I don't know about you, but listing presentations make me nervous. My palms sweat, my heart races, and if I were a nail-biter, I probably wouldn't have any left. You'd think that after a few successes agents would lose the listing presentation jitters, but for some of us, they never abate.

Some older coaches will tell you this is the reason you need scripts and dialogs. But, unless you've had theatrical training, scripts and dialogs typically come off sounding canned and unprofessional.

What you need is preparation. Being fully, 100-percent prepared for a presentation is the only way to feel confident that you can not only swing it, but that you'll crush the competition.

While I know that you don't need a complete walk-through on how to prepare for a listing presentation, I'd like you to consider a few dos and don'ts.

1. Do the Basics

• Dress the part. This doesn't mean you need to wear a suit to every listing presentation. In fact, you'll feel pretty silly if you do and your potential clients are selling a ranch. Wear something similar to what you assume these folks will be wearing. Just as you'd most likely wear clean jeans and boots to a ranch listing, wear a pair of nice slacks or a skirt, and a casual yet stylish shirt when you visit a tract home.
• Make one last call to the homeowners to ensure that all parties will be present. If the wife also needs to sign the listing agreement, it's a waste of time to show up if she won't be there.
• Arrive on time. Yeah, I know this one's pretty basic, but you'd be surprised how many agents are chronically late – even for this important job interview.
• Turn off your cell phone. Please. Turn. It. Off.