Do You Convert

Ep 442: Stop Chasing Silver Bullets

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 02:00:00 -0400

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Kevin is joined by Julie and Beth to talk about what marketers can learn from Disney, why a successful event deserves a lot more than most teams give it, and why "leads are up" might be the most dangerous sentence in your dashboard.

They also dig into the CoStar acquisition of Zonda and what it could mean for new home listings, why Google is quietly retiring standalone display campaigns, and a friendly debate over whether Meta’s upcoming subscription tiers are worth a single dollar of anyone’s monthly budget.

Story Time:

Beth - A magical marketing lesson
Julie - Take the win, no matter how you got it
Kevin - The doorman fallacy

Announcements:

Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - October 1-2, 2026 - Over 50% of tickets are gone, secure your spot today.
Google Adds AI Mode To Search Box: 3 Things You Need To Know - Virtual Event - June 16, 2026 - Registration required, limited spots available.

In the News:

Ep 441: Brand Can’t Move Land

Thu, 28 May 2026 02:00:00 -0400

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Kevin is joined by Julie and Jackie to talk about overpacked calendars, a return to glasses (and what that has to do with reading your data), and why the prettiest content in your ad account isn’t always the one converting customers.

They also debate whether home builders are in the demand creation business or the desire creation business, unpack the Compass and MRED Zillow standoff playing out in Chicago, and break down what everything from Google Marketing Live 2026 actually means for builders.

Story Time:

Julie - Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater
Jackie - Zoom out to see things differently
Kevin - Demand vs. Desire

Announcements:

Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Oct 1-2 - Austin, TX - Over 50% of tickets are sold, get your ticket or sit on the waitlist.

In the News:

Hear Kevin on the Intermodal Logisitics podcast mentioned in this episode.

#62: Going Beyond the Screen

Tue, 26 May 2026 02:00:00 -0400

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Host Jen Barkan talks to Emily Tucker, an award-winning OSC with Robuck Homes, about how she goes beyond traditional lead management by visiting communities, creating successful video content, and building relationships with on-site sales agents and realtors to amplify her builder's brand presence.

Housekeeping

2026 Online Sales and Marketing Summit - October 1-2, 2026 in Austin, TX - According to Emily, if you’re an Online Sales Specialist, you have to go!

TITO Shoutout

Kelly Ward and Athena Azan with M/I Homes - Internet Sales Team of the Year at the MAME Awards.

Key Takeaways

Be the face of your brand, not just a phone answerer: Emily makes monthly on-site visits to each community to create video content that humanizes her as an OSC and builds a personal social media presence alongside the company's corporate accounts. A personal brand reaches people differently than a builder's corporate page alone!
You don't need fancy equipment to get started: A phone, an inexpensive tripod, and a lapel mic from Amazon are all Emily uses. The bigger barrier is perfection paralysis - use the mantra "progress over perfection" and just do it, even if early videos are rough.
One site visit can fuel weeks of content across multiple channels: A single afternoon on-site can generate a month's worth of video content that can be repurposed across social platforms, text prospecting, emails, and realtor outreach.
On-site visits strengthen the OSC-to-sales-agent relationship: Collaborating on videos builds trust and connection with on-site agents. Teaching agents video skills and inviting them to participate turns the visit into a relationship-building moment, not just a content-creation task.

Skills Check

Pick one community, talk to leadership and/or marketing about how you can create some content. Think about how you could leverage this content across multiple channels - marketing, prospecting, and follow up.

If You’re Not Using UTM Codes, Your GA4 Data Is Inaccurate

Tue, 26 May 2026 01:00:00 -0400

When someone fills out a form on your website, do you know exactly where they came from? Was it your Meta ad, a Google search campaign, an email, Zillow, or a QR code on a sign rider? If you can’t confidently answer that question, it becomes challenging to make informed marketing decisions. This is why UTM codes are so important; they help clarify the source of your traffic and inform Google Analytics 4 (GA4) about where it originated. Without UTM codes, you’ll be left making many assumptions.

GA4 Is Only as Good as the Data You Give It

GA4 does its best to provide insights, but it can only work with the data you give it. If your links lack UTM codes, traffic may end up classified as Direct, Referral, or Unassigned. This is GA4’s way of saying, “I don’t know where this traffic came from.” If GA4 doesn’t know the source, then you won’t either. This becomes an issue when trying to identify which communities are generating interest, which campaigns are effectively driving leads, and whether you should continue investing in one area or reduce spending in another. Accurate source data is crucial for making these decisions.

What Is a UTM (and Why It Matters)?

A UTM code is just a little bit of tracking text added to the end of a URL.

Here’s a normal link: happyacres.com

Here’s the same link with UTMs: happyacres.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=happy-acres-qmi

When someone clicks that link, GA4 records:

Source = facebook
Medium = paid-social
Campaign = happy-acres-qmi

Instead of guessing, you actually know where that person came from. It’s simple, but it completely changes how useful your reporting is.

Your Marketing Is Everywhere, Your Data Should Be Too

Many builders are currently marketing through multiple channels simultaneously, including Google Ads, Meta Ads, email campaigns, Zillow listings, organic social media, and even QR codes on signage, all directing traffic to their websites. Without UTM codes, this traffic can blend together. By using UTM codes, you can differentiate between the sources of traffic and identify what is actually effective.

Every builder eventually faces the same question: what’s working? More importantly, where should we allocate more budget, and where can we cut back? UTM codes can provide valuable insights to help answer these questions. They offer a clearer understanding of what drives results, what is underperforming, and where your best leads are coming from. Without UTM codes, decisions are made based on incomplete data, often resulting in wasted spending.

