Much of the real estate industry is transaction-based. And transactions are either “go” or “no-go.” You either get the listing, or you don’t. Your client’s offer is accepted, or it’s not. If you don’t close the deal, the opportunity evaporates. But recruiting operates at a different cadence and treating it like a transaction diminishes results. It often takes several months for an experienced agent to leave their broker, and there are usually fits and starts along the way. When you’re concluding a recruiting appointment, it’s important to close (big ask), but have some options prepared (small asks) in case your prospect is not ready to move forward. Big Ask: Based on what we discussed today, can we get the paperwork started to get your license transferred? If the prospect says no: Small Asks: I understand this is a big decision, and you may need to think about it some more. Would you be open to attending our sales meeting next week, so you get a better feel for our culture? Or: We have our circle prospecting training on Friday, you could join online and see how we train our agents to get more listings. Are you available? If a prospect says yes to the big ask, you scored a hire. If they say no to the big ask, they’re much more likely to say yes to one of the small asks because they want to alleviate the discomfort the first rejection caused. For you, it’s a double win. You get to find out if the prospect is ready to move and keep the opportunity alive if they’re not.