Last year, I went to a car dealership a few miles from my home to buy a car. The salesman showed me a brochure with beautiful pictures. Then I test-drove the model that interested me. I told the salesman that I liked the car but wasn’t in love with the color. He responded that he only had two on the lot and that if I wanted the car, I had my choice of white or white.

I was ready to buy. The only hurdle was the color. And I knew from many prior buying experiences that auto dealers use an online locator and switch cars to make a sale. But the lazy salesperson wasn’t ready to make the small leap to get the sale.

I walked out of showroom, drove home, and did my own locator search. I found a dealership 15 minutes away that had four cars in the color of my choice. I drove there that afternoon and bought the car. And I also returned there for service, even though it would be more convenient to use the closer dealership.

The same laziness that I experienced with the first salesman is a chronic problem with many new home salespeople. They need a jolt of a sales strategy Tom Hopkins calls “one like the present”. Get out of the sales center. Show them the homesite where they can envision their new life. Help them experience the dream and then make it happen. And it doesn’t happen when you don’t take control of the situation and guide your buyer — not in any economy, but especially not in a down one like the present. Get out of the sales center. Show them the homesite where they can envision their new life. Help them experience the dream and then make it happen. And it doesn’t happen when you don’t take control of the situation and guide your buyer to the purchase decision.

As Tom Hopkins states: ”Put a little GOYA into your daily routine.”

Posted In: Blogroll, Customer Service, Marketing, New Home Sales, New Home Sales Management Training, New Home Sales Training, New home sales marketing, Personal Development, Real estate courses, Recommended Blogs, Sales Management, Uncategorized

I watch QVC. I admit it. It’s not because I’m a fan of gadgets or a collector of costume jewelry. I tune in to see the selling expertise. QVC should be required viewing for any salesperson. Every day, you can receive valuable sales training. Here are seven lessons I’ve learned from this home shopping cable network.

1. Always create urgency. On QVC, there is always a clock is in the background. Tick tick tick. “Here’s a one-of-a-kind collectible.” Tick tick tick. “You never know when we’ll have this again.” Tick tick tick.

2. Be a great storyteller. Don’t sell the product; sell the story behind it, the experience from it, and the excitement surrounding it. Use the power of third party testimonials. QVC gets call-ins from satisfied buyers who sweeten the appeal of the item on the selling block. “I bought that spatula that holds bacon while it flips the egg and it has made cooking breakfast a breeze.”

3. Be enthusiastic and have fun. Selling is the transfer of emotions. Energy levels are infectious — whether they are high or low. Animate your presentation and your buyer will be carried along on the wave of excitement.

4. Build value. Many viewers switch on QVC as a distraction. They’re “just looking”. But within minutes, they’ll frequently find themselves drawn into making a purchase on impulse because the salesperson has made it irresistible. Price is secondary when the appeal is sufficient to the buyer.

5. Have a scripted and planned presentation. Look at QVC sales stars like Warren Popeil and Suzanne Somers. They aren’t salespeople by profession. They follow a prepared script and understand which “touch points” turn a browser into a buyer. They don’t just wing it.

6. Use thoughtful language. Words are powerful tools. Weave a colorful tapestry that inspires imagination. For example. QVC doesn’t sell costume jewelry. A cubic zirconia on this channel is describe as “diamonique”, bringing with it the essence of a valuable jewel. The setting isn’t gold-plated; your exquisite 2-carat, diamonique solitaire is set in 24-karat layered gold. Elevate your words from ordinary to extraordinary. Sell a homesite, not a lot, and a home, not a house,

7. Close throughout their presentation. Count it. Every 120 seconds, the QVC pitch person issues a close. Time is running out. This exceptional leatherette case is easy to care for yet has the look and feel of buttery soft Brazilian leather. I’ve just been told we only five left. Look at the compartments. And look how easy it converts from the shoulder to the hand strap. Doesn’t this look better than the case you’re carrying around now?

Analyze your selling process and you’ll realize you can learn a lot from QVC.

Posted In: Blogroll, Customer Service, Marketing, New Home Sales, New Home Sales Management Training, New Home Sales Training, New home sales marketing, Personal Development, Real estate courses, Recommended Blogs, Sales Management, Uncategorized, new home sales management

Be sure to stop over at www.builderradio.com and check out my podcast interview with my friends at BuilderRadio.

