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TR U M P STR A TEGI ES FO R R E A L ESTA TE

casual outfit that still looks impressive. First impressions make a
powerful statement.

BE BETTER PREPARED THAN ANYONE ELSE

Most people don’t realize that there’s a lot of preparation involved in
getting people to respond in the way you want them to respond. The
key is anticipating problems and questions that other people will ask
about your proposal and having answers ready. Donald Trump
spends significant amounts of time preparing for important meet-
ings in which he needs to persuade a key person or group.
Here’s an example for small investors: You want to sell a home to
a potential buyer. The buyer says that he wants to buy the house, but
his purchase will be subject to getting a mortgage. Here is where
your planning pays off. If you have already done your homework and
contacted a bank, which has agreed to make a mortgage on the house
for x amount of dollars, you anticipated this potential problem. Now
you can tell the buyer, “I already have the ideal bank for you to go
to.” I have now directed you to one source, instead of you going to
ten sources and getting confused.
You could be selling a house with a very old refrigerator, and you
don’t want to buy a new one. You anticipate a buyer’s objection by say-
ing (if the objection comes up), “I’ll guarantee that if the refrigerator
doesn’t last a year, I’ll buy you a new one.” You have anticipated a po-
tential problem. So instead of the buyer asking for a discount because
he wants a new refrigerator, you simply give him a one-year warranty.
Whatever the situation, whether you are buying or selling, try to an-
ticipate any likely potential problem.
You do this by taking an objective look at what it is you’re try-
ing to accomplish. You say, “If I were the buyer, what would I find
objectionable?” Put yourself in the shoes of the other party and

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