Open with a conversational agreement
State the purpose and estimated duration of the consultation, then check the client's availability. Explain that the questions serve to avoid unnecessary viewings. Begin with what triggered the project, then explore intended usage, area, criteria, overall budget, financing to be confirmed, and timeline. Do not turn this framework into an interrogation: use the client's own words and explain the relevance of sensitive questions.
The method in practice
Frame the interview: available duration, objective, status of the project, and desired next step. Explore usage, trigger, criteria, overall budget, planned financing, timeline, and decision-makers. The framework prevents omissions; it must not become an interrogation. Alternate between open-ended questions, clarifications, and rephrasing. SPIN helps connect situation, problem, consequences, and the value of a solution; its module explains why not all questions are necessary on every call. Respond to the initial request first when a prospect calls for a floor plan or availability.
Fictional example
“I propose to understand your project, then identify two avenues to verify. Is this a good time to talk about it?”
The framework of the interview is shared right from the start.
Moving from the list to the summary
After the discovery phase, rephrase in a few sentences: objective, must-haves, constraints, open points. Ask what you might have misunderstood or forgotten. This validation avoids presenting properties based on a hasty interpretation. Unconfirmed financing remains an open point; a desired timeline is not a contractual deadline. Record only the information necessary for guiding the client.
The method in practice
Document the level of confirmation for each piece of information. "Envisaged budget: 1.5 million" is not equivalent to a bank agreement or available funds. Ask what the budget includes and what financing step has been initiated. Do not request sensitive supporting documents without a defined need. Example: the client wants to move before the start of the school year, but depends on the sale of their home. This dependency influences the timeline and must feature in the summary. Information yet to be confirmed remains open; it justifies neither automatic exclusion nor a promise of feasibility.
Fictional example
“You are looking to live there, with step-free access; the area remains open, and the overall budget is to be confirmed. What would you adjust in this summary?”
Have the summary validated before making a selection.
Link each argument to a need
Present an observable feature, explain its relationship to the expressed need, and specify the proof or limitation. Avoid interchangeable superlatives. A viewing can be organised around three client questions rather than a monologue. Finish by asking what corresponds to the project, what does not, and what still needs to be verified.
The method in practice
Move from discovery to recommendation by linking each feature to a need and proof. The CAP/CAB module provides a complete framework. "Step-free access" becomes useful if the person expressed that need; check the actual layout, thresholds, and communal areas before concluding. Finish with three elements: what you understood, what remains uncertain, and an agreed action. An appointment set without an objective can create activity without moving the project forward. Your report should allow a colleague to understand why this action is the next step.
Fictional example
Instead of “exceptional location”, show the relevant route and offer the client the opportunity to test it under their usual conditions.
Feature, utility for this client, proof or limitation.
Your practical application work
A fictitious prospect is looking for an apartment in Salé to live in, but you only have an announced budget and a telephone number. Prepare the meeting and its conclusion.
- Your opening and three priority questions
- Your provisional summary
- Your recommendation and the next verification