The legendary guitarist from a bygone era Jimi Hendrix, was famous for asking, “Are you experienced?” . The question today for new home sales people across the country is “Are you creating a memorable positive experience for your customers?”
We need to think of the opportunity to sell new homes as a “Franchise Opportunity”. Our builders have invested anywhere from a couple of hundred thousand dollars for a single model, to many millions of dollars for planned communities. How much are they charging us to run their franchise? A big fat zero! However, what do they expect in return? A Franchise mentality and the accountability that comes with it.
If you take the word Enthusiasm, and underline the last four letters. (IASM) As Bob Schultz says that stands for I Am Sold Myself, and also I believe it stands for I AM SELF MOTIVATED. The most successful New Home Salespeople (and Realtors managing new home sales) in the country, are the ones that take ownership of their communities.
We have to be prepared for our success. Lets look at what this entails in the world of new home Selling.
We need to think of the opportunity to sell new homes as a “Franchise Opportunity”. Our builders have invested anywhere from a couple of hundred thousand dollars for a single model, to many millions of dollars for planned communities. How much are they charging us to run their franchise? A big fat zero! However, what do they expect in return? A Franchise mentality and the accountability that comes with it.
If you take the word Enthusiasm, and underline the last four letters. (IASM) As Bob Schultz says that stands for I Am Sold Myself, and also I believe it stands for I AM SELF MOTIVATED. The most successful New Home Salespeople (and Realtors managing new home sales) in the country, are the ones that take ownership of their communities.
We have to be prepared for our success. Lets look at what this entails in the world of new home Selling.
"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success"
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell
APPEARANCE
Every day you need to check the appearance of your community, models, available homes, and home sites to make sure they are in tip top shape. By the way, if they aren’t who ultimately pays the price? That’s right; we do the New Home Salesperson/Franchisee, because of the lost sales that result! Add to that list our own appearance; make sure that we are professional at all times, and never in conflict with our message. If you are in doubt there are many excellent books on the topic of professional appearance, we would be happy to recommend.
Every day you need to check the appearance of your community, models, available homes, and home sites to make sure they are in tip top shape. By the way, if they aren’t who ultimately pays the price? That’s right; we do the New Home Salesperson/Franchisee, because of the lost sales that result! Add to that list our own appearance; make sure that we are professional at all times, and never in conflict with our message. If you are in doubt there are many excellent books on the topic of professional appearance, we would be happy to recommend.
For a copy of our patented New Home Specialist Franchise Checklist form, please email to me at roland@newhomespecialist.com
SIGNAGE
Can people find you, and is it obvious that you are open when you are open? Are your website, phone number and hours of operation clearly visible when you drive by your model?
Also does you signage create a compelling reason to buy now, such as “Grand Opening”, “Grand Close Out’, “End of Summer/Holiday Savings”; the kind of statements that create subtle urgency.
I managed a community in South Florida where at one time we had a sign with a countdown board with the exact number of remaining opportunities. Since “Perception is Reality”, it was both a conversation piece, and helped to greatly accelerate the pace of the close out.
COLLATERAL MATERIAL
Is it professional and easily accessible to you? We don’t believe in giving out a full brochure at the beginning because your customers won’t need you at the end. Besides at the end we should have narrowed down their choices to one home and homesite (Condominium/Townhome) which is the information they need. Remember that “Confusion leads to Indecision”, so don’t overwhelm them in their packet with too many choices.
Also don’t leave out a bunch of fliers for your customers to pick up. All you are doing is enabling the customer to go around you. As a franchise owner keep control of the sales process, and be the “gatekeeper” of the important information.
MARKETING PROPS
We greatly believe in following a formal sales process, proven beyond any doubt to increase sales. However if you don’t have the appropriate props to support your message, it can be almost counter productive. Remember that “Telling is not selling” and we believe in a “Presentation that is PLANNED not canned.” The essential props to support this are:
Map of the Area or Aerial Photo - both Macro and Micro, clearly labeled with the benefits of the area. Use this to learn about your customer’s location hot buttons, Such as schools, work, recreation etc.
