iPhone post
This is my first post using the Wordpress app for the iPhone. I’ll have to say, pretty slick. And very easy to use. Even adding pictures directly from the iPhone is super easy.
Nathan Keener Lyon
We’ve had a busy few days. Our 2nd son, Nathan Keener Lyon, was born July 10th at 3:17 p.m. Even though mom was a week and a half late, they both performed beautifully with our second natural childbirth!
He looks just like his mom!
Email Hacks for the New Home Sales Executive
I stumbled upon a neat little hack by accident and I’m pretty excited. Most cell phone companies have a free option of email to SMS. This is the ability to send an email which converts to a text message on a mobile phone.
Big deal right, I get email on my iPhone already. Well, like most people, I disabled the email notification/buzz/alarm on my phone, so I actually have to check for new emails. This helps me stay focused and not distracted by emails all day (3rd step from my Crackberry Anonymous meetings). If not, I would probably be locked in a room pasting up newspaper articles like Russell Crow in "A Beautiful Mind".
Anyway, so here’s the trick. Again, I don’t want a text message for every email I get… but I would like to receive a text message when someone submits a lead from our website, because these are usually the hottest and most qualified requiring the absolute highest priority. To accomplish this, you need to program in your standard email on the web contact form and copy your new mobile SMS email address and voila, you’ve got an instant text notification when you have a hot lead! If this is Greek to you, have your web design firm help you out. (note: you need to have text messaging set up on your phone or they charge you a pretty penny per text)
As you can see, it doesn’t take much to excite me. But, in a challenging market - response time matters right? Like Ricky Bobby says, "If you ain’t first, you’re last."
Also, a little side note. Check out Jott - it’s a FREE service that transcribes voicemails to emails automatically. I use it to take voice notes and leave reminders that funnel directly to my email - which helps me stay organized. A true lifesaver.
Below are the email addresses of the most popular carriers.
T-Mobile: phonenumber@tmomail.net
Virgin Mobile: phonenumber@vmobl.com
ATT: phonenumber@txt.att.net
Sprint: phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
Verizon: phonenumber@vtext.com
Nextel: phonenumber@messaging.nextel.com
phonenumber = your 10 digit phone number
Fun with QVC
So we had a little sales team competition - who could come up with the best parody of a QVC show - selling a new home.
We got the idea from Myers Barnes’ lessons that you can learn from the QVC sales process:
- Always create urgency
- Great story tellers
- Fun and enthusiastic
- Build value
- Scripted and planned presentation
- Thoughtful language
- Close throughout
Here is our salute to QVC - 2 parts.
Staring Jaymi Hopkins, Christy French, Wendy Onyango, Sean Bowen, Mario Avila, Kevin Swift, Mike Lyon
Edited and Produced by Mario Avila
Real Estate Search Coolness
OK…I try to keep this site focused for homebuilders but this is too cool to pass up.
This is how all searches for a resale home should work - it’s beautiful. Check it out here: ColoradoHomeStop.com
Colorado-based Metro Brokers, Inc. unveiled a new real estate search site at ColoradoHomeStop.com. The site uses a map-based interface to guide users to neighborhoods and specific listings in Colorado markets. Using Google Maps’ platform, it offers a fast search as the pages do not have to load each time a section of the map is clicked on. The initial launch includes access to nearly all Denver metro listings from the Metrolist MLS.
A valuable lesson from Ricky Bobby
We had an ice storm hit this weekend. In preparation for the impending storm we made sure to run to Blockbuster and get a movie to fend off cabin fever. Seems like everyone else in town had the same idea. Needless to say it was slim pickins’
We ended up with our 15th choice - Talladega Nights - The Legend of Ricky Bobby starring Will Ferrell who plays a NASCAR driver. Senseless humor with no real value - at least that’s what I thought.
With my expectations low - I was pleasantly surprised to take away something “valuable”. Ricky Bobby has a mantra in the movie, “If you ain’t first, you’re last!” He races cars with one thing in mind - coming in first place. He didn’t care about second or third - it was all about being first.
As an Online Sales Counselor, we should keep this mantra in mind when responding to our leads. One of the key factors in higher conversion rates is the speed of that first personalized response or phone call.
You are most likely not the only game in town. A savvy shopper will request information from multiple builders. Create the best impression by being the first to respond. Online shoppers have come to expect this and appreciate the effort made when you get back with them as soon as possible.
As you can see - cabin fever has definitely set in as I pull career lessons from Ricky Bobby. Even so, when you receive those leads, do your best to respond the quickest; and remember “If you ain’t first, you’re last”
