What about you? Do you process information in pictures, words, or feelings? Although we all use a combination of learning styles to process information, we lean toward one as our primary source. Take a look at the characteristics of the three learning styles below.  Which most depicts your learning style?

Were you surprised at the results?  I sure was the first time I took this assessment. For years I thought I was a visual person and learned I lean much more heavily toward the kinesthetic style.

What does this have to do with real estate? A lot … because we process information in a particular way, it also becomes our main method of communicating which can be detrimental unless we always communicate with people who process information in the same manner. Think about the times you knew you were getting through to one seller at a listing appointment and watching blank stares from the other. That could easily have been because two of you communicated in the same manner and the third person did not. In some cases, it could cost you the listing. Other situations might include:

• Sales meetings
• Interviews
• Buyer appointments
• Negotiating

We can’t go around asking people their learning style or to take an assessment before we begin working with them. There is a more simple solution, and that is to utilize all three methods in your communication whether it’s a one-on-one interview or a group presentation.

We know images and graphs appeal to visual communicators. Incorporate these methods to be sure to appeal to the other 40% of people:

• Ask for volunteers to help introduce a new concept or idea at a sales meeting (Kinesthetic).
• Let prospects flip through your presentation prior to your meeting (Kinesthetic).
• Tell a story about a personal experience to demonstrate a point (Auditory).

When asking questions, ask three ways:

• Do you want to see the living room again? (Visual)
• How do you feel about this home? (Kinesthetic)
• What else can I tell you about the company? (Auditory)

When you adapt a multi-communication strategy you’re sure to appeal to everyone regardless of their learning style.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and been totally confused by what they are saying? Only to have them grab a piece of paper or go to a whiteboard or flip chart and say “let me show you.”? They then proceed to draw something-or-other which results in you better understanding the point they are trying to make, or the concept they are trying to explain. That’s the power of visual thinking.

Floyd Wickman, the grandfather of real estate training, was a mentor of mine early on in my career. One of the sale techniques Floyd taught he called the “talking pad”. He trained agents to always have a black note pad and write, scribble or draw your key points during a sales presentation.  Use the talking pad as  you explain an offer, present a CMA, review showings or whatever the situation is. The talking pad adds the visual element to the verbal communication and increases focus, understanding and retention. As it turns out, it’s also very persuasive.

Dan Roam recently published a great book on this topic called The Back of the Napkin. The book discusses and demonstrates the power of visual thinking to solve problems with pictures.

We are in an increasingly complicated world where we are inundated with email, texting, online tools, conference calls, video conferences and a long list of other communication tools. Cutting through the clutter to make a point is vital to our success. If you can reduce a 10 page PowerPoint full of text to 1 page of visuals and text, you’ve really done something impressive. If you can leave a meeting with the other attendees knowing your three key take a ways, that’s a productive meeting. If you can focus a seller on the key terms of an offer instead of getting lost in 4 pages of legality, that’s going to simplify the decision making process.

Whether it’s the back of a napkin, the talking pad, the whiteboard or flip chart, use these tools to evoke the visual thinker in all of us. You don’t have to be an artist. That’s the great thing about our mind’s eye, we know how to turn a stick person in a flesh and blood image and we know how to turn a square with a triangle on top of it into our dream home. Most of us turn words into pictures instinctively, why not use that to our advantage?

Photos Courtesy of  TheBackoftheNapkin.com