Creating UTM Codes Is Easy (Doing It Consistently Is the Hard Part)

Creating UTM codes is straightforward. Google offers a free Campaign URL Builder that allows you to enter your page URL, source, medium, and campaign name, generating the tracking link for you. One common mistake I see is the inconsistent naming. For instance, if one link uses "facebook," another uses "Facebook," and a third one uses "fb," GA4 will consider these as three separate sources. This inconsistency can lead to messy reporting. The best approach is to establish a naming convention at the beginning and stick to it.

Better Data In, Better Decisions Out

At the end of the day, UTM codes are what make GA4 more valuable. They help you move from simply knowing that you received traffic to understanding which specific campaign drove those visitors and generated leads. If you're investing in marketing and care about the results, UTMs should be included in every link you manage. Better data leads to better decision-making, and better decisions result in improved performance.

Ep 440: Build Awareness Before Breaking Ground

Thu, 21 May 2026 02:00:00 -0400

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Julie is joined by Jackie and Caroline to share real-world stories about the pitfalls of new market launches and how everyone looks at the marketers first when things start to go south for sales.

They also dig into the latest news around Google Ads and a broad SEO shift that prioritizes brand recognition and trust over traditional keyword rankings.

Story Time:

Julie - You have to create what the customer can’t see yet
Caroline - Don’t blame the marketer
Jackie - Pre-launch prep is key

Announcements:

Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Oct 1-2 - Austin, TX - Over 50% of tickets are sold, get your ticket or sit on the waitlist.

In the News:

The Online Sales Manifesto: Non-Negotiables That Drive Results

Thu, 21 May 2026 01:00:00 -0400

We get asked this all the time: "What are your top-performing online sales teams doing differently?" Builders want to know the secret. Leaders want to audit their programs. Online Sales Specialists want to level up.

So we put it all in one place. Consider this the Online Sales Manifesto - the non-negotiables that the best programs in the country live and die by. These are battle-tested, data-backed fundamentals that we have seen work over and over again. Follow this manifesto, and you will have success.

Download a copy to keep at your desk as a reminder!

All New Interest Flows Through Online Sales

Every new lead - web leads, signage calls, Zillow, BDX, developer leads, realtor inquiries should funnel through online sales. No exceptions. Your Online Sales Specialist is in the CRM every day. They are trained to nurture, capture, and follow up. When leads go to salespeople on the website and other leads go to online sales, you create confusion and data leak. One single source of truth is the goal.

Right-Size Your Program

The sweet spot is around 150 to 200 new leads per month per online sales specialist. When you begin to creep over that, conversions suffer. More leads managed poorly is not always better. If you are setting over 80 to 100 appointments a month, corners may be cut in the process and prospecting goes to the wayside. Know your numbers, evaluate your process, and staff up to meet demand.

Position Online Sales as Part of the Sales Team

This is a sales role. Your Online Sales Specialist is the frontline of your sales team and should be positioned that way from the top down. That means performance-based goals, appointment metrics, and conversion expectations. Build this role around a sales mentality and it shows instant value. We want appointment getters that are invested in the sale.

Speed to Lead

Fast is not fast enough. We live in a world of immediate gratification with people getting telehealth prescriptions delivered to their door in hours. The window where a lead is still engaged on your website keeps shrinking. Speed cures a multitude of other sins. There could be a system or staffing issue that is preventing this so make sure your program and your technology support a quick response.

Personalize Your First Outreach

Auto responses are great for speed, but they should never replace personalization. Your first email, text, and phone call should be personalized to the community of interest and address whatever the customer asked and shared. When a customer asks a question and you respond with a generic template that ignores it, you break trust immediately. In our homebuilder follow-up survey, only 43% of builders personalized that first outreach - down from 71% the year before. This is a massive opportunity.

Keep Your Messaging Simple and Relevant

The goal of your first response is to get engagement and to get the customer to respond so you can start a real conversation. Don't info dump in your messaging! A good follow up email should be 5 sentences or less and customer vs builder focused. And remember, one size does not fit all. Someone who came through your website needs a different message than someone who found a listing on Zillow or New Home Source. Put your customer hat on.

Develop and Follow a Process

You need processes for new leads, responsive leads, prospecting, coming soon interest lists, your call path, and your handoff to the sales team. The most important thing is to have an action plan so that “No Lead is Left Behind”. Also, beware of task fatigue. Once you have followed up with a responsive lead 4 to 5 times manually, switch to monthly intentional prospecting in mass.

Be Curious on the Phone

In order to be appointment getters not setters, make sure to Discover Don't Dump! Customers have already spent time researching your website in most cases, so when you are on the phone, take the time to get the story. Ask, listen, ask, and have a real conversation instead of pushing someone through a checklist. The appropriately qualified appointment (timeframe, area, wants/needs/motivation, budget, authority) comes from genuine curiosity.

Know Your Numbers and the Why Behind Them

Reporting is your responsibility. Know your lead count, lead sources, lead-to-appointment rate, show rate, appointment-to-sale conversion, and your overall contribution to company sales. The best Online Sales Specialists do the backwards math - how many leads to hit appointment targets, how many appointments to reach sales goals - then share that with the sales team. Watch your dashboards constantly and own the narrative of your program.

The Phone Is Your Best Friend

Texting is a fantastic layer, but it cannot replace the connection of a personal phone conversation. Getting customers on the phone is your best opportunity to provide value and appropriately qualify. Answer every time it rings, maintain a consistent answer rate of 80% or higher, and use the three amigos approach - phone, text, email - to meet customers where they want to be met. Leverage AI tools to help summarize and prioritize your calls.

Make Prospecting a Priority

With an industry average of 20-25% of appointments coming from aged leads, you cannot afford to skip prospecting. There is gold in that database. If you don't have bandwidth, look at how you manage your day. And if lead volume is genuinely that high, it might be time to add to the team. The best programs reach out monthly to their aged leads via email, layering in phone, text, and video to follow up with a goal of 40 calls a day. *Nurturing a coming soon interest list counts as prospecting, too.

