Cheering up the real estate crowd

Imagine being asked to speak to a crowd hit by the biggest downturn in its industry in decades, and motivate them to get back
out there and keep selling. Or try to sell.

Thatâ??s what Dan Lappin faces when he speaks tomorrow to the Hamilton County division of the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board
of Realtors.

Lappin, a Fishers sales trainer, says heâ??s never spoken to a group in such dire straights.

Housing sales continue sliding in the Indianapolis area, MIBOR figures show. Even in affluent Hamilton County, both the number
of houses sold and the median sale price in August tumbled 8 percent from a year earlier.

What does he plan to say?

For one, his speech will be about hard-headed reality.

Convince buyers theyâ??re getting great value and sales will follow, he says. That means putting extra effort into finding out
what individual buyers want.

â??Make it about your prospect. Put your own needs aside,â?? Lappin says.

What do you think? Will his strategy put points on the board?