I immediately began highlighting items I like to brag about
on our “Standards” sheet when I saw them step out of their car in the parking
lot, signing to each other as they did so. As soon as they entered the model home
where I work, they told me that they were deaf. Of course, I already knew
that.
Over the years I’ve met with quite a few hearing impaired clients, many with a close association to the much-acclaimed Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind here in town.
Normally there is a back and forth of awkwardly scrawled questions and answers. Not my favorite way to communicate. My own writing looks like Sanskrit and I can’t even read it myself. Plus, I want to add humor and ask them about themselves. Where do you live now? What kind of work do you do? How many in your household? Why do they want to move and what are they looking for? In a perfect world, what would you want your house to be like, and where?
The questions are routine enough but the answers spawn multiple opportunities to explore common ground and provide me with a peek into their world. Most people love to talk about themselves if they feel relaxed and unhurried. No one wants to be “sold” anything, me included.
But the barrier presented by cryptic notes and my inability to flesh out questions and responses has always been frustrating
Until yesterday.
That’s when they broke out their iPhone and wrote down questions for me to read, and I broke out mine too.
They had to type theirs in, but for the first time in 20 years, I was able to dictate whatever I wanted to convey from my end of things, into my “notes” field and hand it to this couple to read.
It was great. They needed the home buying help, and their laughter told me that they appreciated the humor as well.
Perhaps I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I have no idea why I didn’t start communicating this way several years ago, but I’m doing it now, and it feels pretty good.
Will they buy a home from us? I can’t say. But I am sure that when they left, they knew a whole lot more about the entire home buying process than when they came in, and would be much less intimidated, going forward.
Nice people. We had a few sincere laughs along the way. We made a connection.
For me, that’s what it’s all about.
Over the years I’ve met with quite a few hearing impaired clients, many with a close association to the much-acclaimed Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind here in town.
Normally there is a back and forth of awkwardly scrawled questions and answers. Not my favorite way to communicate. My own writing looks like Sanskrit and I can’t even read it myself. Plus, I want to add humor and ask them about themselves. Where do you live now? What kind of work do you do? How many in your household? Why do they want to move and what are they looking for? In a perfect world, what would you want your house to be like, and where?
The questions are routine enough but the answers spawn multiple opportunities to explore common ground and provide me with a peek into their world. Most people love to talk about themselves if they feel relaxed and unhurried. No one wants to be “sold” anything, me included.
But the barrier presented by cryptic notes and my inability to flesh out questions and responses has always been frustrating
Until yesterday.
That’s when they broke out their iPhone and wrote down questions for me to read, and I broke out mine too.
They had to type theirs in, but for the first time in 20 years, I was able to dictate whatever I wanted to convey from my end of things, into my “notes” field and hand it to this couple to read.
It was great. They needed the home buying help, and their laughter told me that they appreciated the humor as well.
Perhaps I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I have no idea why I didn’t start communicating this way several years ago, but I’m doing it now, and it feels pretty good.
Will they buy a home from us? I can’t say. But I am sure that when they left, they knew a whole lot more about the entire home buying process than when they came in, and would be much less intimidated, going forward.
Nice people. We had a few sincere laughs along the way. We made a connection.
For me, that’s what it’s all about.
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