Get Out From Behind the Screen

If you work from home, get dressed and head to the office. Go to sales meetings. Visit communities. If distance is a factor, schedule a Zoom or a FT meeting, and leverage video email to stay connected. Your sales team needs to know who you are and how you can help them. Humanizing yourself is not just for customers; it is for your internal team, too.

Stay Current on Your Tech Stack

Your tools are constantly evolving with new features and AI integrations. Be proactive and investigate what is new, try things out, and bring solutions to leadership. Be the Online Sales Specialist who is on top of it, not the one caught off guard.

Meet With Leadership Consistently

If you are not having regular one-on-ones with leadership and marketing, it’s your job to make it happen. Practice proactive communication by bringing your ideas, solutions, and data to help tell the story of your online sales program. Leaders sometimes have blinders because they are zoomed out on the big picture. You are the expert in your role.

Know Your Value and Share It

This ties it all together. Know the impact you are making and talk about it confidently. Don't shrink away and say, "I take calls and set appointments." Remember, YOU are the first point of contact for every new interest that comes in for your builder. YOU work across every community and every sales team. YOU have information before it hits MLS. YOU have data on what leads are converting, and YOU set the tone for the customer’s journey.

This is your manifesto. Use this list as a guide to help you drive results. These are not ideas we pulled out of thin air, they are the non-negotiables we have seen work across hundreds of builders and online sales programs. If something on this list hits a nerve, that’s good! Take this and sit down with leadership to review and come with a solution. Now, get after it!

Listen to the Online People Talking episode about the manifesto here.

Ep 439: From Hershey to Home Building

Thu, 14 May 2026 02:00:00 -0400

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Rachel Peters joins the podcast to share her career journey from a college intern at Hershey Entertainment and Resorts to her current role at Realtor.com New Construction. The conversation covers lessons from working in large marketing organizations, the value of diverse internship experiences, her time at Keystone Custom Homes, and her perspective on what home builders consistently get wrong with their digital marketing.

Early Career Lessons

Rachel talks about her 5 college internships across companies of varying sizes before landing at Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, where she was part of a 40-person marketing team, got media trained as a fresh grad, and handled real crisis communications. Being surrounded by so many different marketing specialists taught her the value of mastering a single craft deeply, and showed her how broad marketing is as a discipline.

A Strong Builder-Side Perspective

Rachel spent significant time on the builder side with Keystone Custom Homes before moving to her current role, which she considers invaluable for having effective conversations with builders now. She dives deeper into the top two things that builders often overlook:

Understanding where traffic comes from. Many builders don't know their traffic sources with any real specificity.
UTM codes and tracking. There is still a large portion of the industry that doesn’t have a working understanding of UTM parameters or how to connect digital touchpoints to outcomes.

She also raises a practical issue many builders still struggle with: image order in listing feeds. Monument or exterior photos often end up as the first image everywhere, including on third-party sites, which may not always be the best approach.

Foundational Skills > AI Tools

Kevin references a LinkedIn post about a Claude product priced at $100,000/month to replace a marketing team, and uses it to underscore an important irony: some builders are chasing AI tools while still unclear on what UTM codes are. The two then talk about how you can't get full value from advanced tools without having the foundational basics in place. You must understand the customer's digital journey and what data is and isn't visible before layering on anything sophisticated.

Follow Rachel on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelhbpeters/

Q1 2026 Online Sales Benchmarks

Wed, 13 May 2026 01:00:00 -0400

The Q1 2026 data is in and the new home selling season delivered. Every quarter, these benchmarks capture performance across a wide range of homebuilder online sales programs, from large to small, established to emerging. They represent the industry standard for what great online sales performance looks like. Here's how Q1 2026 stacked up against Q4 2025 - and what the bigger year-over-year trends are telling us about where this industry is heading.

The Overall Numbers

Two out of three metrics improved quarter over quarter heading into the new home selling season, lead-to-appointment climbed 4 percent, and appointment-to-sale ticked up 1 percent. Online sales contribution held steady at 48%, matching Q4 exactly. Q1 is historically the strongest quarter of the year, when buyer energy is high, traffic is picking up, and motivated shoppers are actively looking for their new home.

Online Sales showed up for the moment and the conversion numbers reflect it. Even as lead volume remains constrained and contribution held flat, the funnel got more efficient. More leads are turning into appointments, and more appointments are turning into sales.

What a Year-Over-Year View Reveals

Comparing this Q1 to Q1 a year ago tells an even more compelling story. A few trends stand out:

Lead-to-appointment grew. The improvement from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026 isn't a slow drift, it's a real operational shift. Online Sales Specialists aren't waiting for the market to hand them more inquiries; they're working harder on the ones that come in. Faster first response, sharper discovery, and tighter follow-up cadences are showing up in the data.

Aged leads are pulling more weight. The share of appointments coming from aged leads grew significantly year over year. Now, roughly one in five appointments comes from a lead that's been sitting in the database for a while. If you've invested in nurture programs and prospecting discipline, this quarter is your validation.

The full funnel is improving, not just the top. Appointment-to-sale improved year over year too, which tells us the appointments Online Sales Specialists are setting aren't just more frequent, they're higher quality. The online sales role continues to be central to how new homes get sold, and the conversion improvements happening inside the funnel are what will drive contribution growth as lead volume stabilizes.

Top Performers Increased Conversions, Too

While overall numbers showed strong improvement, the best online sales programs in the industry took it even further in Q1.

Metric

Q4 2025 Top Performers Q1 2026 Top Performers

Lead-to-Appointment 52% 53% ↑

Appointment-to-Sale 21% 22% ↑

Online Sales Contribution 55% 54%

Lead-to-appointment and appointment-to-sale both improved for top performers, and that combination is significant. It means these programs aren't just getting more leads to say yes to a visit; they're sending better-prepared, more committed buyers to the sales team. Online sales contribution held near the top of the industry range at 54%, meaning online sales is still driving the majority of sales at the best programs in the industry. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens through process, consistency, and online sales specialists that treats every lead like an opportunity.

