When I first stepped into this business nearly 40 years ago, I was fresh out of college—24 years old and looked more like 18. I knew from day one that my biggest hurdle wouldn’t be learning about contracts or market trends—it would be earning trust. Convincing a homeowner to hand me the keys to their biggest asset required more than youthful enthusiasm.
So, I got to work.
I did all the things we coach and train our new agents to do today. I made prospecting a non-negotiable priority every day. I booked appointments. I leaned on the strength of the brand. I highlighted the production of my colleagues. But when it came down to it, on presentation day, it was just me and the client at the table.
And that’s when everything changed.
One day early in my career, I was listening to a real estate coach who broke our business into three parts:
1) Prospecting
2) Presentation
3) Close
He asked: “Which one is most critical to your success?”
It was a tough question—after all, no prospecting means no appointments, no presentations. No presentation means no close. And if you can’t close, what’s the point of the rest?
But then he said something that clicked.
“The agent with the most compelling presentation will win nine times out of ten.”
That truth hit me hard—and it lit a fire.
I doubled down on my presentation. I spent countless hours developing, refining, and rehearsing my buyer and seller presentations until I knew them front to back. I’m a bit of a storyteller by nature and in my presentation, I had a story to tell. It was compelling, it grabbed the attention of my audience, and it was vastly different than what my competitors were doing. I didn’t pack my presentation full of self-praise, going on about how successful I was. Instead, I focused on the goals of the customer. And what happened next was transformational:
- My confidence soared.
- My reluctance vanished.
- My appointments became more productive.
- My clients started saying yes—a lot more often.
I realized that when you believe in your presentation, you actually prospect more. You approach every lead with the mindset that if you can just get a seat at the table, the close will take care of itself.
Presentation is the great multiplier.
It doesn’t just show up in formal settings with buyers or sellers. We’re making presentations every day—in how we speak, how we show up, and how we carry ourselves. Whether you’re brand new and searching for confidence, or a seasoned veteran looking for a breakthrough—start with your presentation. Build it. Polish it. Practice it.
Because when that part is rock solid, everything else gets easier.
TERRY Talks 