In this episode, Jen, Amanda, and new team members Melissa Fort and Molly Adams, bring energy, insights, and just the right amount of pet hair talk to the mic. From behind-the-scenes snafus to deep dives on sales benchmarks and market shifts, this episode is packed with relatable moments and practical takeaways for online sales pros.
Jen Barkan: So you get it. Okay? All right, I'm gonna click record. Okay. Um. I learned something yesterday about Molly that she was so excited over the weekend. She got a new broom.
Molly Adams: Yeah. Jen, I spent 40 bucks on a pet hair broom.
Jen Barkan: Is this? Okay, so what is so special about this broom? And why do I need one? And and why were you so excited?
Molly Adams: Yeah. Well, I fell to Instagram marketing, and it was like click here for. 60% off for the next 10 min, and so I bought it.
Molly Adams: Um. And you need it, Jen, because there is. Piles of dog hair that are not in my carpet anymore.
Jen Barkan: So you use the broom on your carpet.
Molly Adams: Yeah, you scrape it like. It's like one side's a broom. One side's a scrape like a.
Jen Barkan: Oh!
Molly Adams: Ice remover.
Melissa Fort: Like a rake.
Molly Adams: Yeah.
Jen Barkan: What did you say, Melissa?
Melissa Fort: Like a rake.
Jen Barkan: So you're raking. You're now raking.
Molly Adams: Yeah.
Jen Barkan: Out! This is what you did for fun over the weekend, raking up.
Jen Barkan: Dog, hair. From your carpet, and then you vacuum.
Molly Adams: Yeah, you vacuum it up. It's like, Do you want to go to the gym, or do you just want to get your arm workout done in the carpet.
Jen Barkan: Well, you know what I.
Amanda: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: About. I think maybe 10 years ago, when we decided to like. Rescue all these animals.
Jen Barkan: I. Pulled up all of my rugs.
Jen Barkan: Like I have. I'm just like I got so tired of. Cleaning rugs and washing rugs, and doing all these things. I was like.
Jen Barkan: I'm just gonna have hardwood floors. Until I no longer have animals, and then I'll have rugs again.
Molly Adams: Area rugs.
Jen Barkan: Yeah, cause I have hardwood floors all over the whole house. There's no carpet, and so. I just have an area rug in my bedroom.
Jen Barkan: And I have an area rug in my library, and then that's it.
Molly Adams: That's impressive.
Jen Barkan: Yeah, I mean, the Roomba incident should have told you everything.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: We'll save that for another. Okay, for another time.
Jen Barkan: Okay, let's get into this.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Alright. Hello, everybody! Welcome to online people. Talking. Episode 37. Whew! That's a good number.
Amanda: Wow! Yeah.
Jen Barkan: I remember when I was 37. It was a good year. Um with me today is the one and only Amanda Martin.
Amanda: Hey! Hey!
Jen Barkan: And. Drum roll. We have the 2 new members to our online sales coaching team.
Jen Barkan: Melissa Fort and Molly Adams. Welcome.
Amanda: Yay!
Molly Adams: Big claps.
Melissa Fort: So excited.
Jen Barkan: And they told me, guys right before this, that this is their 1st time, being on a podcast, ever.
Melissa Fort: True story, 1st ever.
Jen Barkan: Are you nervous?
Amanda: Mhm.
Melissa Fort: Maybe. It's all good.
Jen Barkan: Don't be nervous. Don't be nervous. Um, we're gonna have some fun. And we're gonna we want to introduce them to you guys and so that you can get to know them. They are super smart.
Jen Barkan: Funny. Um amazing additions to our team. We're just so excited. I told Amanda and Mike that it's like.
Jen Barkan: A big gust of fresh air has just swept on through the online sales. Side at Deconvert, and they are already kicking butt.
Amanda: Yes.
Jen Barkan: In their in their roles, so. Um. Okay, we've got some business to discuss, though. 1st some housekeeping.
Jen Barkan: Online sales and marketing summit is coming up. Well, not coming up, but registration is open. For October second and 3, rd we're going back to Chi Town, which everybody loved. You guys. Let's see, Melissa, you weren't there.
Melissa Fort: Yeah.
Jen Barkan: Oh, you were there at the summit.
Melissa Fort: Yes, yeah. I was at Chicago. Yeah.
Jen Barkan: This last time. You were over in marketing land, though, so I didn't really get to see you.