The Bigger Trends You Can't Ignore

Zoom out from the quarter, and a few longer-running shifts come into focus:

Lead volume isn't coming back yet. The lead environment has tightened dramatically over the past several years and hasn’t yet returned to what it was. Plan accordingly.

Conversion is the new growth lever. Lead-to-appointment is at its highest level in years. The teams winning right now aren't the ones with the most leads, they're the ones converting the leads they have at a higher rate.

The database is the asset. With fresh inquiry volume constrained, aged leads have become a primary driver of appointments. One in five appointments this quarter came from a lead that had been waiting in the pipeline, up from roughly one in seven a year ago.

So What Should You Do With This?

If you're a leader: Stop measuring your online sales team primarily on lead volume. The market is telling us volume isn't the lever anymore, conversion is. Your scorecard should reflect that.

If you're an online sales specialist: The data is your friend. The teams winning right now are doing the unglamorous things – working aged leads with discipline, sharpening their first-touch response, and treating every appointment like it matters. Because it does.

New home selling season showed what's possible when Online Sales Specialists are firing on all cylinders. Conversion skill and prospecting discipline are what separate good programs from great ones. The ceiling is still rising, and now is the time to push through it.

#61: Q1 Benchmarks

Tue, 12 May 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Listen, Like and Subscribe on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:

Melissa, Amanda, and Molly take over the OPT studio to share Q1 industry benchmarks, discuss key trends in online sales, and offer actionable advice for OSCs and leaders navigating a lower-volume, higher-quality lead environment.

View the full Q1 2026 Online Sales Benchmarks report.

Housekeeping

Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Oct 1-2 - Austin, TX - We encourage OSCs to attend, with new interactive programming planned.

TITO Shoutout

Monica Fikany at New Home Inc - Monica had great lead-to-appointment conversions in Q1.
Danielle Evans at Bishard Holmes - 38% of Danielle’s appointments came from aged leads.

Key Takeaways

Lead volume is down, but quality is up: The top of the funnel remains constrained, volume hasn't fully bounced back. However, conversion rates are improving, meaning OSCs are doing more with less.
Prospecting is the biggest win of Q1: Normally, prospecting dips in Q1 as new leads come in during selling season. This quarter, prospecting stayed consistent and even increased -- a major highlight. The 22% age lead appointment rate is a direct result of sustained prospecting effort.
Your CRM is your most valuable asset: Maximize CRM usage by logging detailed notes after every interaction - aged leads hold untapped opportunity, and leadership relies on quality CRM data to make strategic decisions, so consistency matters.
Personalization wins appointments: Buyers are on a longer journey right now. Personalizing outreach and follow-up, based on good notes and CRM data, is what sets top OSCs apart.

Skills Check

For Leaders:

Stop measuring program success purely on lead volume. Conversion percentages are the more meaningful metric right now. Scorecards should reflect this shift.

For OSCs:

Be disciplined and consistent with prospecting.
Treat every lead like it's gold.
Respond to new leads fast, speed to first response beats the competition.
Stay process-driven: no lead left behind.

Ep 438: The Goldmine You’re Not Mining (Yet)

Thu, 07 May 2026 02:00:00 -0400

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Kevin is joined by Beth, Caroline, and a special guest to discuss the importance of leveraging internal teams for great content ideas and the benefits of using AI tools for content automation, while ensuring that human expertise is still used.

They also get into defending your foundation, tools, and strategies in a noisy market with less-than-hopeful headlines.

Story Time:

Beth - Trust your foundation
Caroline - Do one thing at a time
Kevin - Fact-check the headlines

Announcements:

Market Proof Marketing Academy - 3 Virtual Days - July 7-9 - Limited spots available, register today to elevate your marketing expertise.
DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - October 1-2 - Over 150 tickets are already gone! Secure your spot today.

In the News:

Ep 437: Unlearn What You’ve Learned

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Listen, Like and Subscribe on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:

Kevin is joined by Julie and Beth to discuss why giving people less might actually get you further, why the way you've always looked at your data could be quietly costing you, and what separates the builders who move fast from the ones who are still waiting for that "perfect" buyer.

There is also a discussion about if the market is actually struggling, or if it just feels that way, and a conversation about Google's latest ad updates and miscommunications.

Story Time:

Julie - Don't be a comment thief
Beth - Shift your perspective
Kevin - Public Builders vs Private Builders

Announcements:

DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - Over 100 tickets are already gone, secure your spot today.

In the News:

#60: Personal Time Management

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Listen, Like and Subscribe on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:

Host Jen Barkan is joined by her daughter Mia, a third-year veterinary student at Ross University in St. Kitts, for a candid conversation about how to stay focused on your goals and career when life gets hard.

Housekeeping

2026 Online Sales and Marketing Summit - October 1-2, 2026 in Austin, TX - The Summit is literally the biggest party for Online Sales Specialists in the universe.

TITO Shoutout

Rebecca Von Heimburg, OSC at Pacesetter Homes in Dallas Texas - She just had the best month ever; she set a PR for herself while navigating some personal stuff.

Key Takeaways

Set clear boundaries and protect them fiercely: Boundaries aren't optional extras - they're what prevent burnout and enable long-term success over short-term output.
Keep your eye on the end goal when motivation fades: On the hardest days, remember your why. For OSCs, reconnecting to your purpose (your metrics, your customers, your career growth) is what pulls you forward.
Recharging isn't a reward, it's a requirement: Taking time for yourself isn't selfish, it preserves your mental capacity for the long haul.

Skills Check

Are there any boundaries you need to create for yourself? Pick one thing to do to recharge your battery this week. Is it a walk? A massage? Reading?