Boost Sales by 30% With a ’1 in 3? Referral Strategy

Click Here to Listen Now >>

In this interview, we discuss how to build a predictable business by initiating a strategy that will give you a return of 1 in 3 – for every three sales that you make to a walk-in or to a Realtor, you can get one additional sale by following this simple 6 step strategy:

Step 1: Anticipate cancellations. Make two calls in 24 hours.

Step 2: Explain your customer care commitment. Your customer care commitment is going to involve three sub-steps. Customer care is going to be a weekly preemptive customer service call. In addition, it will be a weekly email and then you’re going to give them your scheduled days off.

Step 3: A weekly or biweekly photo of their home.

Step 4: Lunch on the day of their move-in and a gift subscription to the local newspaper.

Step 5: Anniversary card after they move in.

Step 6: Non-traditional holiday card campaign.

Posted In: Blogroll, Customer Service, Marketing, New Home Sales, New Home Sales Management Training, New Home Sales Training, New home sales marketing, Personal Development, Real estate courses, Recommended Blogs, Uncategorized, new home sales management

What if at your next management meeting your company owner sat down in the conference room and announced to everyone that in 30 days every customer would have to pay an extra $500 "experience tax" that would be tacked on to the bottom of every contract? How would you react? How would your other managers react?

Now no one likes taxes, so instead how about we call it an "experience fee." This fee is going to be rather substantial, perhaps up to several percentage points of the final sales price — now how do you feel? My guess is that most people in the room would say that it would cause lower customer satisfaction, that it would increase customer expectations, slow down construction time, and increase your costs (because you’d have to offer something extra to justify it). Here’s the reality — your company already has an experience tax, and it’s built into your current price.

Now the question is are you delivering a good enough experience to justify your higher price? If not, there is always another company down the road that is willing to cross out that experience tax (or substantially lower it) and offers a similar product for a lower cost. If profitability is a chief focus of your organization (and it always should be) then now is when the light bulb should be going off in your head. On many McDonald’s menus they used to say "smiles are free." Yes, smiles are free to produce, but they create an experience and emotion that cause people to buy more or pay more.

Note: I first learned of the concept of an experience tax from What’s the Secret to Providing a World-Class Customer Experience by John DiJulius. I’ve attended his workshops as well — and I highly recommend both.

Author BIO:
Kevin Oakley is a branding and marketing expert specializing in real estate. He is currently the Director of Marketing & Sales Training at Heartland Homes — a top 100 builder. You can interact with him on his blog at www.brandpossible.com.

Posted In: Customer Service, Marketing

The secret of massive sales is simple- the sale will always go to the one who wants it the most. Why? Because the one who wants it the most will work the hardest.

A major university studied 16,000 sales people. They wanted to find the specific characteristics that separated high achieving sales people and those who were not producing as many sales. Watch my video as I discuss what their findings were and what the secrets to massive sales are.

Remember to keep your mental mindset in check- the salesperson that wants it the most will be more prepared and will do the most.

People that cannot make prompt decisions miss their opportunity.

What separates a real leader from others is the ability to make fast decisions. Decisions come at you everyday like a bullet. In the year 2010 do you think you will have a major decision to make? The answer is yes.

There is a formula to help bring you clarity in the decision making process and it starts with thinking on paper. The average genius thinks on paper and delegates decision making to a document by asking these 4 simple questions:

If I make this decision what will be the best possible outcome?

Your answer will make the decision obvious.

It is important that you learn to manage fast decisions. Why? Because there will always be new decisions coming at you daily. Remember that procrastination is the thief of all opportunity.

Posted In: Blogroll, Customer Service, Marketing, New Home Sales, New Home Sales Management Training, New Home Sales Training, New home sales marketing, Personal Development, Real estate courses, Recommended Blogs, Sales Management, Uncategorized, new home sales management

When I consult with sales managers, I frequently get the complaint that their new home sales model is not open when it should be. They believe—but aren’t sure—that their salespeople are late opening the model. They slip out early. They take extended breaks during the day, leaving the new home sales center unavailable during key times.