Melissa Fort: I was. I was kind of bouncing back and forth. Yeah.
Jen Barkan: You were in marketing land. Molly was definitely over in online sales land because she was an online sales specialist at the time.
Molly Adams: Mhm. Yeah, I was waving my Osc. Flag up in the air, jumping around.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Your freak flag, or.
Amanda: Ah!
Jen Barkan: Hey, online sales wave that freak flag. Hi, um!
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: What, Molly, what was your favorite thing about attending the summit. As an Osc.
Molly Adams: Yeah, I mean, I came back from. The summit.
Molly Adams: Honestly overwhelmed because my notebook was so full like there was so much stuff. I was gonna do in that 1st week. I was just like.
Molly Adams: Don't talk to me like I have so many things I gotta fix in my Crm. And my prospecting so. That was probably my favorite, but.
Molly Adams: Chicago was fun. I'm excited.
Jen Barkan: Right. Yeah.
Jen Barkan: You know something that I don't think a lot of people realize the the Blue Aqua Hotel that we stay at. Did you know that up like on one of the top floors. There's an outdoor walking.
Jen Barkan: Garden.
Amanda: What? I need to check that out. That sounds awesome.
Jen Barkan: It was amazing. Like I. Happened to like stumble upon it.
Amanda: Wow!
Jen Barkan: And I walked outside. I was like, What is this? And it's actually a walking track that goes all the way around the outside of the hotel, and then there's these beautiful gardens that you can walk through. It's really quite.
Amanda: Wow!
Jen Barkan: Cool. Melissa, what's your favorite thing?
Jen Barkan: About the summit.
Melissa Fort: Yeah, for me. I got to bring my online sales team and someone from my marketing team who'd never both of them. It was their 1st time being to a summit. So um! That was fun to kind of get to see it from their perspective, and then come back to the office and collaborate and have takeaways. So it was different going to it from a leadership perspective versus, you know, as an actual Osc, so.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. That's right. I don't know what I was thinking. You were in the leadership track that we had for online sales. I remember you sitting right there at that front table.
Melissa Fort: Yeah, the casualness leads to casualties. That was my like one that I probably took home a little too much.
Jen Barkan: Duh. Yeah.
Jen Barkan: Well, so in case you're listening, you don't know this, we at the summit, we break it out into 2 parts. We have a marketing track. We have an online sales track. And then on day 2. We go even further. And we break out. And we have an online sales leadership track.
Jen Barkan: So that's what Melissa was talking about attending. And it's really where we can kind of go through some key things and managing the role things we're seeing relevant in the market that leaders need to know and pay attention to.
Jen Barkan: And so, Melissa, would you recommend that online sales leaders attend that track?
Melissa Fort: Absolutely. I think we have done a good job historically, of investing in the oses. And there's so much opportunity in the leadership for those teams.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Melissa Fort: Um, you know, a lot of companies just have a Vp or someone overseeing it, but not really managing the day to day. So I think the leadership track is a great opportunity. For managers to understand exactly what the team of unicorns do.
Melissa Fort: And how they support them so.
Jen Barkan: Mm. Love it.
Melissa Fort: For sure.
Jen Barkan: Okay, registration's open. Don't delay. Tickets are selling fast and make sure you are there.
Jen Barkan: Um. Okay, next up our Tito! Shout out. Hey? Guys? Tito.
Jen Barkan: Case you don't know. Stands for.
Jen Barkan: Top industry, talented Osc. It also stands for my little dog. That was my heart. But anyway, we won't talk about that.
Jen Barkan: Um. This episode's Tito goes to Trista Nixon with Braun homes. She is a finalist for online sales professional of the year in Austin, at the Max awards.
Molly Adams: That's a.
Jen Barkan: So go Trista. Way to rep way to rep online sales specialists out there. Good job.
Amanda: Yay!
Melissa Fort: In Texas.
Jen Barkan: In Texas, yes. Melissa's from Texas. Can you tell.
Jen Barkan: Um, okay, let's get into what we're talking about today. Amanda, what are online people talking about right now?
Amanda: Online sales. Benchmarks. Yes, they are.
Jen Barkan: Woo. Hey, guys, in case you didn't know Amanda gets really excited.
Amanda: Yes.
Jen Barkan: About.
Amanda: Yeah.
Molly Adams: Nerd.
Jen Barkan: The yeah. Nerd alert. Nerd.