Your OSC Team is Sitting on a Content Goldmine

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 01:00:00 -0400

Your Online Sales Specialists talk to buyers every single day. They hear the same questions, the same hesitations, the same “I'm just not sure yet” responses on repeat. And somewhere between the third follow-up call and the fifteenth email, a pattern forms.

That pattern is your content strategy - but a lot of marketers aren't paying attention to it.

Instead, this happens: the marketing team sits in a room, brainstorms blog topics based on what they think buyers care about, and publishes content that sounds good on paper but doesn't land. Meanwhile, the OSC team is fielding the exact questions that content should be answering in real time.

The disconnect is expensive.

Every objection an OSC handles is a piece of content waiting to be created. Every question that comes in through a web form is a search query that someone else is also typing into Google at the same moment.

Here are some real questions OSCs are asked on a daily basis:

"How long would it take to build or move in?"
"How does financing work?"
"What is the next step in the buying process?"
"Can I build this plan, or is it only available as an existing inventory home?"

These customer service moments are also content opportunities. And the marketers who recognize that are the ones showing up in search results when a buyer goes looking for answers at 11 PM on a Tuesday.

How to Turn OSC Conversations Into Content

All it requires is a little bit of collaboration (and, possibly, a little technology).

Start by having your OSC team log the top five questions they hear every week. A shared doc, a Slack channel, a sticky note on someone's desk. Whatever works. The goal is to capture recurring themes. If your organization has the capacity, deploy some AI tools to scrub call recordings and note any similarities.

Now, take those themes and turn them into content:

A question about build timelines becomes a content piece walking through the process month by month.
A hesitation about financing becomes a guide that addresses what buyers actually want to know — down payment expectations, rate locks, builder-preferred lenders — without reading like a mortgage textbook.
An inquiry about your buying process becomes an email nurture series that details the buying journey and sets clear expectations.
A concern about warranty coverage becomes a FAQ page that does the heavy lifting before the buyer ever picks up the phone.

The content writes itself when you listen to the people who are already having the conversations.

Another good thing about creating this kind of content is the range of use cases.

When an OSC can send a prospect a blog post that directly addresses their hesitation, two things happen. The buyer gets the information in a format they can sit with, share with their partner, and revisit when they're ready. And the OSC gets time back to focus on the prospects who are closer to a decision.

This is where the line between marketing and sales blurs in a way that actually benefits both teams. Your content isn't living in a silo on the blog page anymore. It's working inside the sales process, shortening the follow-up cycle and giving buyers confidence before the next conversation even starts.

Most builders are still publishing the same kind of content. Community spotlight. New floorplan announcement. "5 Reasons to Buy New." And those do have their place within the overall strategy. But the content that actually converts? It comes from the messy middle. The real, uncomfortable questions about money, timelines and what happens when something goes wrong. Your OSC team lives in that middle every day.

Where to Start

You don't need to overhaul your content calendar overnight. Start with the one question your OSC team is most tired of answering. Write a blog post that answers it thoroughly, clearly, and without jargon.

Then do it again next week.

The content source you've been searching for has been on your payroll this whole time.

Ep 436: Same Funnel, New Century

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Listen, Like and Subscribe on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:

Julie is joined by Jackie and Caroline to talk about why some of the oldest ideas in marketing are still winning, why some marketers are hesitant to use newer tools, and what happens when a home builder decides to stop playing it safe.

Story Time:

Caroline - Creating demand for the Flying Squirrels
Jackie - Saving minutes, not hours, with AI
Julie - Summit Excitement

Announcements:

DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - Over 100 tickets are already gone, secure your spot today.

In the News:

Ep 435: More Money, Same Problems

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Listen, Like and Subscribe on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:

Kevin is joined by Julie and Caroline to discuss an online sales specialist juggling cookies and conversion rates, increasing ad spend as a reflex, and throwing resources at problems without first figuring out what the problem actually is.

There is also a friendly debate around AI content strategy that ultimately lands somewhere simple: be clear, direct and useful, and the rest will follow.

Story Time:

Julie - College visits are a masterclass in customer experience
Caroline - Get a fresh perspective if something’s not working
Kevin - Putting money into your problems doesn’t always solve them

Announcements:

DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - Tickets Now Available

In the News:

#59: Managing Your Day

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Listen, Like and Subscribe on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:

Host Jen Barkan is joined by Online Sales Coach Molly Adams to talk through her blog, where she shares pro tips on managing your day as an Online Sales Specialist—helping you shift from reactive to proactive.

Housekeeping

2026 Online Sales and Marketing Summit - October 1–2, 2026 - Austin, TX - The Summit is literally the biggest party for Online Sales Specialists in the universe.

TITO Shoutout

Garrett Fitzgerald with Pulte Homes - He is such a great mentor for new OSCs joining Pulte and going through training and onboarding.

Key Takeaways

Treat every caller like gold: When your day is structured, you can give customers the attention they deserve.
Start your day calm and end it clean: When you add time to plan your day and wrap up, you will feel ahead.
This is a structural problem: This is not a you problem - it is fixable. You just need to prioritize your tasks.

Skills Check

Define your first and second priorities. We recommend the Marie Kondo method - put everything out there, and if it's no longer giving you joy or converting interest into revenue, say Arigato (thank you) and let it go.

Ep 434: Make Your Marketing Make Sense - Or Else!

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Listen, Like and Subscribe on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:

Julie Jarnagin joins Jackie Lipinski and Beth Russell to talk about practical challenges marketers face with communication and data storytelling, and the importance of getting out from behind the desk to understand the home buying experience from the customer’s perspective.

Hear why strong marketers should combine data, empathy, and real-world insight into consistent messaging and compelling stories to build trust and drive results, despite the doom-and-gloom headlines out there!

