“We want more leads!”

That’s the mantra of every sales team in virtually any industry.  Sales is considered a ‘numbers game,’ and no matter how effective the company’s marketing might be, it’s never enough to quiet the sales force.

But ‘more leads’ doesn’t necessarily mean more sales.  If you don’t have an effective sales process – one that matches the way prospects shop, compare and buy, than generating more leads will be a waste of your marketing dollars.

I have a different mantra: No lead left behind.  “Most builders don’t need more leads, they just need to do a better job converting the leads they already have and increase their conversion ratios.

Watch the podcast below to find out more about how convert the leads you have and increase your conversion ratios!

Having troubles viewing the Podcast? Listen to the audio here: Builder Radio Audio

Conversion Targets:

• 20% of online leads should convert to kept appointments
• 30% of appointments should convert to sales
• 2 – 3 times higher conversion rate from online shoppers than walk-ins
• Online leads should ultimately account for 25% of all company sales

Online Lead Response Rates:

• 40% of leads from your website or online sources will respond to follow-up
• 60% won’t respond
• Implement short-term and long-term follow-up process

Follow-up Processes:

• To get an appointment:  7-9 touches in 30-45 days
• “Customers never complain about too much follow-up”
•  “Every email is an excuse for a phone call; every phone call is an excuse for an email.”
• Engage in a way that is personal and relevant to the individual.
  • Send relevant info via email; call to tell that you sent it.
  • Financing info; links to video; update site info…

 Point:  Stay in front of your prospects with information that helps them move forward and encourages them to do so.

Web form:  Ask for phone number but don’t make it required. 30% will include it.

Online Sales Counselor:

• 5x more effective in converting appointments.
• Specialists trained in online communications
• Respond to inquiries within 1 minute
• Singular goal – fast and relevant follow-up to set 1^st appointment
• Must be great with email and phone communications
• Allows on-site sales professionals to spend more time with qualified buyers.

Similar Posts:

• Don’t Hide Behind Email – Pick Up The Phone
• Q.A. How to get a response from “generic” leads
• OSC Job Functions – Part 3 of 5
• Lead Resuscitation: How To Revive Your Prospects (video)
• Making the most of every online advertising dollar

View the video here: http://youtu.be/O9nqzcaN8Dg

Read the conversation below:

Jeff Shore: Hello, everybody. Jeff Shore back with you on our One-on-One
segment today joined by the guru of converting traffic into . .
. or leads into traffic, the one and only, from
doyouconvert.com, Mike Lyon. Hello, Mike, how you doing?

Mike Lyon: Hey, man, I’m doing great. I don’t accept the guru status. I
don’t do it.

Jeff Shore: I’m sorry, Mike, but guru’s something that is glossed onto you,
you don’t have any control over that. That’s the way it works. So . . .

Mike Lyon: Okay.

Jeff Shore: So, Mike, just tell everybody. I think most of the audience is
going to be familiar with what you do and with who you are, but
in a nutshell, give them the 30-second elevator speech about the
work that you do.

Mike Lyon: This is me in a nutshell. What’s that from?

Jeff Shore: I don’t know.

Mike Lyon: ‘Austin Powers.’ That’s a horrible reference.

Jeff Shore: Yeah. Yeah, there you go.

Mike Lyon: Hey, you know, how do you pitch your product in 30 seconds or
less? I’m going to try it and you can score me on this. Okay?

Jeff Shore: Fair enough.

Mike Lyon: Here’s what I do. I work with homebuilders, and I work with
real estate officers and brokers and my number one goal is to
take all these people who are looking online and turn them into
real, live humans that are walking into your door. Because we
know in our industry, it’s still about facilitating that sale,
that face-to-face, that’s what it’s all about, but more people
are spending time online. We get more of those browsers into
actual buyers. In a nutshell, that’s kind of what I do.

Jeff Shore: You know, it was interesting, Mike, this last weekend I was in
the San Francisco Bay area. I visited six different new home
communities, just sort of kicking around and gauging the
performance and everything. One of the things that was really
interesting to me was the buzz.
Now, the market’s really coming back, especially in California,
there’s really no question about that, but there was a buzz as I
was walking through the models and I was listening to potential
buyers talking amongst themselves, with the salesperson not
there and I saw something really interesting.