Amanda: Yes, I am. I'm the nerd over here.
Jen Barkan: Dang, Molly just called you a nerd.
Amanda: That's okay.
Jen Barkan: Um, Amanda. Amanda gets really really excited about the benchmarks, Amanda, why were you so excited this time? I saw your Linkedin post today.
Amanda: Good with that. Yeah, yeah. Well, I wanted to look at the numbers from a different perspective this time, and we've been doing them for so long. And I was like, I want to take all the numbers from when we started. So I had a full.
Amanda: 6 years of quarter, one data that I could compare it against. And I just really loved that zoomed out approach to looking at it.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Amanda: Especially in this market. I think it was really cool to see it from that perspective.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. So we're gonna give you some. You can go to the website and read the full blog there with all of the details. But.
Amanda: Yeah.
Jen Barkan: We're going to give you some high level highlights.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Um. But 1st I want to remind everybody how these benchmarks are comprised.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Um, we are big about data integrity here at, do you convert? And we only, you know, we have access to. You know, builders that we work with, we have access to their data. But we're only taking the builders that we can.
Jen Barkan: Um verify that they count leads the same way that they count appointments the same way, and that they count sales the same way. There's some variety in there, and we exclude those. That we can't. Um, you know, confirm some of those things.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: And so you're looking at averages.
Amanda: Right.
Jen Barkan: Um, of all of those numbers. Um, leads lead to appointment, appointment to sale and online sales. Contribution. So, Amanda, what were the numbers for? q. 1.
Amanda: Yes. So lead to appointment came in at 38%. That actually increased by 1% coming from quarter 4 of last year into quarter. One of this year, right?
Jen Barkan: Okay.
Amanda: Um. And then appointment to sale came in at 18%. So a little bit of a dip there down by about 3%.
Amanda: And then, lastly, the online sales contribution came in at 49% just down by 1%. But that was where I got to see the cool zoomed out view. So I was like down by 1%. But when I look at, you know, year over year, over year.
Jen Barkan: Okay.
Amanda: The contribution was actually higher this year than it was in the past 2 years, so that was cool to see a little bit of a bright spot. There.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Amanda: Um, and then our lead counts in general. They went up like going from December into January. They went up by 8%, totally to be expected.
Jen Barkan: As as you would expect right like.
Amanda: Yes.
Jen Barkan: Kicked off the year strong in January.
Amanda: Yeah. Yeah, mhm.
Jen Barkan: And then what happened?
Amanda: And then there's been a little bit of a decline since then, so January was our best month uh lead, Count Wise, and it's just kind of been this slow decline since then, so.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Amanda: So that's what we're seeing with the lead counts. Prospecting wise that has really stayed steady. So that's 15% for quarter one. So it's important to really just stay consistent. There.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. Yeah.
Amanda: Yeah.
Jen Barkan: Does that match up with? You know, Melissa, you've been meeting with some online sales specialists already, and and working with them. Do those numbers kind of match up with with.
Jen Barkan: But like, if you didn't even see those numbers. Is that kind of align with what you've been seeing and hearing on coaching calls.
Melissa Fort: Yeah, I think that most of our builders are pretty close to the benchmarks. We do see a couple of rock stars who like when they focus on the one metric and moving the needle, one of the ones that I was on with Amanda. She was doing a great job of the prospecting and converting some of the age leads. And so, and you could see a direct reflection in her numbers and conversions by focusing on that one metric and improving that one item.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Mhm. Yeah.
Amanda: Mhm. Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Now. You know, obviously, we I was actually thinking.
Jen Barkan: I was wrong. Okay, I was. I'll say it. I was wrong.
Jen Barkan: So I was thinking that we would have saw more of an increase in.
Amanda: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Lead to appointment. Than what we saw, because typically when you have less leads to manage.
Amanda: Right.
Jen Barkan: That number. Goes up more significantly.
Amanda: Mhm. Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Right. And so do you guys have any ideas of why we didn't see.
Jen Barkan: That number go up more lead to appointment. It was only at 38, not only, but it was at 38% versus. Maybe a 40 or.
Jen Barkan: 45%.
Amanda: I think it just really has to do with the market. So there's just this lack of urgency. And there's this hesitancy right now. And. So, therefore, just people are not as excited to like commit to something right now, you know.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Amanda: Yeah.
