.webp)
Why Sales Outweighs Marketing in ROI
Generating motivated seller leads is the starting point for any successful real estate investment business. But without a solid sales process, even the best leads will go cold. As Steve Trang explains, while marketing is a fixed cost, sales have the power to directly impact your revenue. Whether you spend $10K or $20K on marketing, the return you get depends largely on how well your sales team performs. The ability to convert leads into deals can make or break your bottom line.
Who Is Steve Trang?
Steve Trang is a highly respected name in the real estate investment world. Known for hosting the Real Estate Disruptors Podcast, Steve brings over 15 years of industry experience. Beyond the podcast, he operates multiple businesses, including a wholesaling operation in Phoenix, a title company, a traditional real estate arm, an education company, and a top-tier sales training program that helps investors and their teams elevate their performance.
The Fatal Flaw in Front-End Sales
One of the most common mistakes real estate investors make is over-educating prospects in the early stages of sales. Sellers often don’t care about market trends or after-repair values; they care about solving their problems. Steve points out that instead of bombarding sellers with information, investors should focus on listening and identifying the emotional and practical pain points the seller is experiencing. The goal isn’t to impress; it’s to connect.
Selling to Emotion, Not Logic
Steve emphasizes that sellers are usually dealing with stressors far deeper than pricing. They're often losing sleep, arguing with their spouses, or worried about missed paychecks and mounting bills. Understanding these emotional triggers and addressing them empathetically is the true heart of closing deals.
The Right Way to Open a Sales Call
When a motivated seller lead picks up the phone, the first few seconds matter immensely. Rather than leading with credentials or jumping into pricing, Steve recommends opening with empathy-based questions:
- "What compelled you to reach out to us?"
- "What are you hoping to accomplish from selling this property?"
These questions allow the seller to speak their truth and set the foundation for trust.
The Doctor Analogy
Steve compares good salespeople to skilled doctors. A doctor wouldn’t recommend surgery in the first 30 seconds—they’d ask questions, listen carefully, and assess symptoms before diagnosing. The same applies to sales. You must earn the right to make a recommendation.
Never Lead with the Offer
According to Steve, one of the worst things a salesperson can do is answer the seller’s "What’s your offer?" question right away. Doing so positions you as a commodity rather than a specialist. Instead, it's essential to:
- Defer the offer until after you've had a meaningful conversation.
- Express uncertainty about the offer until more is known about their situation.
- Emphasize the need to understand their unique challenges first.
This approach increases perceived value and reduces the seller’s inclination to shop around.
Professional vs. Personal Bond
Steve stresses that it's not about forming personal relationships—it's about creating a professional bond. Sellers want to feel like the investor truly understands their goals and can professionally deliver a reliable solution.
How Sales Performance Impacts Marketing ROI
Marketing is a fixed cost, but sales directly affects your revenue. Consider this:
- $20,000/month in marketing leading to $30,000/month in revenue = $10,000 profit.
- The same $20,000/month in marketing leading to $60,000/month in revenue = $40,000 profit.
Better sales performance doesn’t just double your revenue—it can quadruple your profits.
Key Sales KPIs You Must Track
Steve highlights two mission-critical KPIs for evaluating sales effectiveness:
- Actual First Appointments (AFAs): Real, viable opportunities to buy homes.
- Signed Contracts: The final outcome of your conversion efforts.
While cost per lead, lead source ROI, and contact rates are all valuable, AFAs and signed contracts tell the true story of your team's effectiveness.
The First Touch: Why It’s Make-or-Break
The first point of contact sets the tone for the entire relationship. Hiring an underqualified or non-fluent lead manager just to save costs can destroy deals before they even begin. Steve warns that 15% of leads are lost forever after a single bad interaction, regardless of how much follow-up is attempted later.
The Danger of Overseas Lead Managers
Steve cautions against hiring low-cost overseas lead managers who may not speak fluent English or understand sales objections. This first impression can create what Steve calls "sales prevention," costing you opportunities before they ever get off the ground.
Sales Team Structure: Ideal vs. Reality
In a perfect setup:
- A lead manager handles qualifying and setting appointments.
- A closer focuses solely on converting those appointments into deals.
However, in smaller operations, one person may need to wear both hats. The key is treating every role—especially the lead manager—as a sales position. Objections like "Let me talk to my spouse" must be skillfully handled, not brushed off.
Lead Managers Must Be Closers Too
Steve asserts that lead managers must be trained to overcome objections. If they simply take orders or book appointments without objection-handling, you're leaving money on the table. Every touchpoint is a sales opportunity.