There’s a husband and a wife. They didn’t see me, but I’m
eavesdropping on their conversation, right. I confess, that’s
what I was doing. There was a little lull in the conversation,
then he looks at her and he says, ‘Should we?’

The thing that’s interesting to me about this is that it’s a
conversation that took place entirely outside of the
salesperson, and the salesperson has no idea that that
conversation is taking place. I’m thinking about what you do and
how many conversations are taking place about buying a home that
are completely out of the line of site of the salesperson even
before that customer walks through the door.

I think if the typical salesperson really had a glimpse of how
much is going on even before they see that customer for the
first time, it would probably blow their mind. Right?

Mike Lyon: Oh, absolutely and that example is perfect. Even in a good
scenario with a very interested customer, they might spend two
to three hours with that prospect, but how much time are they
spending beforehand researching online, gathering information,
looking at reviews, pulling up Zillow, you name it. Not only
that, but after they leave the model, they’re doing the exact
same thing. They’re going back and they’re researching, so
there’s a lot of ways, one, to insert yourself into that
conversation and do it in a normal, not weird, creepy way.

The second part is there’s a lot of technology out there that
shows you their activity. It shows you how many times they come
back to your website, what they’re doing, what pages their
looking at. That used to be separate, now we see sales and
marketing really overlapping and it’s a huge opportunity, if
sales executives are paying attention to their customers in that
way. Absolutely. That’s a perfect example.

Jeff Shore: What are some of those technologies? You’re a tech guy, a tech
geek, if you will. You’re out there talking to people like me
who are just sort of hanging on for dear life to the tech train.
What are some of the things that you’re looking at there right
now that some of the more progressive builders are using to help
with their efficiencies?

Mike Lyon: Yeah, absolutely. First of all, I think you’re very advanced.
Right? You’re an advanced user and here’s the big thing I tell
people all the time too. Sometimes we’ve got to remove that even
from our own language.

I was doing a presentation yesterday, 100 plus realtors and a
good majority of them say, ‘Look at the demographic. We are
technologically challenged.’ I just say, ‘Stop. Stop that!’ You
know, number one, you don’t have to be. And number two, we can’t
afford to be anymore.

Just like 10 years ago, you could hire a sales executive who
never used computers and didn’t send email. That was Okay as
long as they could produce sales, right? Fast forward five
years, you can’t do that. If you can’t communicate over email,
you’re can’t . . . Fast forward another 12, 18 months, if you
can utilize the CRM, you’re toast.

Jeff Shore: Right.

Mike Lyon: You’re absolutely toast because we have so many more
responsibilities. Perfect example that I was just giving you,
seeing what a customer is doing. These CRM programs that are out
there, you know, customer relationship management programs, lead
management programs. You can go in a see, we were just doing
this the other day on a call where I review these things with
some clients of mine, and you can look at your customers and you
can compare them with people who have purchased or who are on
contract or who are contingent. You can see their history on how
many times they’ve been back to your website, what pages they’re
looking at, etc. etc.

Then you can go back and compare that kind of activity to
customers who may not have responded to you at all. You go,
‘Well, wait a second. If these people have come back five times
since their first visit, they’ve looked at multiple pages,’ and
then this matches someone else, that’s a potential interested
prospect.

Sales executives too often will go, ‘Well, they’re just not
interested. I haven’t heard back from them. They didn’t
respond.’ No, no, no! Look right here. Really getting into being
a database ninja. That’s what you’ve got to do and if you don’t
know how, you’ve got to get the people around you, learn, get
the training, the support that you need. I know that’s not a
sexy topic, but understanding and utilizing your CRM, you can
communicate faster, more efficiently than ever before.

Jeff Shore: Right. It’s probably safe to say that for most CRM platforms
out there whether it’s Lasso, it’s Salesforce, you know,
whatever it is, most salespeople utilize what, 10% of the
capability of their systems?

