Role-playing is an important part of your skills training in real estate and is a failsafe way to build your confidence in communication and presentations. Professional athletes spend endless hours in practice before they set foot in a game or competition. Becoming a professional real estate agent requires the same commitment to practice. Athletes don’t practice in a game or competition – they practice for a game. Your profession is no different – don’t practice on your clients – practice with a colleague or partner. You’ll be glad you did.

Here are 7 keys to maximize your role play time.

1. Find a few ideal role play partners.
   • Choose partners who have a different communication style than you for a different perspective.
2. Stand up for the best energy.
   • When you stand up, you project different energy.
   • You’re able to move your hands and get more passionate about what you are saying.
3.  Use face-to-face video as well as the phone without video.
   • Learn how to build rapport both in person (video) as well as on the phone.
   • Practicing both situations in your role play time will ensure you’re prepared for anything.
4. Always let your role play partners get the appointment and vice versa.
   • It’s important to get a positive result to gain momentum.
   • You can slowly make it more challenging but always let your partner win. You are training your subconscious mind to get a positive result.
5. Use the sandwich technique when critiquing.
   • Start with what they did well, followed by something they could improve, then finish with something else they did well.
   • Here is an example:
     • Positive: Your opening was powerful.
     • Critique: You were talking a bit too fast.
     • Positive: You certainly sounded knowledgeable.
6. Role play in 30-minute sessions, 5 days per week and be efficient with your time.
   • Role play first thing in the morning before you get into the thick of your day.
   • Avoid small talk, it may consume the entire 30 minutes.
   • Start role-playing within 2 to 3 minutes of calling your partner.
   • Practice with a number of partners to avoid getting complacent with the same person.
   • Record your sessions and re-listen to critique yourself.
   • Continually ask yourself, “If I were a client, how would it make me feel?”
7.  Always learn from unsuccessful presentations.
   • Immediately after a presentation write down what you did well and what you could improve upon.
   • After making lead follow-up calls, ask yourself what went well and what could have been improved to have a better outcome.
   • Call back after unsuccessful presentations and ask what you could have done different or better.
   • Remember, failure is an illusion. We can’t fail, we can only learn and grow.

It’s a beautiful life, make it count.