OSC Veteran
Filed under: Interviews, Online Marketing Experts, Resources & Tools
I recently asked a fellow OSC to comment on her 4 years of experience and what she has learned. Leslie Loveless works with Mattamy Homes in North Carolina and was a huge resource for me when I first started in my position. Check out what she has to say below. Thanks Leslie!
A few things I have learned in almost 4 years as an OSC.
- It is important to remember that an OSC is a marketing tool to drive traffic to the salespeople that you serve. An OSC is an advertisement to attract qualified buyers to the salespeople in the model homes. Do not make the mistake of giving out too much information even though you know a lot. Do not give the customer a reason to eliminate you as a builder. Keep them wanting more information or they have no reason to visit the neighborhood. Avoid divulging any incentives or bonuses available at the community the customer is going to tour as this will steal the thunder from the salesperson you serve.
- An OSC serves the salespeople. Be sure to treat the salespeople with respect and to treat them fairly. You and the salespeople work as a team. Let your customer know what a wonderful person they are about to meet at the model home. An OSC is an asset to a company hiring new salespeople. It is a bonus to have a live person working to get business for you seven days a week.
- An OSC should have some sort of incentive to give to the customer if they book an appointment through them. It can be something that they only receive if they actually buy from you. People, by nature, do not like to make appointments. If they understand they will get something just for showing up, there is more than a 50% chance they will keep the appointment. One out of every three appointments kept will buy from you. The statistics are great. The internet traffic that makes an appointment are as good as be backs, so, it pays off big to offer the customers a bonus to walk through the model home door. A bigger bonus still, is that the builder probably will not have to pay a Realtor fee.
- Always ask the customer to tour the model home. If they live out of town, ask when they are coming for a visit. Generally, if they do not tour the community,they will not buy and you will not be paid, so, you must get them to the neighborhood.
Sums it Up
Found this quote over at incredibleagent.com – pretty much sums it up.
“The Internet will never replace the real estate agent; however, the agent who uses the Internet will replace the agent who does not”
Home shoppers do their hunting online
A recent USA Today article “Home shoppers do their hunting online” details the journey one couple had purchasing their home online. It is an interesting article on many levels.
One of the first observations made in the article:
Technology is shifting knowledge and power to buyers and sellers.
This is a sentiment that has been gaining steam over the past couple of years. We are just now seeing what is truly possible online and the real estate markets are taking notice. As more shoppers have easier access to the Internet, it is transforming the way they shop for their home. Besides the adoption of technology by the baby-boomers, the younger generation rely primarily on the Internet to find information.
Another point the article made is:
The Internet is a significant threat to Realtors, who in previous decades have had iron-grip control over all necessary information for those seeking to buy or sell a home.
While it is true that information is now easily accessible, I would not consider it a “threat”. I guess the only Realtors it would threaten are those who don’t adapt to the changes being made. In every industry, technology will bring about great change. You either have to evolve and use the tools to your advantage or you will be left behind. I don’t believe the advances of the Internet will render their services useless, but it will change what services they provide.
The good news for builders…advances in technology and the prevalent use of the Internet to search for homes provides the opportunity to showcase your homes to the masses at a low cost. In addition, when you manage your Internet leads properly, you will see a noticeable increase in sales. No longer do you have to wait for the walk-in traffic. You are actually able to generate interest and tap into buyers across the US.
Just as the couple in the article, there are many buyers out there who need a home and will make informed decisions quickly when they have the right information at their fingertips.