Mike Lyon: Yeah, it’s kind of like the brain, right. We only use this
small portion of it. If anything, it’s a glorified contact
management system for some people. You’ve got to go beyond that,
you know. Give yourself permission to forget these clients and
what to do next and make it easy on yourself.

Jeff Shore: Let’s talk briefly about social media. Gallup comes out
recently with a poll and it says 50% of Americans believe that
Facebook is a fad. That was a stunning number right there.

Mike Lyon: Excuse me, sir. It’s 53%.

Jeff Shore: Fifty-three percent. All right. So 53%, what is your take on
where we are in social media, where we’re going in social media?
Even though it’s as big as it is, there’s still a lot of debate
on the home building industry. What’s the prevailing trend right
now?

Mike Lyon: You handed me a loaded gun. I’m a big fan of social media. I
wrote a book on it. I talk about it, I blog about it, I built my
business using these tools. It’s a fad. I think it’s all a fad.
I’m kidding.

Jeff Shore: I dont think so.

Mike Lyon: Here’s the deal. Honestly, I’m going to give you two different
kind of angles, answers to this question. Number one, it doesn’t
matter whether it’s a fad or not. It doesn’t matter if Facebook
goes away and something else comes along. It doesn’t matter if
Pinterest is all great now and it’s not great tomorrow. The
bottom line is, I came up with a quote. I’m so excited, it’s my
own quote, I didn’t steal it. Are you ready for this?

Jeff Shore: Go for it. Yeah.

Mike Lyon: Great content.

Jeff Shore: Yes.

Mike Lyon: Easily shared on the platforms that we all use, will always get
you the results that you want.

Jeff Shore: Okay. Great content . . .

Mike Lyon: That’s pretty good, right?

Jeff Shore: Great content, easily shared on the platform we all use, will
get you . . .

Mike Lyon: It will always get you the results that you want. Every time.
It doesn’t matter. If you take it back 10 years ago, when
blogging was brand new or even six years ago, blogging and email
marketing. If you shared good content via those methods, it
always worked. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, it doesn’t matter.
If you are focusing on creating good content, the social
networking platform does not matter.

Number one, everybody should be a media company. Everybody
should get in the content creation business because if not, they
don’t have the opportunity to get their product out there.

That’s number one, from a big picture view. For sales
executives, get the fundamentals down. Facebook isn’t going to
change your business. Managing people who are walking in the
door, using these technology tools can almost seem a little old
school now. I’m throwing up too many quotes. Sorry. That’s what
gets you sales.

These social networking tools and sites are the conversations
that happen in between the lines. You definitely should be
present and doing it the right way and connecting with the right
people. Salespeople should focus on two different markets. It’s
real easy: Realtors and current customers.

Jeff Shore: Right. Right. Okay.

Mike Lyon: No one is going to walk in the door, Jeff, and say, ‘Hey, you
seem like a nice guy. I’m going to go friend you on Facebook
because you’re a nice salesperson.

Jeff Shore: Right. Okay.

Mike Lyon: I think they’re trying too hard in the wrong direction, but I
do think it’s a very viable option and one that works very well.

Jeff Shore: Right. Last question because we’re up against the clock, here.
What do you read for inspiration? Who do you follow? Who
inspires you? When you’re looking at just the great thinkers out
there in business today, what are the names or a couple of names
that jump to the top of your list?

Mike Lyon: Okay. Jeff Shore.

Jeff Shore: Oh, stop it. Yeah. Please.

Mike Lyon: Who do . . . I mean, we’ve got everybody within our industry
and hopefully people know the folks within our industry who are
great leaders. Right. The Jeffs of the world the [Myers Barnes]
of the world, everybody who’s creating good content. Outside, I
always like to get outside. Seth Godin. Seth Godin, probably one
of the greatest business thinkers. I love Gary Vaynerchuk.
That’s Vay-ner-chuck. He’s actually going to be at [PCBC], he’s
a forward thinker and just thinks differently. I think you just
start going down the list. I love stuff by Tim [Ferriss]. I’m
trying to think of some other big names that are big. Hey! Can
you grab that please?

Jeff Shore: That’s fine. It’ll wait.

Mike Lyon: Okay. It’s like, next interview. Let’s go.

