It Takes Two to Tango

Getting your clients on the same page can be a challenge.

It can be similar to teaching a couple how to dance.

You can have the best music in the world.

Provide the best stage.

Showcase the dance floor with beautiful mood lighting.

But if the two dancers refuse to tango together…

There will be no dance.

To have a Tango dance there have to be two partners dancing in sync with each other.

Can you picture a Tango where the two partners both try and lead?

Or worse, where no one leads?

That is what it feels like where you have clients who are not on the same page for what is important when buying a home together.

They often will look at you their agent and say the reason they cant make it to the “grand finally” is because of your failure at instruction.

You should know better than to believe that.

You cannot force a couple dance together.

Similarly, you cannot complete a transaction with out the mutual agreement from your clients as a team.

You are in the business of helping people find and sell homes.

But before you can do that, sometimes you have to be in the business of helping people get on board with each other’s priorities.

No, it is not in your job description.

No, you do not have to help a married couple trade their priorities for a living situation they can both live with.

Nope.

You do not have to.

However, if you do:

You might be the reason two people begin communicating again.

You might be the reason they will never work with anyone but you for years to come.

You see, people who are part of a couple may not realize they are not on the same page until you say something.

You could be attempting trial and error forever with a couple who thinks you will eventually organize their separate want list into one.

The odds of that working out are not in your favor.

It is like organizing an amazing dance show for no one to agree to dance at. 

Not because you are not great at putting together great options for the “show”.

But because the dancers will not agree to dance.

Solution:

Be the mediator.

Showcase one partners want list to the other in the best light possible.

Your job is to shine the spotlight on the issues.

But ultimately, deciding on what issues matter most to both partners is something for them to decide.

You would like to host their “dance”.

(Tell them you would like to help them buy a home.)

But if one is insisting on the Cha-Cha and the other on the Mambo…

It will never look like the Tango!

To move forward in one direction there has to be an agreement.

For two people to agree with each other they have to care and be aware of what matters most to the other.

To be aware means to take turns talking and listening to each other.
One agenda must rest for the other to be heard.

What is important has to be weighed.

And that is a conversation you may have to help start for them.