Mastering the Art of What to Say: Key Takeaways from Phil Jones's Webinar

Our recent 30-Day Listing Challenge (30DLC) session with Phil Jones, creator of Exactly What to Say® and founder of philmjones.com, was nothing short of transformational. Phil delivered a masterclass on the psychology of sales conversations that left attendees energized and equipped with practical techniques they could implement immediately.

As Phil put it, "We're going to drop some bombs here that wouldn't be shared in normal given environments." And that's exactly what he did, providing invaluable insights into creating more listing opportunities through everyday conversations.

The Power of Method Over Scripts

One of Phil's core messages was that true professionals don't rely on scripts — they develop methods. "A professional chef can make you a great meal because they have method regardless of ingredients," Phil explained. Rather than memorizing what to say in every scenario, he taught attendees how to craft effective responses in the moment.

This distinction is crucial: "I give you your scripts and the other person doesn't learn their lines. This happens every single day." Instead, Phil advocates for learning conversational frameworks that work in any situation.

This is also what we love about the Fello script. It's not formulaic and rigid; it allows for and encourages conversation, to get the homeowner talking about their true motivations and plans.

Check out the three-question Fello script here →

Four Conversation Starters to Create More Opportunities

Phil identified four key conversation opportunities that real estate professionals should master:

1. Responding to "How's the Market?"

Most agents fumble this common question with responses that create friction rather than opportunity. Instead of jumping to "Why do you ask?" or "Are you looking to buy, sell, or invest?", Phil recommends:

• Use one simple word first: "Interesting."
• Follow with a curious, hesitant response: "Why... what made you think about asking?"
• Create space for people to share their "mess" (their uncertainties and half-formed plans)

This approach allows potential clients to open up about their real estate thoughts without feeling pressured.

2. The Elevator Rant

Forget the elevator pitch — develop an elevator rant. Phil suggests agents should "get mad" about something in the current market:

"It drives me crazy that people are putting off their future joy because they think it's better to hold onto a low interest rate. What they don't realize is if they wait for rates to drop, prices will be higher and competition will be fiercer."

When you share a passionate perspective about market conditions, people naturally join your struggle and open up about their own situations.

3. Converting Online Buyer Leads into Listing Appointments

Phil demonstrated how to transform online inquiries about properties into listing opportunities:

• Ask if it's the only home they're interested in
• Find out where they currently live
• Ask how long they've been there
• Determine if they own or rent
• If they own, ask if they'd need to sell before buying
• Ask when they last had an accurate valuation of their current home
• Offer to stop by their place before showing them the property they inquired about

This sequence naturally transitions a buyer inquiry into a potential listing appointment.

4. Following Up with Past Clients Without Being "Creepy"

Phil urged agents to stop "following up," "checking in," "circling back," or "touching base." Instead, use a simple structure:

• Opening: A polite greeting
• Fact: A mutually agreeable statement
• Question: An easy-to-answer question based in the past

Example: "Hi Steve, it's been a while since we got a chance to connect (opening). You may not be aware, one of your neighbors sold their home recently (fact). Did you know that 245 on your block just went under contract? (question)"

From there, follow a question arc that goes from past to present to future:

• "How has your home performed for you over the last few years?"
• "Where are you at in your housing situation right now?"
• "What are your plans from here?"

Preventing and Overcoming Common Objections

The Low Interest Rate Objection

Phil addressed the most common objection today: "I don't want to sell because I have a low interest rate."

His approach:

1. Prevent the objection by addressing it proactively in your listing presentation
2. Acknowledge the reality: "You're set on a low interest rate. That was pretty smart."
3. Reframe the perspective: "If interest rates were lower right now, where do you think house prices would be?"
4. Find the advantage: "You've been able to manage a low payment, build equity, and now you have more opportunity to be aggressive as a buyer in this market."
5. Address the future: "Should interest rates drop, you could refinance relatively straightforwardly."

Also, remember Tom Ferry's advice from our September 2024 webinar: "If the thing you love most about your home is the interest rate, we need to talk."

The "No Inventory" Objection

Phil demonstrated how to handle clients who say there's nothing to buy:

1. Ask about their search experience: "What do you understand about properties coming to market and how quickly you'd need to move?"
2. Find evidence of inventory: "When was the last time you saw something online that you quite liked?"
3. Create urgency: "How important is it that when you do see something, you're in a position to make a move on it?"
4. Offer solutions: "If you find a buyer and haven't got anywhere else to go, could you rent temporarily or even take an extended vacation?"

The Framework for Any Objection

Phil shared a universal method for handling any objection:

1. Start with an opening, fact, and question
2. Follow a past, present, future question arc
3. Use question stacking: Ask questions that help clients see their own situation more clearly
4. Avoid being the "advice monster": Help people navigate to their own conclusions

His methodology creates what he calls "a container big enough that people can share their mess with you" — and when they share their mess, you can help them find solutions.

The Power of Slowing Down

Perhaps Phil's most profound insight was the importance of slowing down: "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Slow the process down, you speed the outcome up."

By taking time to ask thoughtful questions and truly understand clients' situations, agents can actually accelerate the decision-making process and create more listings.

As Phil reminded us, "You're not in the business of selling houses; you're in the business of helping people make emotionally charged decisions." Your job is to be a "chaos navigator," helping clients move from their current situation to their desired future.

Taking Action

Want to put Phil's methods into practice? He offered these suggestions:

1. Try to go an entire day without giving advice
2. Practice asking past-based questions (which are easier to answer than future-based questions)
3. Replace "What's wrong?" with "What happened?" in difficult conversations
4. Use his role play cards to practice different scenarios (available through his Instagram @PhilMJonesUK)

As Phil concluded, "Growth comes through trial and error. This isn't something you master; it's something you choose to practice."

The 30DLC community is already implementing these powerful conversation techniques. We can't wait to see how they transform your listing conversations and help you win more than your fair share in this market.

Interested in how to use Phil's conversation techniques with the high-intent leads Fello has highlighted in your database? Schedule a demo, or reach out to your Customer Success Agent to talk strategy.

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Want more insights from Phil Jones? Follow him on Instagram @PhilMJonesUK and check out his books "Exactly What to Say" and "Exactly What to Say: for Real Estate Agents" available on Amazon.