Jeff Shore: Exactly. Yeah. Yeah.

Mike Lyon: Golly, there are just so many different ones, even outside the
classics.

Jeff Shore: It sounded like Seth Godin really jumped to the top of your
list, though.

Mike Lyon: Oh, yeah. I mean, look, I’ve got a Seth Godin little action
figure back there in the corner. I’ve got his books on my wall.
He’s been doing this . . . ‘Permission Marketing,’ his book’s
now 12, 13 years old. That was one of the first books that
everybody should read. How to win people . . .

Jeff Shore: It’s standard.

Mike Lyon: Yeah.

Jeff Shore: Right. Okay. Mike, this is how you and I will one day know that
we made it. We will have our own action figures, right? Is that
the idea? Is that the plan?

Mike Lyon from doyouconvert.com. Get on his website, subscribe to his blog,
follow him on Facebook, the guy’s a genius. He’s got plenty to share, he’ll
make you more effective.We’ll see you next time on One-on-One. Take care
everybody.Similar Posts:

• Swimming in the Web 2.0 stream
• PCBC 2010 – Social Media Workshop for Sales and Marketing
• Is anybody listening to me? How not to be boring online.
• Just Released – Social Media Guide for Real Estate
• Don’t Hate the Haters

UPDATE: PCBC uploaded the video from the show – it’s embedded below. or just watch it here. (Careful, there is some strong language)

Be sure to tweet this out and send him some love too: Hey @garyvee, just watched your interview w/ @mikelyon Thanks for the spiritual kick to the head http://bit.ly/MVxKKa

Bonus: Keynote from PCBC

Mike: Hey, Mike Lyon here, and I just happened to run into this guy. I don’t know if you know him. It’s Gary Vaynerchuk, how you doing, man?

Gary: Good, Mike. How are you?

Mike: Good to have you here. I’ve got a question for you. For anybody out there selling homes today, what does the “thank you” economy mean to them? How does that translate?

Gary: You know, whether you’re selling trinkets, wine, like my background, or big things, like homes, the fact of the matter is, in a 2012 world, the bulls@#$ radar of the consumer is greater than ever. And so giving effort, and understanding that pouring dollars into archaic platforms that no longer convert (print) I mean when was the last time you went to the Yellow Pages? All these avenues that people are trying to bring attention to their businesses and yet, there’s nobody there anymore, and putting it into the end consumer and understanding that your next . . . especially when I think about home buying, and you think about the demo of Facebook’s growth. When you think about 25 to 45-year-olds in Facebook, how much of their attention, you’re talking about 6 hours a day, on average, for some female demos on Facebook. This is where the attention is. No matter what you sell; home or wine or anything else, you’re looking for the attention of the consumer, and playing where the consumer is matters.

Now here’s where the thank you part of all this economy comes in. You actually have to care. The days of bullshitting, the days of like, “Oh, we forgot to tell you that there’s a radiation tower next door,” the days of, you know, that stuff  are over. Anything extreme to that, even little things like not being authentic about the hardwood floors you used, are over. The honesty of the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s are back. I like to always say, “The more our world goes Jetsons, the people that act like the Flintstones are going to win.” Tweet This Remember that statement. Understand to put your dollars, your working dollars, in places where people are. That combo, that cross-section, that’s success.

Mike: So how do you think you would tell them to get their customers to talk about you? How do you get them to do things that are going to be different?

Gary:  You parent them. You care about them first.

So like in a Facebook fan page, instead of pushing out a listing for your project, how about asking people, “What confuses you about buying a new home?” What about bringing value? If you Google me, and I’m going to assume a lot of you don’t know who I am, I started a wine show to educate people. I was reviewing wine that my store sold and I was panning them, because I cared about being America’s Wine Guy, not about selling one more bottle of wine. When you start thinking long term, when you start thinking marathon, not sprint, especially, listen, I have a pulse on the economy. You guys are about to have another rise. We’re getting out of this s@34storm. Right? So, as you go to that world, building brand equity, as an authentic leader in your space, is going to really, really matter. Tweet This So bringing value, teaching people how to get a mortgage, you know, it’s a 360 thing. Teaching people the upside of this neighborhood because you already know another builder is building a shopping center down the street and a new school’s being built, and this is a good investment, that kind of authentic information. Giving people the public information that you would give your child about your project is a really smart business move.