Story Time:

Beth - Building (and not eroding) trust with customers over time
Jackie - ChatGPT vs ChatGPT - are you asking the right questions?
Julie - Marketers need to “touch grass” and connect their consumers experiences

Announcements:

Market Proof Marketing Academy - Virtual Event - Register Now - July 7-9, 2026
DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - Tickets Available - October 1-2, 2026

In the news:

An OSC’s Guide to Time Management Success

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:00:00 -0400

I was driving back to the model home, holding dozens of Crumbl cookie boxes against the passenger seat so they wouldn't fall over, and my phone was ringing with a new lead on the other end of the line. I couldn't answer it. My answer rate, the metric I was most proud of, was taking a hit in real time because I was picking up cookies for an event.

If you’re an OSC and you’ve ever asked yourself, “How did I get here?” I know exactly how you feel.

I regularly talk with those who feel like they’re constantly behind, and truthfully, I felt this way as an OSC when call volume was high, or I was being pulled away to other things.

You sit down to write a prospecting email… the phone rings.

You start outbound calls… a web lead comes in.

You plan to send your monthly coming soon email… and suddenly it’s 4:30, and none of it is finished.

Here’s the truth: the OSC role is reactive by nature.

Your job is to answer the phone. You have to respond fast (and be personal!). You have to pivot.

During my time in the OSC seat, the phone never turned off, and I never reached the full potential that each day offered. I didn't create a real structure for myself until I was burning out… which also meant the structure I built was not as proactive as it should have been.

If you want to gain more control of your day (and not just survive it), here’s a simple structure that works if you are proactive and strategic.

1. Let Your Call Data Build Your Calendar

Your call tracking platform isn’t just for reporting. It should guide how you structure your day.

Pull the last few months of data and look for patterns:

What day has the highest call volume?
What day is lighter?
What hours are busiest?
Where are the slower windows?

It might be surprising how predictable your traffic really is. Create a simple calendar with the days of the week along the top and the hours of the day on the side. Using your call-tracking platform, plan out your week.

If you know 10 am to noon is nonstop inbound, that’s not the time to plan your prospecting call power hour.

Maybe mid-afternoon slows down, that’s your opportunity block.

If you see that mornings are lighter, that’s when you create your prospecting email or this month’s Coming Soon email update to your VIP list.

High-performing OSCs don’t “find time.” They plan around their calls.

Let your data tell you when to react and when to be proactive.

2. Build in Ramp-Up and Ramp-Down Time

When I was in your shoes, I worked in a cubicle around other teams. It is easy to get pulled into conversations or connect with coworkers in this setting, but it didn't give me much of a ramp-up period before the calls started picking up. I have always believed in 'lead first,' but without protecting my daily structure, that principle alone wasn't enough.

Think of your day like a runway. You need time for takeoff and landing.

Morning Ramp-Up (30–60 minutes)

Before the chaos starts:

Respond to overnight web leads
Clear urgent emails
Review that day’s appointments
Complete your daily tasks

When you start calm and organized, your results are different. You will feel in control of your business! You’re not scrambling. You’re leading your day.

Evening Ramp-Down (Last 30 minutes)

Before you log off:

Every incoming lead from that day is taken care of
CRM is up to date
Every responded lead has a follow-up tasks
Your appointment tracker matches your CRM

When you end your day clean, tomorrow starts strong. There’s nothing worse than starting your morning already behind.

3. Prioritize Your Tasks (What are your areas of responsibility?)

If you find yourself with a large list of things to do, ask yourself: Will this convert interest into revenue?

If you are unsure, categorize your tasks into two sections.

First Priorities (Always make sure you have done first priorities before anything else!)

Responding to new leads quickly
Answering inbound calls with a 20% of less missed call rate
Setting qualified appointments and having a good hand-off to onsite sales
Prospecting aged leads / 1 mass mail a month and 20 calls a day minimum
Knowing your numbers and conversions
Giving an Online Sales update at sales meetings

If you can confidently say, ‘I do all my first priorities well,’ work on your secondary priorities

Second Priorities

Be the go-to for CRM support and training for the sales team while continuing to strengthen your own CRM knowledge
Keep the database, reports, and inventory/pricing updated and accurate.
Work with the Marketing team by being in content, knowing when marketing emails are going out
Keep MLS updated, audit the website, and make sure your leads have a clear pathway to you!

By communicating clearly with your leader and sharing how you are prioritizing your tasks, you will have clear expectations for success.

The OSC role will always require balance. That part doesn’t change.

But when you:

Use your data
Structure your time
Focus on first priorities first

You move from feeling overwhelmed… to feeling in control. An organized Online Sales Specialist doesn't just feel better, they perform better.

Here's what surprised me when I started coaching: even OSCs who have support and guidance I never had - still say the same things I felt! 'I can't get my prospecting done. I don't know where the time goes.' This isn't a you problem. It's a structural problem. And structural problems are completely fixable.

Ep 433: AI Hype Vs. Search Reality

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Listen, Like and Subscribe on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:

Hear more valuable insights from Rand when he takes the stage at the Online Sales and Marketing Summit this year!

In what may be the biggest guest episode of the year, Rand Fishkin, Co-founder and CEO of SparkToro, joins the podcast to talk about AI's role in search results and the importance of navigating the complexities and misinformation within digital marketing, especially around AI tools.

Rand brings the research and the reality check on how AI is reshaping search, exposing why its recommendations can fall short and why Google still holds the upper hand. Backed by years of experience and research, Rand cuts through the hype to show what’s actually changing (and what isn’t), from zero-click search to the murky world of AI visibility. It’s a sharp look at modern marketing and a reminder that trusting platforms blindly is a losing strategy.

AI Brand Recommendation Challenges

They examine how AI-generated recommendations often exclude well-established brands, suggesting that visibility in AI tools isn’t solely driven by traditional marketing performance. For niche and local industries, this creates uncertainty around what actually influences AI inclusion.

Geographic Search Intent and AI Limitations

Using specific geographic search terms improves clarity of buyer intent, particularly for homebuilders, but AI tools still struggle to deliver consistent, reliable recommendations. Google’s deterministic model may offer more dependable results compared to probabilistic AI outputs.