Community Map - Showing the features and benefits of your community.
Builder Story – Photos and bullet points to prove how you are different and better than your competition.
SILENT SALES TOOLS
Show on you community map the number of sold homes with neat red dots or little houses. Also create statements in writing, such as Grand Opening, Grand Close out 87% sold Out, X number of exciting opportunities and put it in writing near the community map.
The grand daddy of all Silent Sales tools are Sold Signs, so make sure that you lather up your community with proof of your success. As Joe Namath said “It ain’t bragging, if you can back it up!
I always used to make a little ceremony with my customers of either going out and putting the sold sign in the ground together (Or putting a sticker across the sign, if the ground was too hard), and photographing them standing by it. I would then put a copy in a frame for them, or email it to them, and keep a copy in my scrap book on my desk. If the weather is bad then photograph them putting their red sticker on the community map. So many of my students across the country have shared with me, that they have found that “Celebrating the Sale” this way creates a great memory point for their customers, and also helps proactively prevent potential buyer’s remorse.
SALES PROCESS & PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
Prepare your complete sales presentation, write it out, and then practice for at last an hour a day, before your customers arrive in your sales arena.
Can people find you, and is it obvious that you are open when you are open? Are your website, phone number and hours of operation clearly visible when you drive by your model?
Also does you signage create a compelling reason to buy now, such as “Grand Opening”, “Grand Close Out’, “End of Summer/Holiday Savings”; the kind of statements that create subtle urgency.
I managed a community in South Florida where at one time we had a sign with a countdown board with the exact number of remaining opportunities. Since “Perception is Reality”, it was both a conversation piece, and helped to greatly accelerate the pace of the close out.
COLLATERAL MATERIAL
Is it professional and easily accessible to you? We don’t believe in giving out a full brochure at the beginning because your customers won’t need you at the end. Besides at the end we should have narrowed down their choices to one home and homesite (Condominium/Townhome) which is the information they need. Remember that “Confusion leads to Indecision”, so don’t overwhelm them in their packet with too many choices.
Also don’t leave out a bunch of fliers for your customers to pick up. All you are doing is enabling the customer to go around you. As a franchise owner keep control of the sales process, and be the “gatekeeper” of the important information.
MARKETING PROPS
We greatly believe in following a formal sales process, proven beyond any doubt to increase sales. However if you don’t have the appropriate props to support your message, it can be almost counter productive. Remember that “Telling is not selling” and we believe in a “Presentation that is PLANNED not canned.” The essential props to support this are:
Map of the Area or Aerial Photo - both Macro and Micro, clearly labeled with the benefits of the area. Use this to learn about your customer’s location hot buttons, Such as schools, work, recreation etc.
Community Map - Showing the features and benefits of your community.
Builder Story – Photos and bullet points to prove how you are different and better than your competition.
SILENT SALES TOOLS
Show on you community map the number of sold homes with neat red dots or little houses. Also create statements in writing, such as Grand Opening, Grand Close out 87% sold Out, X number of exciting opportunities and put it in writing near the community map.
The grand daddy of all Silent Sales tools are Sold Signs, so make sure that you lather up your community with proof of your success. As Joe Namath said “It ain’t bragging, if you can back it up!
I always used to make a little ceremony with my customers of either going out and putting the sold sign in the ground together (Or putting a sticker across the sign, if the ground was too hard), and photographing them standing by it. I would then put a copy in a frame for them, or email it to them, and keep a copy in my scrap book on my desk. If the weather is bad then photograph them putting their red sticker on the community map. So many of my students across the country have shared with me, that they have found that “Celebrating the Sale” this way creates a great memory point for their customers, and also helps proactively prevent potential buyer’s remorse.
SALES PROCESS & PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
Prepare your complete sales presentation, write it out, and then practice for at last an hour a day, before your customers arrive in your sales arena.