Jen Barkan: I agree. Um, are you guys are Molly? Are you hearing that from anybody just like a just, a a longer buying cycle, a lower urgency. What are you hearing.
Molly Adams: Yeah, I mean exactly. But Melissa and I had a good chat yesterday about. Personalizing your follow up.
Molly Adams: And like just. What that could do.
Molly Adams: For a buyer when there's. They're reaching out to so many different builders to see.
Molly Adams: Who has the best deals, who has the best homes. What's going on right now? So personalizing it, and being on top of your follow up might help you a little bit.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Amanda: Hmm. Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Well, it's yeah, like, how do you? If there's no urgency or low urgency in the market. What can online sales specialists do to create that urgency, right or or increase that.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: And. I agree, like personalization is one thing that you can do.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: To increase that number. Um.
Jen Barkan: The other thing for lead to appointment is. Let's not even really ask for the appointment. Let's just tell people that that's what they're gonna do.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Um, you know, I think in this market where we have somebody that's engaged with us. And you're having the conversation you've built rapport. You've gone through your qualifying areas.
Jen Barkan: Just going right into. Okay, the next step is coming out for a discovery tour. Let's do it. We've got time today.
Amanda: Mhm. Mhm.
Jen Barkan: And not even. Asking. Really, you're just telling them that this is the next step.
Amanda: Mm-hm.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: What do you guys think about that.
Amanda: I think that's great.
Melissa Fort: Yeah, I think, especially. Sorry go ahead.
Amanda: Yeah, no. You go ahead.
Melissa Fort: Yeah, no, I think, especially with consumer confidence, being kind of one of the largest objections that we're seeing right now is that that assumptive like, I'm here to help you. And this is what we're going to do next, you know. Just hold, really holding their hand and walking them through the process.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. Mhm.
Melissa Fort: And just being confident that what you have to offer is what they need. I mean people who are. If you've got them on the phone.
Melissa Fort: They're in the market for a home. So how do we get them to just go out and just take a tour, or just come, get your questions answered, and then, you know, have.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. Right.
Melissa Fort: The Onsite team ready to overcome those objections you don't really have to address on the phone.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Amanda: Yeah. And I think they're looking to the online sales specialists for that guidance of like, all right, leave me through this path like, what do I need to do next?
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Amanda: And also just giving them the emotion that they're lacking right now, making them excited about the appointment rather than only just a day and time of going out, but building up that emotion and that excitement about what they're going to expect and who they're going to meet with. So that they'll want to go to that appointment, and they'll keep going through the next buying cycle.
Molly Adams: Yeah.
Jen Barkan: Okay, love. It.
Molly Adams: Make it easy. The easy button.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Easy button. Sometimes it's not so easy, though, Molly.
Molly Adams: Yeah. Overcome the objectives. Jen hit the easy button and tell them to come out.
Jen Barkan: Pivot.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Pivot, pivot. Um. Okay, I love it. Well, listen. You can go read. Amanda's full blog. It's it's got lots of insights and details in there. But I wanna we wanna leave you with some just tips for success as you move into Q. 2.
Jen Barkan: Um Amanda hit it. What are some things that we need to keep our eye on?
Amanda: Yeah, yeah. Well, figuring out the why behind their search and kind of their story, what they're looking for really leaning into the emotion behind, what? What they're looking for in their new home and going out to the appointment.
Amanda: Um, continuing with the age leads. So just continue to prospect like that's gonna serve you as you go throughout this year, not just at the end of the year, but the whole year. So it's important to just really stay.
Jen Barkan: Hmm. Mhm.
Amanda: Consistent, there.
Jen Barkan: Yeah, just remember, like, most builders do not do prospecting well.
Amanda: Um.
Jen Barkan: They don't. We have the data to show that they don't.
Amanda: Mhm. Mhm.
Jen Barkan: So don't take your foot off the gas.
Amanda: Mm-hm.
Jen Barkan: Keep the prospecting pedal to the metal.
Amanda: Yes, absolutely.
Jen Barkan: Um. And keep that train moving.
Amanda: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and just make going out to an appointment, feel fun, take the pressure off of it, get them excited about going.
Amanda: And then last, but not least, and probably one of the most important things I feel like we can be doing right now is just getting out on site and making videos to help at the very, very tip top of the funnel.
Jen Barkan: Hmm.