Mike: That’s awesome. Looking forward to your keynote, man. It’s going to be awesome.

Gary: Looking forward to it.

Mike: And we’ll talk to you soon. Thanks for everything.

Gary: Take care.Similar Posts:

• PCBC 2013 – 4 Events you DON’T want to miss!
• One-On-One with Jeff Shore (video)
• Does Your Social Media Content Suck?
• Is anybody listening to me? How not to be boring online.
• Control Who Sees Your Posts on Facebook (video)

About the Book:

Secrets of New Home Sales Negotiation, How to Achieve ‘Yes!’ Every Time.

This groundbreaking field manual will become the new best friend to any home-builder, sales manager, or new home salesperson who is weary of losing sales to the deals, discounts and incentives offered by their competitors. Order it today!

Secrets Of New Home Sales Negotiation will help you transform your approach to negotiating and slice through every obstacle – from price phobias to extreme bargain hunters. Apply the tactics and you’ll overcome your need to concede your position by applying field-tested strategies, proven to deliver success with even the toughest home-buyer.

Guaranteed you’ll learn how to:

• Power past Price Resistance
• Overcome your pesky competitors’ deals, discounts, and incentives
• Negotiate global, selling homes to anyone from any culture
• Vaccinate yourself against every known objection
• Apply killer persuasion strategies that close sales like clockwork
• Discover – and AVOID – the biggest negotiation mistake that even hardcore, new home salespeople make in their presentations
• Tap into today’s sales strategies that expand the bottom line

Secrets Of New Home Sales Negotiation will unleash your potential to dramatically increase your income, expand the profitability of each sale, and build a following of satisfied customers. Pick up a copy and watch your sales SOAR!

Similar Posts:

• SEBC: New Home Sales Extravaganza
• PCBC 2013 – 4 Events you DON’T want to miss!
• PCBC 2012 – 3 Can’t Miss Events
• BuilderRadio Podcast – New Tools to Communicate with Your Prospects and Buyers
• Sarah Yaussi from Big Builder as Social Media VIP Guest

We talked about a secret shop of 261 communities with NewHomesDirectory.com to collect comprehensive data on the follow up process with online leads.

Want to hear the numbers ?… They might surprise you. Check out the video. The good news is, as a builder, all you have to do is follow up and you will be ahead of the pack!

We went on to talk about the importance of a Customer Relationship Management tool, CRM and how this can both automate and improve your ability to connect with prospects.

After we finished, I flipped the camera around for an impromptu interview to get her take on what is happening in the industry. View the video below or click here.

Denise commented on how well many builders are doing. With less competition, builders are able to be stronger in their communities. She says, “You still need to get out there and work really hard to get those buyers off the fence!”

She visited with three builders in San Antonio that are all feeling very optimistic and have steady traffic coming through. Plus, they are closing the deals. Builders are using new strategies to work with and in this economy.

It’s not about the market it’s about market share. Ultimately, Denise gives builders the advice, “Just keep at it.” Learn everything you can about your competition and what buyers want.Similar Posts:

• Get Better Results Using Video Email
• Video Tools for Selling Homes (video)
• Why your builder should love the internet
• 64% of Agents Don’t Follow Up – Say What!
• Is Follow Up a Lost Art? Survey says…

In this video I talk with Dan Jaqua, of Jaqua Realtors in Michigan, about Dialogue Coaching techniques.  Rather than traditional role playing and scripting, Dan uses video techniques to coach agents.

Dan says, “I believe most sales people have a passion for what they do, they just can’t convey it.”

How will you put your passion first when talking with your customers?

View Video on YouTube

View More Videos Here >>Similar Posts:

• Using Technology as a Sales Tool (Video)
• Does Seeing Yourself On Video Freak You Out
• Are You Likeable Over Email – Part 3
• Batman Has an iPhone – Do You?
• Video Interview – CBH Homes Shiny New Awesome

It literally made me laugh out loud, and I’m not a big laugh out loud kind of guy. They are a little edgy, not your run of the mill new home marketing videos you might have seen before – and that’s what I like about it. I believe that by pushing it a little, and being creative with the content, you have a better chance of the message being spread.

