prepared to add to the transaction? These are examples of the type of inquiries, when not adequately addressed, uncovered, or answered that cause a presentation to break down. Either the Presenter is not sufficiently armed to answer these types of inquiries, or the Moderator is ill equipped to ask intelligent, relevant and logical questions of this nature.
Again, in this situation, the audience suffers because they are not sufficiently informed to be engaged in the presentation thereby their interest wanes and few, if any, proposals from takers are written. Conversely, when the body of information is adequate or ample, audience interest is maximized and transaction possibilities arise.
When addressing the objective, goal or NEED of the client, the presentation should become very focused and definitive. Therefore, the more accurate the Presenter communicates the precise “problem” in a concise, succinct manner, the more direct and relevant will be the ideas offered or written to the Presenter.
The relationship between Moderator and Presenter is crucial to the success of each presentation and to the meeting as a whole. Moderating that stimulates some sort of audience response, participation and thinking offers a high degree of success for the Presenter.
Proper preparation on the part of the Presenter and Moderator are serious business. Both require constant, vigilant attention and refinement.