“If you’re not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere,
and they’ll be ready to take your job.”
Brooke Robinson
American professional baseball player
and they’ll be ready to take your job.”
Brooke Robinson
American professional baseball player
A little harsh but true. As Legendary Coach Vince Lombardi said:
“Only perfect practice, makes perfect.”
Also prepare forms that list every feature in your homes from the outside in, along with their specific benefits and then any choices the customer may have. Keep this in a binder in your office and make sure you have it handy. Remember, “Features tell, Benefits sell”; so it is the benefit that will keep the customer coming back for more.
Also create internal forms for available home sites, or available locations in condominium and townhome sales, and available homes. This way you can “site” your customer on their first visit, and create the love for a “one of a kind”, that they will then fear losing; dramatically increasing your sales conversion ratio.
Also create internal forms for available home sites, or available locations in condominium and townhome sales, and available homes. This way you can “site” your customer on their first visit, and create the love for a “one of a kind”, that they will then fear losing; dramatically increasing your sales conversion ratio.
As much as we may hate to hear it Role Playing is such an essential part of our daily regimen as salespeople, to ensure that we have created the "muscle memory" on the practice field, so that we can perform at our highest level with real customers. Here are some photos of role playing with real sales teams across the country. Since I have written a few screenplays, I like to think of the sales process as though it were in three acts;
ACT 1
In the sales office practicing your Five Minute Drill (sm)
Here are Salespeople and Sales Associates at Minto enthusiastically role playing at Artesia in Sunrise , and Olympia in Wellington; both in South Florida.
ACT 2
In your models, role playing model demonstration
On the left role playing in the Kitchen with London Bay Homes in Naples, FL.
On the right "Asking for the sale" on the Closing Balcony" with Caruso Homes in Crofton, Maryland.
ACT 3
Closing role plays
Closing role plays
Our friends at Heritage Homes in Fargo, ND role playing closing. Check out Lisa's hands flying!
The Franchise mentality in New Home Sales and Management is so important and there are so many elements to consider, that it is too much information for one blog. So I will post the rest of this article later this month. Stay tuned for Part 2.
*Meanwhile for a copy of our patented New Home Specialist “Franchise Checklist” form, The Features and Benefits form, or simply to ask any questions please free to email me at: roland@newhomespecialist.com
SALES HEROES
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Find out later this month how Merrdyth Holdenrid at Shea Homes in Charlotte used this cup cake to make sales!
Lastly it wouldn't be a blog from me, if there wasn't an updated photo of my lad Max. Here he is looking very cool in blue.
Lastly it wouldn't be a blog from me, if there wasn't an updated photo of my lad Max. Here he is looking very cool in blue.
Feel free to write with questions, comments and to get your free forms at: Roland@newhomespecialist.com
Have a terrific month of selling homes.
Coach Roland
Written by
Roland Nairnsey
Senior vice President, Training & Development
Bob Schultz and The New Home Specialists
2300 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Tel: 561-368-1151
Newhomespecialist.com
2 comments:
Thanks Roland. This is a great refresher. I've asked our team to read your blog. There are so many helpful hints and reminders. I especially like where you mention how important it is to site the prospect and create a "one of a kind" experience. There are too many other choices out there not to do this. -Michele
Roland -
I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that thanks to help from Bob and you and the excellent training from the New Home Specialist team I have had another successful month.
For August I wrote 12 with only three cancellations for a net of 9 sales. That all in a month when the news - nationally - for new home sales was dismal.
For my cancellations I am using the "Cancellation Analysis" technique that I learned at Boot Camp - plus the easy to follow form provided in the Bootcamp Notebook that I got while there - and feel like I might be able to bring back two of the three that cancelled.
I sincerely appreciate the blog information. It helps to keep me current and also provides a great refresher for everything I learned while I was there.
Thanks Again!
Scott Baughman, Premier Homes, Pueblo, Colorado
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