I spent five minutes talking with Holly Haener, the Director of Sales and Marketing for CBH Homes about the campaign, discussing how they came up with the idea and the reactions so far.

The team over at CBH Homes is smart and definitely knows how to have a great time doing what they love. The interview is below and I have also included two samples of the eight video series. You can view all the videos here as well.

Video Interview Link

This is one of my favs.

Video Link

This is the video we’re talking about in the interview. This one pushes the envelope of humor. What do you think? Does it cross the line? Would your company utilize videos like this?

Video Link
Similar Posts:

• Video Superstar Jeremy Smith
• Will the iPhone 4 Help You Sell More Homes?
• New Home Feed Goes Live – Easily List Your Homes Online
• Video Interview – Building a House and a Blog at the Same Time
• Guest Post: Sarah Yaussi From Big Builder – How To Shoot Good Video (And Not Yourself)

First up we have Alaina Money from BuildLikeAGirl fame and Zach Schabot from Go Realty sharing their takeaways from the two sessions. They pulled 6 hours and were still smiling at the end – I guess that is a good sign. As a bonus, Alaina throws out phrases like “forgone conclusion” “love fest” and I finally get Zach’s last name right.

View Video Here

Next up we have Andy Ladner, Vice President of Marketing at Home Builders Association Raleigh-Wake who talks about what it takes to create an active and energized community. If you are having trouble getting the turnout you want for events or see your membership dwindling, pay attention and learn from one of the best SMC’s in the country. The bottom line, just hold a Drag Show and everyone shows up.

View Video Here

A big thanks to the Triangle SMC for having me out!
Similar Posts:

• Video Interview – Building a House and a Blog at the Same Time
• The PCBC Sales Superstars
• Getting Social at the Triangle Sales and Marketing Council
• Q.A. How to get a response from “generic” leads
• Builders Unite for Social Media and Internet Training

In that light, I’m taking this article to the street. I’m fortunate enough to have worked with some of the best Online Sales Counselors (OSC) across the nation. Let’s hear from these superstars on what makes them and their program so consistently successful.

“It’s all about fast, personal service,” Says Leah Kaiz, an OSC from Virginia. “I’ve found that people respond when they can tell you are genuinely there to help.”

One easy way to create higher response rates is to send emails that don’t look canned explains Leah, “I’m not a fan of pretty templates. When they arrive in my inbox, I know they weren’t designed uniquely for me. So do home buyers.”

Russ Klintworth, OSC for Simmons Homes reminds, “Not everyone will respond, it doesn’t mean they didn’t get the information. By sending more specific questions you increase your chance for a response.” Bottom line; don’t give up after just one email.

Kate Jacobs, OSC for American West Homes, using similar techniques says, “People like to talk about themselves. I ask something like ‘I’m curious, what’s changed in your life that has you out looking for a new home?’ Once I added that line in my emails, my response rate increased dramatically!”

Pay attention to customer feedback. When Elena Mora, the OSC for Ideal Homes, hears, “Wow! That was fast! I just sent my request less than a minute ago.” She knows she’s doing everything right.

Customers are impressed when you contact them while still on your website. Elena elaborates, “I respond to my leads in 5 minutes or less, and I have a rigorous follow-up system. I am here to help them with their home search.”

A few simple tricks can make the difference between providing information and creating consistently high conversion rates. Kate’s observation exhibits the need for a detailed personal follow-up system. “The buying cycle is so much longer now that the need for long term follow-up is so important!”

Each OSC has a detailed System. Russ knows follow-up isn’t a trick it’s common sense, “My goal is to answer every email and phone call promptly. The more knowledgeable you are about your product the better you interact with the prospective homebuyer.”

All OSC’s agree that in order to convert a conversation to an appointment, every communication needs to build a bridge from OSC to the onsite managers. “I often say things like ‘that is a great question for Jenny, our site manager, would you like me to set that up for you?’” Says Leah.

