There are agents who are all about the relationship and agents who are all about the task at hand. Is one area of focus better than the other? This is a discussion that has provided debate over the years.

You’ve likely heard the expression “he/she can sell ice to Eskimos” — implying that the individual is a natural born salesperson that could talk anyone into buying anything even if they didn’t necessarily need it. They are natural born closers and they have the ability to communicate with almost anyone anywhere. When not careful they may come across as being too aggressive and only concerned about their own agenda.

And then there is the person that seems to be able to make friends with anyone, anytime, anywhere. They are all about the person and the relationship. While this is a wonderful trait it can cause some challenges in selling because often this person is so focused on the relationship that they forget to close.

The secret that most top producing agents have is that they balance their people skills with their closing skills. Every one of us has at some point in our life met both of these types of salespeople. You know the salesperson that literally pounces on you and closes way too quickly. Then of course there is the salesperson that keeps asking about your kids and pets when you are ready to buy and get out of there.

The key is balance … the top salespeople have the perfect balance between closing skills and relationship skills. Ask yourself if you are too much of a closer or too focused on the relationship. Both skills are good but there has to be balance in order for the client to feel comfortable with you and to want to do business with you. Remember the story of the three bears? It is just like that – you can’t be too soft or too hard – you have to be just right.

The next time you have a conversation with a client ask yourself if you had the right balance of people skills (showing them that you are concerned about them) and closing skills (getting down to business). We all have a natural tendency to lean more towards one or the other but always match your selling approach to your client and always try to balance the communication just like you would a teeter totter.