The Halo Effect Method for Ethically Forcing New Clients to Trust You

Have you ever heard the term heuristics? Heuristics with an H. If you haven’t, it’s an interesting concept that deals with the power of first impressions — how people perceive you and treat you.

As human beings, we do something we don’t even realize: we assess people within milliseconds of meeting them based on a lot of factors. One major factor is how they’re dressed, their demeanor, and their overall appearance. Those things play a big role in how we view someone — the respect we give them, how much confidence we have in what they say, and whether we believe them.

It’s all built into what’s called heuristics. The human brain developed this over tens of thousands of years because, back in the caveman days, we had to make split decisions. Can I trust this person? Should I run the other way? We had to decide quickly whether we were in a good environment or not.

Today, we can apply that to business. The way we approach a client, the way we’re dressed, our demeanor, our grooming, can create what’s called a “halo effect.”

The halo effect is when people think, “I trust this person.” The way you present yourself makes others feel confident in your abilities.

Now, think about yourself, and let me use what I call the $5 Million Test.

Let’s say you’re sitting in your office tomorrow morning. The phone rings. Maybe you’re on the floor, old school style. On the other end, someone says, “Hey, my name’s Bobby. I’m in town about to catch a flight. I’m going to list my million-dollar house and I’m looking for an agent. You’re the first office I called. I’ve got 10 minutes to meet you for coffee before I get on my flight. Can we meet at the airport coffee shop outside the gates?”

Would you be prepared right now to go meet a million-dollar seller? Maybe in your market, a million dollars isn’t much — maybe it’s five million. That’s why I call it the $5 Million Test. Are you prepared? Do you look like someone capable of handling that listing?

This is how you should approach every day. Whether you’re heading into the office or working from home, are you ready for the opportunity? Those heuristics — that halo effect — can come into play at any moment. You never know when it’ll happen.

If you’re dressed in sweatpants and an AC/DC shirt because that’s how you like to work, and suddenly an opportunity appears, you could miss it. It might be a game-changing opportunity for the year. You can’t plan for those moments, but you can prepare for them.

Something I was taught years ago: you can always dress down pretty easily. I can take my coat off, roll up my sleeves, unbutton my shirt — and instantly look more comfortable and casual.

But the reverse isn’t true. It’s hard to get dressed up quickly.

That’s the argument I get from some agents. They say they deal with rural property. Don’t tell me about rural property. I get it. I’ve sold ranches and land and everything else. But using that as an excuse isn’t valid.

You might also say, “My clients are super casual.” Okay, but are all of them casual?

Just because your clients are casual doesn’t mean you should be. It doesn’t mean you dress to their level.

If I’m an attorney and clients come into my office, but I’m dressed in sweats and a T-shirt, they’re not going to have much confidence in me. Same goes for a financial planner or a doctor.

It’s just part of how we judge people.

So my message today: start using heuristics to your benefit. Meet that $5 million standard every morning. Look your best.

When you start looking your best and showing up ready to win, you’re going to win more. It just happens that way.

A couple of ideas for you today — hopefully a little mindset shift.

If you want more ideas like this, more strategies, and hundreds of lead generation tools and techniques, join us at https://www.erealestatecoach2.com/.

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Have a great day, and good selling.
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Why do Brokerage Owners, Office Leaders, Team Leaders, and Solo Agents choose Jim to be their coach?

32 Years of Real Estate Sales, Management, and Coaching Experience
Top 1% REALTOR Himself (he has been in the trenches)
Opened his First Real Estate Company at 23
Grew his Real Estate Company to 17 Offices (largest in Oregon)
His Current Team Closed $1.4 Billion in Sales in One Year
He is a Current Real Trends Top 500 Broker

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