AI's Impact on Search Behavior

While AI adoption grows, click-through rates from traditional search continue to decline, increasing the importance of zero-click visibility. Kevin and Rand discuss the limits of panel data in measuring behavior and the challenges of accurately interpreting industry-specific trends.

Follow Rand on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/

Learn More about GiveDirectly

https://www.givedirectly.org/

Ep 432: There's No Crying in Home Buying

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 02:00:00 -0400

Listen, Like and Subscribe on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:

Host Kevin Oakley is joined by Beth Russell and Caroline Collard to talk about birthday pancakes for dinner, balancing structure and flexibility in marketing strategies, and how prioritizing the top of the funnel doesn’t ensure better results.

They also discuss a new pricing tool for builders and its use for data-informed decision making throughout the home sales process, and how to combat “content decay” by intentionally refreshing content, not always reinventing it.

Story Time:

Caroline - A quick, but confident, home buying process
Beth - Steer clear of the rinse and repeat cycle
Kevin - Optimizing for leads isn’t always the best idea

Announcements:

DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Tickets releasing soon - October 1-2, 2026

In the News:

#58: The Online Sales Manifesto

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400

Listen, Like and Subscribe on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:

Host Jen Barkan is joined by Online Sales Coach Melissa Fort to talk about the non-negotiables in online sales, from capturing leads to connecting with your on-site team.

Housekeeping

Online Sales Academy – April 1-3, 2026: It’s not too late to join! Ideal for new OSCs or anyone that wants to level up their online sales.

TITO SHOUTOUT

Jennifer Thilmany with Hartizen Homes - Brand new to the role, just went through her training, and she's kicking butt and taking names. Appointments and sales are flowing! Congrats Jennifer!

The Online Sales Manifesto Notes

All new interest flows through online sales.
Start with your website - CTAs - one voice - creating a better mousetrap will lead to higher conversion and better data integrity. For example: Web leads, signage, calls, Zillow, BDX, developer, realtors, Self Tour.
Right size your program - one OSC manages 150-200 new leads/month. Take into account coming soon as well.
Position the OSC as an extension of the sales team and it should be a performance-based role.
Lean into speed to lead.
Personalize the first email, text, and call with the community of interest and address any questions that came in the inquiry. Auto response doesn’t count.
Make your messaging relevant and simple. And know your audience - one size doesn’t fit all on follow up templates.
Develop and follow a process. You need a process for new leads, responsive leads, prospecting, coming soon communities, call path, and handoff.
Be curious! Discover don’t info dump and set appropriately qualified appointments for your sales team.
Know your numbers and the why behind them. Reporting is your responsibility. Leads, lead sources, conversion to appt, show rate, appt to sale, and overall contribution.
Make the phone your best friend and make it a priority. Answer rate needs to be 80% or higher.
Prospecting is a first priority. If you don’t have the bandwidth to make prospecting monthly emails and daily outbound calls, then consider a couple of things: how you manage your day and if you need a team member? With almost 20% of appointments coming from aged leads, you can’t afford not to do it.
Come out from behind the screen and connect with sales. Whether this is sales meetings, in person at the community, or virtually.
Stay up to date on your tech stack.
Remember your value and the impact you have on your company. Know how to explain your role confidently.

Skills Check

Anything on the manifesto that you're not following or don't have implemented, sit down with leadership and talk it through. Don't go with complaints, but with solutions.

The 5 Rules to Data Storytelling

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400

As the CEO sits through yet another meeting in their daily lineup, their eyes glaze over halfway through the latest monthly update. They hear something about reduced spend, conversions, and how the company is seven sales under goal. Their attention is lost because, well, they already know all of this. While the data is important, there is no clear story, no hook, and certainly no urgency. In truth, the presentation feels more like reading a weather report with pretty charts and graphs than a business-critical performance update. What’s the takeaway? What should they do with this? The message might be in there somewhere, but it’s buried under too many data points and not enough meaning.

As the clock ticks on, time is running out for the team to craft something actionable from the data they received. If we’re underspending and under goal… well then the obvious is just to spend more, right? If the team is asking the CEO for more money, then they better darn right see the results the following month, or at least that’s the unspoken expectation.

But alas, that’s not what happened. Did they spend more? Sure did. Did numbers improve? Yes. Yet, they’re still under the sales goal. So what else could be going on? As they enter their next monthly update, they’re hoping for answers, for solutions, and for some real understanding of how to improve. Hopes are low and frustrations are high, because once again they’re delivering the same phrases. Same solutions. The same words around slightly different data points.

It’s Time to Change the Narrative

This situation is so common because data storytelling is a skillset that is so incredibly difficult to teach, to learn, and to put into practice. It starts first with the understanding of what exactly data storytelling is, and more importantly, what it isn’t.

Repeating metrics in a meeting isn’t storytelling. Putting data points in a sentence isn’t storytelling. Saying “traffic is up 23% and key events are down 10%” is simply reading a dashboard. There’s no story there. There’s no “why,” no context, no journey. The story develops once you connect those data points, and more importantly, how you add context to the connections.

Real storytelling is emotional, thought-provoking, and provides a different level of understanding. The art of data storytelling is rooted in your ability to weave a web of interconnected truth that allows the audience to become emotionally connected and convinced.

To get you started, I’ve listed the 5 rules of data storytelling below:

People Need More Than Logic

Data appeals to logic. But change isn’t made through logic alone. Humans require an emotional motivator. If your company is underperforming and you’re given the opportunity to present data, your goal should be to guide them in the direction for change. To do this, you need an emotional trigger. When presenting only data points, you miss your opportunity to emotionally connect with your audience.