Amanda: To help them press, submit, and become a lead. So we obviously are wonderful at lead converting. But let's help generate some leads and work with marketing to let them know what you're hearing make videos. I think that's just a really big, almost like movement in online sales land. Right now.
Jen Barkan: Mm. Reference.
Jen Barkan: Ah, opt podcast, 36.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Uh last episode, where we talk, where Mike gives you all the deets on what you need to be doing in a slower market.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Great. Job. Okay. Let's get on and talk about these superstars. Thank you, Amanda.
Amanda: Of course.
Jen Barkan: Okay. So Melissa Fort. Oh, man! Melissa, I think, has done pretty much. All the things in the industry for the last 20 ish years.
Jen Barkan: Whoo!
Melissa Fort: I know that's a long time when you say it like that.
Amanda: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: I know right.
Melissa Fort: Been like longer than Molly's been alive.
Jen Barkan: Well, I'm. I can say it because I'm right there with you, sister.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Um, so what is your? Everybody has an industry story. So give everybody kind of a glimpse into what you've been up to the last 20 years.
Melissa Fort: Yeah, absolutely. So I started. Back in online sales. So I was on site for just a very short amount of time. And the builder I was with at the time wanted to kick off.
Melissa Fort: A national online sales program. And this is back in the days before social media, before Google, when very few people were searching for a home online. But they're like, maybe this is going to be a thing. Do you want to help us build that? So it's been interesting to see the industry evolve over the last 18 years, and you know some things are the same. I think our purpose in online sales is the same. Technology has changed and everybody has one now. So that's changed. Um? And then.
Jen Barkan: Oh! Yeah.
Melissa Fort: Yeah, so. But my unique, I think superpower is. I've played in both sales and marketing that we alluded to earlier at the summit.
Melissa Fort: So I have spent time in leadership for both sales and marketing for some large national builders. Most recently. I was with Tripoint homes as their director of marketing and oversaw their online sales program as well. So I like to say, I'm like a full funnel person.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Melissa Fort: Like, I love it all from yeah top to bottom. Really, that handoff between marketing and sales.
Jen Barkan: Oh, full funnel!
Melissa Fort: Understand the importance of that, and. Being like, I feel like being in marketing has made me good in online sales and having experience in online sales, has made me a great marketer, as well.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. Yeah, I'm excited about that, too. Because, you know, we talk about the online sales. Specialist is like the love child between sales and marketing.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Like you gotta be a little bit marketing. You gotta be a little bit sales. You gotta.
Melissa Fort: Yes.
Jen Barkan: You know, know a little bit about each thing.
Molly Adams: Mm-hmm.
Jen Barkan: And also. You're like in that web, right? You you have to be connected.
Jen Barkan: To both. And so I'm excited about you bringing that knowledge to working with. I mean, obviously, not only our partners, but sharing that.
Jen Barkan: With the industry, you know. Um, on a national level. So we are so excited about that. Now you've.
Jen Barkan: Already been working with some online sales specialists. What. Has been kind of.
Jen Barkan: Some Aha! Moments for you, or things that have stood out. In your conversations.
Melissa Fort: Yeah, I mean, I think the big thing, too, is just the different builders are really investing in their online sales program. Right now. I mean, with 49% contribution rate, it's a smart investment. And so it's been fun to like seeing and helping leadership like understand the role and the investment in the program and helping them come up with the systems and processes that are going to help support their teams.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Melissa Fort: You know, I came from a builder. I was really lucky. They understood the importance of online sales and invested a lot in the program worked with do convert really closely to build a team. And so I think that's what I'm excited about, too, is like helping leadership and management.
Jen Barkan: Mm-hm.
Melissa Fort: Invest in their teams and understand the program. So.
Jen Barkan: Hmm. Love, that.
Amanda: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Um. What do you do when you're not working like? Let's get to know you a little bit.
Jen Barkan: Better.
Melissa Fort: Well, I have found a lot more free time. Uh in my new GM, now that I'm not at work so many hours a week, so um! I love to travel. I love to plan travel. I almost love planning more than actually going on the trip.
Jen Barkan: Oh!
Melissa Fort: So we're taking my son to Iceland in June for his graduation trip, and the process of researching and finding and mapping and doing all of that, the planning for it. Is really, really my favorite part of actually traveling. So I've been doing that a lot lately. I feel like that's been.
Jen Barkan: Wow. So we can call you to like plan our vacation. Cause I hate doing that. I'm just like I'll just show up and figure it out when I get there.
