In 2010, Todd Herman was voted the Greatest Salesperson in the World after winning a worldwide competition sponsored by the global marketing firm Ogilvy.
He became a finalist by creating an online video of him selling a red brick. The two-minute sales presentation is entertaining, and it illustrates the power of a great pitch.
In a recent email, Todd referenced this competition and the most common question he was asked by reporters after he won.
Why would you want to be known as the ‘greatest salesperson’?
While it was an appropriate question (Todd was not a professional salesperson by trade), it revealed the stereotypes and stigmas many people have about those who are in sales.
Why wouldn’t you want to be known as being a great communicator, a great messenger, a great empathizer, a great listener, a great motivator, and a great researcher?
Because in order, to be great at selling, you have to be great at those things.
When you’re trying to hire a high-performing real estate agent, you’re looking for a remarkable person who possesses all these traits.
It’s why these individuals are so hard to find.
It’s also why the relatively few agents at the top make a disproportionate amount of the money in the real estate industry.