Let’s break this down in an example: There’s a stark difference between “We converted at 9% from appointment-to-sale” and “We had 41 of 45 well-qualified, motivated customers that submitted a form, talked to the OSC, scheduled an appointment, showed up for said appointment and still did not buy.” For an extra bang, “that’s $8,200 (let’s say your cost-per-appointment is $200) of advertising dollars, and $12.3 million (at an average sale of $300,000) in sales opportunity.”

Every single CEO would get fired up at the opportunity to capture an additional $12.3 million rather than spending another $10,000.

Go Beyond the Surface to Find the Trigger

The first layer of data is rarely the full picture. It’s just the start. When you dig below the surface to identify all variables at play, you often uncover the most impactful variable that will be the key to your story and steps forward. “Lead-to-kept appointment conversion is down 15%” is the surface-level data point. But the real story could be about the follow-up process, training gaps, or maybe even the weather. Keep digging until the trigger reveals itself, because the trigger is probably what deserves to be acted on (unless it ends up being the weather).

In our example above, the in-depth analysis may have uncovered, for example, of the 41 appointments that did not purchase, they only received one follow-up email with the classic (and dead) call-to-action of “let me know if you have any questions.” There’s nothing providing next steps, no additional information, nothing personal to their search, and frankly - we made ourselves forgettable.

Because we dug further than the data point, we’re able to provide an actionable solution towards change. “We have the opportunity to re-capture these 41 appointments through diversified follow-up (video email, phone calls, texts), and a clear next step. It’s time to reengage.”

Ask Better Questions, For Insight Rather than Answers

The best way to dig deeper is through questions. Each time you uncover something new, ask “why?” or “how?” Those questions challenge perspectives and lead to better decisions. As you dig deeper into your data, it’s important to ask meaningful questions, and to prepare yourself for the questions you, too, will be asked. Sometimes these questions require you to go outside your comfort zone and into the field. Have conversations, listen to your peers and to your customers. Consider psychology, experience, and challenge assumptions.

We would have never uncovered the impact of the variable of lost follow-up if we first hadn't asked, “what happened to these other 41 customers?” or “what did their experience look like, and is there an opportunity to improve it?”

Be Concise, Be Powerful, and Anticipate Questions

A good story is simple and impactful. You don’t need 47 slides to prove your point. Remember, time and attention are precious. Respect the time you’re given. One clear narrative with a compelling takeaway can create momentum. But prepare for objections. People will challenge your story. That’s okay. If you’ve done your homework, and your data supports the emotional arc of your story, you’ll be ready.

Yes, it’s somewhat dramatic to say $12.3 million of opportunity still exists, and follow-up is the variable we need to change. There will be questions. There will be push back. Don’t craft your story around delivering everything so as no one has questions. Welcome the questions, and be prepared to speak on them. Only then will you gain the trust and confidence of your audience.

Objection: “These people aren’t ready to buy; we need better quality leads.”

Truth: “On average, we’re 10% less likely to convert a lead to an appointment, as customers are taking longer in their buying journey. It’s taking us 3 web visits, and 5 touch-points with the OSC to get them in our doors. If they’re not ready to purchase at the time of their appointment, then it’s going to take more than one email with no next step. We need to guide them.”

Don’t Use AI for a Story

Can AI analyze data? Sure. Can it write headlines or suggest insights? Absolutely. But can it feel the nuance in a conversation with your sales leader? Can it understand your builder’s unique market quirks, internal operations, or customer psychology? Does it know how badly the model home kitchen smells because someone reheated leftover shrimp for lunch? Nope. This kind of storytelling still requires you. Layer those real-life details alongside your data points, and then view the web of information through the eyes of your audience. When you craft a story through the personalized lens of your intended audience, you draft meaning specifically for them, thus providing context, analysis, and emotion that resonates with your key stakeholders. As a result, you’ll lead with a personalized, powerful narrative that cannot be replicated by a machine.

AI systems require learning and time in order to compound the knowledge that you already have today. It’s not going to know, innately, that the email follow-up was singular and not formulated to company best practices and be able to connect that directly to the 41 missed opportunities, with a price tag attached. You need to build that skill and knowledge. Need more convincing? In order to become a trusted expert, you can’t ask your CEO, “May I have a moment to plug your question into Chat GPT so it can think for me?”

Data storytelling takes time and practice. Most importantly, it takes getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. Go beyond the surface, and think deeply about the hidden variables behind your data points. Remove the biases and craft a narrative that resonates with your audience. Following these 5 rules will challenge you in new ways, and you’ll begin to see your data in a new light. As a result, you will help the root issues that need to be properly addressed and be able to provide actionable solutions. Moreover, once a problem is solved, then everyone is freed up to solve another problem, and it is that pattern that helps builders navigate market turbulence well while others fail.

Ep 431: Ads, AI, and the Modern Homebuyer

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400

Listen, Like and Subscribe on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:

Julie Jarnagin sits down with Beth Russell and Caroline Collard to discuss why homebuyers could be completely ignoring your ads, and why being findable now trumps being rankable.

They also dig into what today's buyers genuinely want, the rise in long-distance relocations, and the early buzz around ChatGPT ads.

Story Time:

Julie - Traditional ads aren't just underperforming; buyers are tuning them out
Beth - Exposure therapy for marketers: getting comfortable with Google Ads
Caroline - What one buyer's search reveals about how AI is changing homebuying

In the News:

Beyond the Artboard: BanksTwenty

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400

Karla Tuten dives deeper into the branding process for BanksTwenty, a master-planned community in Raleigh, North Carolina. Walk through the collaborative branding journey with us in this edition of Beyond the Artboard, where alignment of vision, design, and real-world constraints was key to the project’s success. Karla shares how stakeholder input, site visits, and data-driven insights shaped everything from messaging and amenities to typography and signage. A lesson that a cohesive and strong foundation of brand not only cements the identity of the community, but also weaves seamlessly into marketing materials, amenities, and the built environment - ultimately leading to efficiencies and faster results.