I tell each and every one of them that I can confirm with 100% accuracy which sales center is opening and closing on time without ever traveling to the sales center or model home. They look at me like I’m some sort of clairvoyant (which I’m not). I simply show up, unannounced, at a sales meeting. There are always people who arrive 15 to 20 minutes early, get their coffee, and are ready to start the meeting at the appointed time. There is also, sad to say, at least one person who waltzes in 15 to 20 minutes late.

This, I tell the sales manager, is one of those "tells" you see in a card game, a tip-off to the next play. The timeliness or tardiness that occurs when people are watching—including the leadership team—is the same behavior occurring at your sales center. They aren’t savvy enough players to even attempt to bluff you.

If these people can’t be on time when everyone is watching, what makes you think they act more responsibly when left on their own?

Posted In: Blogroll, Customer Service, Marketing, New Home Sales, New Home Sales Management Training, New Home Sales Training, New home sales marketing, Personal Development, Real estate courses, Recommended Blogs, Sales Management, Uncategorized, new home sales management

We’ve looked at Dissatisfaction and Discipline as the first two factors in the psychology of change. The next rung of the ladder deals with Attitude. Do you have the mindset to accept this undertaking? Are you embracing the desire to change or merely accepting it? What is your energy level? Attitude is key to successfully executing the change you’ve identified as worthwhile because (a) you’re dissatisfied enough with your current situation to want to make the change; and (b) you’re prepared to discipline yourself to take the necessary steps.

But where is your head at? Is it a case where maybe your doctor has advised you to quit smoking, lose weight, or reduce your stress levels? Has your boss recommended an "attitude adjustment"? Are you taking charge of your life or just taking orders? Consider this step carefully because if your attitude is in need of adjustment, you cannot succeed in your quest for change.

Look at the position of each letter of the word "ATTITUDE" in the alphabet:

A = 1
T = 20
T = 20
I = 9
T = 20
U = 21
D = 4
E = 5

Then add them up. I wonder if it is a coincidence that the letters of the word "attitude" add up to 100? If your attitude is 100%, you will be successful.

So, how is your attitude adding up these days? Are the odds of successful change stacked in your favor?

Posted In: New Home Sales, New Home Sales Management Training, New Home Sales Training

What we did yesterday has no relevance to today. Why? Because the test is always the same; it’s the answer that changes. The test is ALWAYS this: How do you generate more traffic and create more sales? The answers, however, are always changing.

Cant’ see the video? Click here to view it on YouTube.

Posted In: New Home Sales, New Home Sales Management Training, New Home Sales Training, new home sales management

There is a psychological formula for making change. Just like there are the seven stages of grief, there are steps for achieving change. Many people talk about changing — losing weight, saving money, quitting smoking, finding a new job — but few take the necessary steps to follow through with their idea.

The first factor in the equation is Dissatisfaction. You have to want to change a behavior enough to go through the necessary motions, some of which can be difficult. When the pain of remaining in a situation overrides the pain of making the change, you’ve taken the first step on the ladder of change. Your dissatisfaction outweighs your ability to endure who, what, or where you are.
Dissatisfaction is actually a good thing. Anxiety is nature’s warning sign. It tells you that something is stirring up and requires your attention. Look at dissatisfaction as your wake-up call. It might come in the form of immense boredom, frustration, exhaustion, anger, or even physical pain. Maybe you’re too tired to enjoy your family because you work too hard, or unable to take a long walk because you’re overweight or a heavy smoker. Maybe the drudgery of a job that doesn’t challenge you has caused you to be either listless or irritable.

However the "symptom" manifests itself, the sign is clear. You need to make a change. Dissatisfaction simply helps you weigh when to make a change. In my next post, I’ll look at how to get yourself to the next level in the change range.

Posted In: New Home Sales, New Home Sales Management Training, New Home Sales Training

What comes first—confidence or competence? Sales is a skills-based game, and you don’t know what you don’t know. Learn the four levels of consciousness you’ll need to understand in order to truly master any new skill.

Can’t see the video? Click here to view it on YouTube.

Posted In: New Home Sales, New Home Sales Management Training, New Home Sales Training, New home sales marketing

You’ve heard of "ROI" or "Return on Investment." But have you heard of "ROE?"
It means "Return on Energy" and it’s the measurement of success that will keep your team working successfully.

Can’t see the video? Click here to view it on YouTube.

Posted In: New Home Sales, New Home Sales Management Training, New Home Sales Training, Sales Management, new home sales management