Adapting in a Shifting Market
In 2022, Steve’s Phoenix-based business had to pivot from relying solely on cash offers. They expanded their toolkit to include:
- Wholesale Offers
- Novations
- Creative Financing
- Traditional Listings (Referrals)
These options are offered sequentially based on the seller's needs, not all at once, ensuring clarity and reducing confusion.
Adapting After the Phoenix Crash
Steve’s shift from a cash-or-realtor model to a multi-offer structure was triggered by the dramatic crash in the Phoenix market. Without this pivot, he acknowledges they might not have survived 2022’s volatility.
Tailoring Offers Based on Immediate Cash Need
Steve trains his team to let the seller’s need for immediate cash guide which offer to present. For sellers needing all the money upfront, cash or novation is appropriate. For those flexible on timing, creative financing may be ideal. This approach keeps the seller's comfort front and center.
Why Steve Trang Is Qualified to Teach Sales
Ironically, Steve's strength in teaching sales comes from his early weaknesses. As an engineer by background, he had to break down and reconstruct sales frameworks step by step to succeed. This analytical approach enabled him to build a proven, repeatable sales system used by hundreds of investors across the U.S.
Sales Framework Built from an Engineer’s Mindset
Steve didn't succeed in sales because it came naturally—he succeeded because he was bad at it. As a former engineer, he reverse-engineered what worked in sales and created frameworks that even introverts and non-salespeople can use.
Steve Trang’s Sales Training Programs
Steve offers several paths for investors and their teams:
- Self-paced Online Course: 12-module framework.
- Live Event Training: In-person, intensive 2-day workshop.
- 12-Month Sales Mastermind: Weekly training with real-time objection handling and market shifts adaptation.
These options cater to different learning styles and business needs.
Why Live Training Hits Deeper
Steve emphasizes that while the content remains the same, the impact of learning it live is dramatically different. Being surrounded by peers, engaging in role-play, and interacting in real time creates stronger retention and faster growth.
The Ideal Student for Steve Trang’s Program
The best candidates are real estate investors who are already doing deals but not closing at least 40% of their appointments. For those individuals, Steve’s training can immediately elevate both top-line and bottom-line performance.
How Steve’s Training Started at We Live 2019
Steve’s training business began unexpectedly after delivering a keynote speech at Max Maxwell’s We Live 2019 event. The feedback was overwhelming—audience members began tagging Steve on social media, crediting his talk for their newfound success. From there, a training movement was born.
Steve Trang’s Bigger Mission
Steve’s ultimate goal is to create 100 millionaires through his sales education. Inspired by Zig Ziglar’s famous quote—"You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want"—Steve believes that real success lies in lifting others up through effective training and mentorship.
Key Takeaways from the Blog
Sales > Marketing for ROI Gains
Marketing is a fixed cost, but strong sales skills directly increase both revenue and profit. Improving sales alone can quadruple profits without increasing ad spend.
Emotion Trumps Education in Sales
Sellers don’t want market lectures—they want their emotional and financial problems solved. The best salespeople listen deeply and reflect understanding, not just share data.
Never Give the Price First
Giving a price too early turns your service into a commodity. Instead, defer the offer until you fully understand the seller’s situation and needs.
Your First Touch Can Make or Break the Deal
A weak or unskilled first impression—especially from an untrained or overseas lead manager—can lead to 15% of leads being lost forever.
Lead Managers Must Be Trained Salespeople
Booking appointments isn’t enough. Lead managers must be able to handle objections and engage sellers with empathy and strategy.
Track the Right Sales KPIs
The two most important metrics:
- Actual First Appointments (AFAs)
- Signed Contracts
These directly show how well your team is converting leads into real opportunities and deals.
Multiple Offer Strategies Win in Tough Markets
Go beyond just cash offers. Offer novations, creative financing, and referrals—based on the seller’s immediate cash needs—to improve close rates.
Steve’s Engineering Mindset Powers His Sales Framework
Steve became great at sales not by instinct, but by reverse-engineering success step by step—making his system ideal for even non-salespeople.
Live Training Deepens Learning
While online courses work, live events and role-play create deeper understanding and faster transformation for sales teams.
Steve’s Mission Is Bigger Than Business
With a goal of creating 100 verified millionaires, Steve teaches sales not just for income—but for life-changing impact and business legacy.
Build Your Business. Close More Motivated Seller Leads
Whether you’re already closing deals or just getting started, the real differentiator in real estate isn’t how many leads you generate—it’s how many of those you turn into deals. If you want to improve your sales performance, increase ROI, and create real wealth, it’s time to level up.
Visit https://www.stevetrang.com/ to learn how Steve Trang’s programs can help you convert more motivated seller leads and build a stronger, more profitable real estate business.
.png)
