There are several other considerations when you are standing at the door talking to your prospect. 

The first consideration is where to Stand

You want to step back several steps after you knock on the door. If you are standing on a staircase, step back two to three stairs down from where your prospect is standing. A general rule is to always stand just beyond grabbing distance.

Grabbing distance is not one arm's length. It is an arm’s length plus a lunge. The first reason for this is safety. However, it also ensures a comfortable distance. You don’t intrude on their personal space. 

The next consideration is to manage your Facial Expressions along with your micro-expressions.

You want to always start with a smile. I really want to emphasize this. People like to talk to happy people. Period. So always start your conversation off with a smile, no matter how they answer the door. 

You also want to keep smiling even if your interaction doesn’t go the way you hoped it would. Smiling is powerful and exerts positive energy. This is incredibly important. Remember, if this is your first interaction, this is your first impression. You want it to be a positive one. If you are smiling, your chances of connecting with your prospect go through the roof. It also increases the chance of leaving a positive first impression, even if they don’t talk to you that day. 

When you are interacting with them, you also want to remember to keep smiling. Don’t let your face fall into a passive expression. Most people don't realize when this is happening to their own faces. However, when you relax while listening to others, your face becomes passive. This is sometimes not a flattering expression. It also does not express active listening the way a smile does. If your face becomes too neutral, you may appear uninterested, even when that isn’t true.

Instead of letting this happen to your face, keep smiling. Use your expressions to actively demonstrate that you are engaged. 

Remember, all of your mannerisms should always demonstrate that you are engaged. You want your expressions to show you are interested in building that relationship.

The next consideration is to manage your actual Body Language.

Remember, door knocking gives you the advantage of your body language. Your prospect can see you directly as you speak to them. The experience is very different than when you are emailing or speaking on the phone. They are able to interpret all of your moves while you are talking. Make sure all of them, including eye movements and simple nodding, match what you are saying. You want to ensure that your prospect sees that you are genuine.  It’s also a good idea to start your interactions with an open hand. A friendly wave is a great idea. This open hand movement may seem simple, but it is important. It shows you have nothing in your hand. It subconsciously disarms people. They can see that they don’t need to be afraid of you. This is another reason I like to wave at the camera when I ring the doorbell.  

Another consideration is your Tone. 

I know you've heard the saying, “It's not what you say, but how you say it.” And this is so true at the door. It is important to be aware of your tone of voice. You want to know when to adjust your tone to what they are saying. 

Tone of voice might come naturally to you. Some people naturally know when and how to adjust their tone. 

There is also a trainable technique for manipulating your tone. It’s called NLP (neuro linguistic programming). Through NLP, you can use the deliberate use of language and tone to change how someone interprets what you are saying. For example, when you adjust your tone at the end of a statement, you turn what you are saying into a question. This allows you to lead the conversation and encourage certain responses. Learning how to do this is a must learn in real estate.

Someone who normally speaks in monotone will have to work harder at this skill. If you practice and find this skill difficult to master, a good solution is teaming up with someone better at it. This is a perfect example of when to pair up to let someone else’s strengths help you. That’s a better solution than focusing your valuable time on strengthening a weakness.  

Lastly, you want to think about What Not to Say at the door.

It may seem obvious, but never talk negatively about any property. This doesn’t just mean their property. This means don’t talk negatively about any properties, anywherea. You always want to maintain a positive interaction. You can offer constructive criticism to an area property and you can make suggestions related to your real estate expertise. However, you want to be sure to always keep the general tone of any comments positive. 

Another point that is important is to not talk about dog breeds. Saying you like dogs when you see they have a dog helps you build rapport. But don’t get more specific. You can mention that you like dogs DO NOT bring up another exact breed. You need to be careful around this topic. 

Why is that? Your prospect may appear to like dogs but that doesn’t mean they like all dogs. They may have a bad memory or experience with other dog breeds. This is more common than you may think! 

For example, don’t say you personally love chihuahuas. Keep your statement vague and general. You don’t know their experiences with dogs. They may have had a bad experience with another type of dog. Heaven forbid, you mention that exact breed and instantly trigger them or bring a negative memory into the room. This will negatively affect your interaction. People are also quite particular about their dog choices. I have met many clients who admitted that they don’t love all dogs. They only like the type of dog they own. 

Lastly, when you are at the door, keep the conversation professional. Don’t offer too much personal information. Guide the conversation back to them by having them answer your questions instead. You want to appear friendly and keep your conversation casual enough to build a connection. However, you also want to always keep your boundaries in mind. Keep the conversation at enough of a professional level to maintain that work boundary. Remember, you want to keep your spheres defined and separated. 

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