Melissa Fort: Oh! Yes, I know my husband is like, are you sitting for your Icelandic citizenship like? Why do you need to know so much.
Melissa Fort: But I'm just worried like, what if I miss out? I'm only gonna go once in a lifetime. So I need to know all the things.
Amanda: Oh!
Melissa Fort: So. I'll be your travel agent for sure.
Jen Barkan: That's awesome. Molly, Molly.
Molly Adams: Jen.
Jen Barkan: Okay. So, Molly, you know I'm super excited because she she'll tell you her little elevator pitch here in a minute about her industry story. But.
Molly Adams: Sure.
Jen Barkan: She um. When I 1st met her, and really just kind of talked with her.
Jen Barkan: Her energy. It was infectious, you know it. It was just I was like, Oh, my gosh! I just could talk to her all day.
Jen Barkan: Plus. She said that she worked at a Spa.
Molly Adams: It did.
Jen Barkan: And I was like, Oh, my gosh! I did, too. We're like.
Molly Adams: It's my 1st sales job.
Jen Barkan: 1st sales job at a Spa.
Molly Adams: Was at the Spa.
Jen Barkan: Yeah, same. So I was like, Oh, my gosh! This is like.
Jen Barkan: Cosmic. I don't know.
Jen Barkan: Um. But, Molly, tell everybody a little bit about you. What's your industry story?
Molly Adams: Yeah. Well, from upselling at the Spa to. Selling homes. Um, I'm coming right from the Oscc. I was literally in it like.
Molly Adams: I guess, right over a month ago. So.
Jen Barkan: Mm-hmm.
Molly Adams: Um, and I was working for a builder. Schuber Mitchell homes um. Where I was.
Molly Adams: Managing thousands of leads each year, and I kept myself very busy doing that. Um.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Molly Adams: So we had. Over 40 different communities that we were working.
Molly Adams: With, or for. Whither? For?
Molly Adams: Oops!
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Molly Adams: Um, and I really took a lot of pride in my answer rate and personalized follow up which I felt. Helped with my conversion.
Molly Adams: To sales rate. Really? Well, so. Had a lot of pride in that. And um! I just loved being an Osc.
Molly Adams: Like. I was so proud to be an Osc.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. What was your favorite part?
Molly Adams: Um. It's just such a rewarding job like. You get to. I really was lucky to be a part of a builder that I truly believed in our product and, like our process.
Molly Adams: Um. And.
Molly Adams: I just got in my head that like. If somebody's gonna call me, it's because they want to buy a home. And I'm gonna make sure that they go and see our homes, because that's the whole point, and not to just.
Molly Adams: Be scrolling online, doom scrolling.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Molly Adams: At Homes, so. I loved it. I'm here now.
Molly Adams: And I love talking about it.
Jen Barkan: You're passionate.
Molly Adams: So. So passionate.
Jen Barkan: You and your broom.
Molly Adams: Me and my broom, and I'm a passionate person like get me on any topic. I could be passionate about it.
Jen Barkan: Sourdough Gardening.
Molly Adams: Ah, true, true.
Jen Barkan: Um. Now, you've been working with some online sales specialists already. Also.
Molly Adams: Mm-hm. I have.
Jen Barkan: Um. Has there been a general vibe, or kind of what's been on the what's been the word on the street that you've been hearing.
Molly Adams: Yeah, I mean. It seems like everybody's really.
Molly Adams: Putting all their eggs into prospecting and coming up with new ideas to prospect. Which is great.
Jen Barkan: Great. Yeah.
Molly Adams: Um, and Amanda said something really great on a call the other day she was talking about how. Your home buyers are already in your Crm.
Molly Adams: And that you just need to prospect them. And I was like Amanda. Genius.
Jen Barkan: Jeff's kiss.
Molly Adams: Mm.
Amanda: Oh!
Molly Adams: So, yeah, we've been. All of our people have been talking about ways to come up with prospecting new ideas.
Jen Barkan: Hmm.
Molly Adams: Um, not only just your homes, but talking about the areas that your communities are in.
Jen Barkan: Mhm. Mm.
Molly Adams: And just being really. Um.
Molly Adams: Really talking about it. Get the buyer excited to come out.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. Did you? Okay, be honest. Now.
Jen Barkan: When you were. An online sales, specialist.
Jen Barkan: Did you prospect.
