CURING REMORSE

by Hank Trisler

You've worked your buns off. You've listened, probed, supported and finally the sale has been made. The contract inked. The taillights blinking as the car rolls out the door. The buyer has been notified that the home of their dreams is at long last theirs. You can now sit back and breathe easy, right?

Not in this world, moose breath. Your buyer who was so hot to trot just two hours ago has now come out of the gas. The ether has dissipated. Your buyer is in the grip of the dread Buyer's Remorse and if you don't do something about it, your deal is going to blow higher than a kite.

Buyer's Remorse is a nearly universal affliction, particularly with big ticket items of high emotional impact. They like it, they want it, they try it on and it fits great, they can't live without it, so they buy it. And they HATE it. What happened?

They went back into the real world and the people who live there have spun their negative magic. 

"That's an interesting choice? What did they ever do about that safety recall?"


"Is buying a home now a good thing in view of the economic outlook?"


"You paid HOW much? Did you shop around at all?"


Yes, the people in the real world are almost always eager to tell a new buyer what a dumb deal they just made. And the closer the relationship to the buyer, the more devastating the comments are likely to be. You see the only way you can protect someone is to have them keep things just the way they are. Any time you make a change, you run a risk. Relatives are risk averse.


What to do? Prepare your buyers for the onset of remorse. Explain to them that, though they are deeply in love at this moment, they will be exposed to toxic influences the instant they part company with you. "The people you love the most will cause the most damage, because they care and want to protect you." It's far easier to deal with negative emotions if you understand the cause. 


Give them some "Buyer's Remorse Pills." For years we have given our buyers a little bottle, or envelope, containing cinnamon red-hot candies. The package is labeled:

BUYER'S REMORSE PILLS

In the event of nausea caused by the onset of the

dreaded Buyer's Remorse, promptly take two pills and 

call me in the morning. 

You made a good decision and 

nothing has changed but your feelings. 

You'll feel better soon.

People have called often and told me how effective the pills had been in the treatment of remorse. When we understand what is happening to us and can laugh about it, the threat and the problems minimize and vanish.

What are your experiences with Remorse and what have you found effective?