What if your marketing works? What if you get a call from some one with a cash flow to sell? Can you close the transaction? I am always concerned when the seller decides not to sell. What did I do wrong? Could I have made a better presentation? How did I screw up? For a long time, I recorded my calls. It is very instructional to listen and second-guess yourself. I recommend it highly. For $30, you can buy a telephone recording device. I bought mine at Radio Shack. 

I have learned one thing for sure. Neither you nor I will ever buy a note from someone who does not like us. That's a profound discovery. Without rapport with the seller, forget the deal.

There are "tricks" you can learn to establish rapport with the seller. As I write that sentence it sounds odd, like something Norm on the TV Comedy Cheers said once,  "The trick is sincerity, once you can fake that, you've got it made." However, by paying attention to what you are doing, you can turn an obstinate note seller into your friend, as cynical as that sounds. Here is what I learned in two years of graduate school in Psychology. Call it the "keys to rapport."

The words you don't want your note seller to say may be: "I can't see why I should sell this note right now. The discount is too great." "I question the wisdom of selling now and making another investment."
"I don't feel quite right about this note sale. I feel like I'm not getting the best price." You can get past these words, straight to the note purchase when you begin paying attention to the way these words are said. Look beyond the message to the linguistics involved. Notice the sentences above offer essentially the same message. However, the way the words are expressed provides information that gives us the clues we need to  buy the note and close the transaction.

CHOICE OF WORDS
You can have instant rapport if you understand how a person's mind is oriented towards sensory perception, and the note seller's choice of words gives clues to his or her thought processes. Each person pays more attention to, or indeed prefers, one sensory system. One of the best ways to recognize
this is through language. Respond to these common objections with the cash flow seller's preferred language, and you'll go far towards improving your communications techniques your ability to buy the note.

VISUAL ORIENTATION
For instance if a seller says to you, "I can't see why I should sell this note right now. The discount is too great." They're literally telling you they can't compute the sale visually. When you reply to them with visual language and imagery then powerful rapport and understanding is created. As an analogy, speaking their language is like the kind of clear television reception that cable hookup gives as opposed to the spotty reception available from an antenna pointed in the wrong direction. People who prefer visual information have certain characteristics in common. They use phrases like, "Here's what I'm looking for." "Let's focus on one area." "I'd like to see a few more offers." Or, "I'm note quite clear about
that." As well as using visual words, visual people often speak rapidly, and their voice tone tends to be higher than average.

AUDITORY GROUP
People to whom the sounds of the world are important use phrases like, "Let' s talk about the partial purchase." "I hear that this partial may be a good deal." "Something clicked when you said that." Or, "Listen, I've been meaning to ask you." They tend to express themselves beautifully with a great command of language, and their voice is rhythmic and melodious.

THINKING THROUGH FEELINGS
People whose preferred sense is feeling will use language like, "I feel good about this note." "I'm in touch with the note market." "I want to get a handle on the prices for my note." Or, "I'm not comfortable with this." When someone's primary sense mode is feelings; they tend to talk very slowly with lots of pauses and occasional sighs. Their speaking tone is lower than average.

THE KEY
Experiment with these principles yourself. Listen for note sellers' word choices and practice matching people's sensory language. I think you will notice more responsiveness and attention from your note sellers when "you speak their language." It is especially important to use the right sensory language when you are getting ready to "close" the sale and make an offer to buy the note: "How does that look to you?" "How does that sound to you?" "How do you feel about that?" You'll be surprised at the results of these
small adjustments.

For more information, you can read Instant Rapport by Michael Brooks. It is an excellent primer for negotiators and is available in many business bookstores.

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