Sometimes people say things that don’t really make sense, but also make perfect sense. (Hey, there’s another one.)
Years ago, ex-Hardline host Mike Rhyner said it on The Ticket. I think it might have been part of a spot for a car dealer, but I don’t remember for sure.
What the Old Gray Wolf was getting at is this: everyone likes having a new car (or a used one that’s new to them), but nobody likes going through the process. From the moment you walk onto the lot and a salesman makes a beeline for you… to the haggling… to the warranty pitch you don’t need — it’s just a beating.
Most people hate it. Me? I’ve learned to kind of enjoy it.
But I negotiate for a living, so going through an adversarial situation like that is more like practice.
For most people, though, it’s not that way. From the time you arrive, you feel like you’re being pushed along in a process.
News flash: people don’t like that.
Even when you’re doing something you want to do (like buying a car), the moment you feel like you’re being pushed, you instinctively want to push back.
There’s a book called Power vs. Force by David Hawkins. A good chunk of it leans a little “woo woo” for my taste, but the core point is dead on:
- Force pushes. Power pulls.
- Force burns energy. Power builds it.
- Force meets resistance. Power creates cooperation.
Car sales tend toward the “force” side. And it makes sense — the dealer knows there are countless other cars out there, and if you leave without buying, the odds you come back are slim. So they push.
Residential real estate can work the same way. Lots of supply (even in tight markets), and buyers and sellers are often under time pressure. Using force can move things along, but nobody likes it — and it’s a big reason the stereotypical agent gets a bad name.
But land and lots?
That’s a different world.
There’s rarely real pressure to sell. If you don’t get the offer you want, you can just wait. Which means there’s no reason to force anything.
If I try, you’re just going to push back.
So I don’t.
I lean into the power side — using cooperation to create a good experience, even if a sale doesn’t happen. It’s better for you, and it works for me.
You end up feeling like you were dealt with the way you’d want to be, and you’re never left wondering whether I was working for you or just working you.
No pressure. In this part of the market, it’s not just a better way — it’s the only way.
I’d never push you to do anything… but is it a bad time to look at the current market for your property?
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