The fact is, not being present can cost you not only listings, but relationships, as well.

If you’ve ever heard me speak, you know that I share that one of the problems with “canned” or memorized listing scripts is that they create a wall between you and the people you’re in a conversation with because you can get so caught up in what you have to say next that you aren’t listening to anything the other person is saying.

That’s not communication or a conversation. When you instead come from a place of service—not sales—your goal is not to “get the listing.” That will be a natural byproduct of a great conversation. Your goal is to listen to and learn about what the seller’s goals and commitments are, then figure out together how you can best help them achieve that goal.

Here are some additional tips for being more present in your conversations:

Slow down. It’s not a race to get all your words out.

Make it all about them. When you’re asking open-ended questions and really listening, people feel heard and seen. That’s the foundation for true communication. Why are you looking to move? What do you like best about this house and this neighborhood? Where do you want to go from here? Then let them share. They’ll give you all the information you need to coach them to make a great decision—but only if you’re present enough to hear their answers.

Speak from your heart, not your head. When we come from a service mindset, not a close-for-a-signature mindset, our purpose allows a more powerful human connection. We get out of our heads and are better able to speak from the heart.

Use stories, metaphors and analogies. Part of being a great communicator is using stories, metaphors and analogies to convey your tools and skills. Stories allow you to better convey information in a way that’s more relatable, opening doors for active understanding and listening without memorization.

As I’ve said before, there’s never been a more important time to improve your communication skills. They’re critical to your success in a way that can and will be game-changing. Ready to fire up these skills and every skill you need to make the next year a breakthrough personally and professionally? We can help.

Darryl Davis has spoken to, trained and coached more than 100,000 real estate professionals around the globe. He is a best-selling author for McGraw-Hill Publishing, and his book, “How to Become a Power Agent in Real Estate,” tops Amazon’s charts for most sold book to real estate agents. He is the founder of the Next Level® real estate training system The Power Program®, which has proven to help agents double their production over their previous year. Davis earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, held by less than 2 percent of all speakers worldwide. To learn more, visit www.ThePowerProgram.com.