Elena explains, “I know which emails and calls they responded to, what they said, and what their hot buttons are so I can develop a script that will motivate them to come out to a model.”

Over the past few years as home search has changed so too has the role of an OSC. “I’ve found that social media has added to the richness of an OSC position. It gives multiple outlets to interact with past, present, and future homebuyers.” Says Leah.

Kate concurs, saying, “With social media taking off like it has, OSCs are seen now as the “face” of the company and serve as a true ambassador.”

“Maintaining a high web presence is key,” says Russ, “given the amount of time buyers now spend on the internet during their home search.”

Isn’t this great. These folks are so smart!

Sit in on a day-in-the-life of a successful OSC, and you’ll notice common traits among top achievers. Consistently high numbers are not luck of the draw. They aren’t due to the outdated belief that the same clients would be swingin’ through model doors anyway.

Let’s face it, those doors are not swingin’ like they used to. With 90% of buyers beginning their home search online, an OSC, implementing a proven process, will insure that qualified buyers mosey into that sales office.

Here are a few of the common traits I see all across the country:

Be quick on the draw. OSC’s know they are 100 times more likely to set an appointment if they catch a lead while still on their website. That means lightning fast response time. Firing off an email when a prospect is still on their computer engages the lead quickly with attentive customer service.

Use a Lead Management System and implement a process. Once contact is made and key information is identified, the OSC begins building a relationship. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems allow OSC’s to create short-term or long-term follow-up consistent with the buyer’s specific needs.

Sell the appointment, not the home. In this position and process, the “close” is setting the appointment. Understanding how to ask and being prepared for the common objections that will follow gives the advantage to those who are ready. It may seem obvious, but that’s what separates people who send emails, from highly effective OSC’s who facilitate sales.

One thing to keep in mind, while not every builder can have a full-time OSC, you absolutely, positively, without question must assign someone within your organization the responsibility of fast follow-up with initial contact from a prospect.

At the International Builders’ Show this year, Myers Barnes, noted New Home Sales Trainer, made a great statement: “We aren’t producing any more customers this year. If you want more sales you are going to have to steal them from your competition” By responding fast and responding right to your internet leads, you will be able to do just that.

——–
This article originally appeared in Sales & Marketing Ideas MagazineSimilar Posts:

• Q.A. How to get a response from “generic” leads
• What is the best time to call leads?
• The Online Sales Counselor – Part 1 of 5
• Staying Efficient with Planned Interruptions
• Follow-up is the Critical Precursor to the “Close”

New Tools to Communicate with Your Prospects and Buyers.

Click Here to Listen Now >>

In this interview, we discuss the following strategies for upgrading your sales tools:

1. Lose the ‘Dumb Phone’

A smart phone, such as the iPhone, is like a Swiss Army Knife for communication. It’s always with you, so it’s easy to use to shoot a quick video of a customer or a home, or shoot pictures of a home, and then send them via email. Don’t forget your apps that keep you connected to all the social media outlets. You’ve got to have that ability in your phone to keep in touch and communicate in new ways.

2. Video

Video is the second most powerful form of communication; after face-to-face communication, there’s nothing better than video. Video can share expressions and emotions that you can’t share in an email or even over the phone where you lose that visual communication. Even though it’s still one-way, your buyers can see your excitement, energy and enthusiasm. So it’s very powerful.

3. Video Email

Video can be used to communicate with customers directly. There’s a great tool that I use called Eyejot.com. Video email gives you an opportunity to communicate more and better than your competitors. And the more you communicate, the better your chances are of making the sale. And by the way, a basic Eyejot.com account is free, so it doesn’t cost you anything to communicate on a much better level!

4. Social Networking

Social media is like word of mouth marketing on steroids. The first thing about social media is that it’s very broad; there are so many sites out there. The second thing people tell me is that they don’t have the time to engage in all the different social avenues. When you’re using social media, try to be efficient with it. Use your smart phone in your down time or in the evenings to make quick connections and have valuable conversations, and you’ll see the opportunities present themselves by using these new tools to better connect with Realtors, past customers and future buyers.
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