Warren Buffett is credited with saying, “It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked.” To paraphrase that for the new home market, it’s only when the tide turns in a hot housing market that you learn who is barely prepared to sell.
When we had a seller’s market, almost anyone could write a contract. As a result, some sales managers confused a good market with a good salesperson. Solid training seemed unnecessary. Then the market shifted and it wasn’t so easy to get signatures on the bottom line.
In any housing market, new home salespeople need mentoring and strong leadership; and yet frequently that’s exactly what they don’t get.
Too many sales managers say, “Hey, my salespeople are adults and they should be able to sell new homes without me looking over their shoulders.”
My response to this is, “Well, if that’s true, then they possess the most magical word in our vocabulary … initiative.”
Those with strong initiative may be able to sell homes on their own without someone telling them what to do. However, the majority of new home salespeople – and most folks in general – need some guidance at some point from a voice of experience.
If you aren’t receiving the leadership you deserve, consider joining another company that provides professional training and mentoring. You can also take the initiative to learn on your own by listening to motivational CDs, reading books and blogs, attending seminars and watching videos about new home sales.
Do this and, when the tide turns again, you’ll be clothed in a new habit.
