Sell Less to Sell More: Interview with Compass’s Vickey Barron

I recently went one on one with Compass’s Vickey Barron. Vickey has been featured on HGTV’s Selling New York and is the author of Every Move Matters: Unlocking Value in Life & Real Estate.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Vickey: I’ve gotten to this point in my career by seeing the end before the beginning and remaining disciplined and laser-focused on serving my clients. 

The experience of relocating from the West Coast to the East Coast and starting a new career in sales without contacts or experience was pivotal because I learned the business from the ground up without a network. I had to learn how to communicate, build trust, and convert For Sale By Owners while being up against savvy, experienced agents. I was able to achieve Rookie of the Year in my first year of business. 

Adam: What do you hope readers take away from your new book?

Vickey: I hope readers take away that where you begin does not define how you finish. Another takeaway is a deep understanding of the power of our words. Always remember to ask questions! As Warren Buffet said, "One easy way to become worth at least 50% more than you are now … is to hone your communications skills." 

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?

Vickey: Sell less to sell more. Logically, I understand I'm in sales. Emotionally, I'm in denial and do not believe I am selling. The point that I am trying to make is that people need to be seen and understood, and in sales, we are there to solve their problems (not follow our own agenda). So, when you take the time to ask questions and understand an individual's needs, you can then develop a strategy that will have effective results. When you approach it by selling your agenda, you're only focused on your outcome, i.e., your commission. Should you succeed with this approach, chances are slim that a client will use you again or refer you. While it is possible, I believe it is unlikely. No one wants to be sold to, and no one wants to be talked at. Many sales managers and sales books teach salespeople to use slick sales scripts/pitches and offer clever sales lines to close deals that, in my opinion, do not have empathy or concern for the individual with the needs. So, my advice is to stop selling and start saving your clients from dreadful sales tactics.

No one wants to be talked down to.

It's always better to understand before being understood. 

As far as marketing, understand your audience and communicate effectively to achieve outstanding results. 

Don't follow examples without clear results and take time to think outside the box. Be creative and connect on a human level. 

Adam: What are your best tips on the topic of negotiations?

Vickey: Gather meaningful information by asking intelligent questions. Deliver your position in a compelling, effective manner. Negotiations are not the time to be a chatterbox. You need to be strategic in your communication while remaining in control, hyper-focused, and calm.  

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

Vickey: Knowledge, conviction, and purpose. 

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Vickey: Be willing to understand the true needs of those that you are leading. 

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?

Vickey: Teams are like a marriage. Always remain in touch with your "why" and purpose, and align yourself with teammates driven by those same principles. When you invest in a brand and build a reputation, it takes one wrong teammate to disrupt that synergy. Choose wisely! 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs and business leaders?

Vickey: Understand your vision and where you are going, where are your strengths and weaknesses, and find people who can complement and support you through the process.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Vickey: When it comes to rejection, don't take it personally.

Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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