It’s a particular thing to be a tall woman in a sales job. Your presence enters the room before you speak. It makes an impression—often before you get a chance to shape the conversation.
Early in my career, while leasing at a luxury rental building in Manhattan, I didn’t always know how to manage that. I was still learning how to hold space in a way that made people feel at ease. So I started doing something small. I would drop my keys.
Just a quick, subtle fumble. Every time, it softened the room. People smiled. The energy shifted. I became human, not just “the broker.”
At the time, I didn’t know what I was doing had a name. But later, I learned it was a form of tactical vulnerability. Chris Voss, who’s now teaching negotiation live on a Broadway stage, calls this kind of move “tactical empathy”. You read the room, recognize emotional tension, and respond with something disarming and real.
The Art of Authentic Persuasion
With the summer slowdown and the FARE Act shifting dynamics, many agents are feeling pressure to convince. But persuasion isn’t about being clever or forceful. It’s about showing up with presence and emotional awareness.
Here are three ways to influence with clarity and care:
1. Lead with Reciprocity
Offer value first—something thoughtful and specific. A custom rental list, insight into pricing, or a quick follow-up with context. When it’s genuine, it builds trust fast.
2. Use Social Proof with Identity in Mind
Share stories that mirror your client’s situation. Help them see themselves succeeding with you. And use gentle labeling to affirm who they are:
“You seem like someone who wants to make the right move, not just the fast one.”
3. Reflect for Consistency
People trust what aligns with their stated goals. Use their own words to guide the conversation back to what matters to them. Ask:
“What would make this feel like the right decision for you?”
In a slower market, it’s easy to feel the pressure to prove yourself. To show your value. To demonstrate that you can still get deals done. But the truth is, real persuasion rarely comes from effort alone. It comes from presence. From knowing how to make people feel safe in moments of uncertainty.
Clients aren’t just choosing a property. They’re working through timing, money, emotion, and a thousand quiet fears they may not say out loud. They don’t need a performance. They need to feel like you actually see them.
The agents who will stand out right now won’t be the ones with the most polished pitch. They’ll be the ones who know how to read the room, listen before speaking, and respond with calm and clarity.
Sometimes that begins with a thoughtful question.
Sometimes with a shared moment of silence.
And sometimes, it starts with something as small as dropping your keys.
Let’s make this real.
What’s one unexpected way you’ve earned trust in a client relationship?
Hit reply—I’d love to hear your story.
May your presence do the talking.
– Molly B.
Founder & CEO, Molly B. Townsend Coaching & Consulting
[email protected]