Molly Adams: Not as much as I should have.
Jen Barkan: Think any of us did?
Amanda: Hmm.
Molly Adams: This. Yeah. What were you saying when planning your day? 2 h in the morning and 2 h in the afternoon?
Jen Barkan: I mean. Yeah, I was like it might take you about. You might need to do about 4 h in this market.
Molly Adams: I was like. My jaw hit the floor. I was like I need to. I should have done that.
Jen Barkan: While. I mean, listen, if you're if you are sitting there going, you know. Where are my leaves? I my phone's not ringing like you gotta go. You gotta go do something about it. You gotta go make something happen. So I love that.
Jen Barkan: You're currently going through. Well, both of you are. I'll ask you both this.
Molly Adams: Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Um. When you started it. Do you convert one of the 1st things I said, right was, okay, go through the online sales Academy.
Jen Barkan: With a fresh perspective. Um, Molly, I don't think you had ever really been through the training like that. I mean, you'd been exposed to some of our stuff, but you'd never really been through the training. And, Melissa, it's been a gazillion years ago.
Molly Adams: Mm-hmm.
Jen Barkan: And so. Molly what's been kind of a big like. Aha!
Jen Barkan: Moment. And it's okay. You can be vulnerable here.
Molly Adams: Yeah, well, I've.
Jen Barkan: It's a safe space.
Molly Adams: I've had a lot of.
Jen Barkan: Any like Aha!
Molly Adams: I've had a lot of them, and you know them, too. You know that. So like our what was it like? My second day I reached out to Jen, and I was like Jen. I I have to tell you something.
Molly Adams: She's like, what. I'm like I've been counting.
Molly Adams: When someone would call and cancel on me before the appointment, I would count that towards my. Conversion rates.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Molly Adams: She's like. No, you didn't. I'm like Jen. I kept over 90%, though, like pat me on the back.
Jen Barkan: You really probably had, like 95% or or 100% right?
Molly Adams: Who knows? I? But yeah, that was one thing, and the other thing was. We'd.
Molly Adams: In training. They talk a lot about realtors and um. Not only just. Yeah, they're your vips like you give them the information, but you also teach them how to use.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Molly Adams: Your website, how to use your material.
Jen Barkan: Ah! Hmm.
Molly Adams: I didn't do that. If we're being honest.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. Yeah.
Molly Adams: I would spend a lot of time like. Getting the realtors the information, and sending the links and.
Molly Adams: Following up, and I wish I would have just sent a bomb bomb, so they would have saw my face. And.
Molly Adams: Told them what's up. Here's how to use our website.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. Yeah.
Molly Adams: And that would have saved me so much time.
Jen Barkan: I think that. We get afraid of realtors. Sometimes.
Jen Barkan: You know, like how to work them.
Molly Adams: Yeah. We do?
Jen Barkan: Um. Melissa. What? What's been your big like? Aha!
Jen Barkan: That's come from the training that you saw, you know, a long time ago, cause it's. Different, now.
Melissa Fort: Yeah. And I think, too, this week, I my game has been digging into helping an Osc create a backup plan. And I came from a builder where we had a team of Oses. So that wasn't something that was as big of a problem.
Melissa Fort: But especially on these teams, with just one Osc.
Jen Barkan: Hmm.
Melissa Fort: You know, it's headed up to summer and vacation time. And right now every lead matters, every time that phone rings it needs to be answered. Every lead that comes in needs a personalized attention.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. Mhm.
Melissa Fort: Um. So I have an Osc. Right now. He's going on going to the beach this weekend, and we are, you know, down to the wire coming up with a plan. To make sure that we keep things going while he's out, so we can. Truly, you know, if this is a market, if you don't take care of yourself. You gotta you'll get burnt out. So time off is super important.
Jen Barkan: Unplug.
Melissa Fort: So working with your managers early on coming up with a good backup plan that everybody is comfortable with.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Melissa Fort: Um. Like, I said. I think I've gone back and watched that training twice now, and coming up with some good ideas, some technology solutions.
Melissa Fort: But you also have to have the people part of it. You know. You provide such a great service. You want to. You gotta let go a little bit so you can take time off. But you got to have something strong in place, so you're not coming back to a mess, and so that you can feel confident, too, that the buyers that you've been prospecting. What if they reach out while you're gone. You want to make sure they get taken care of. So I feel like that's what I'm in the weeds on this week.
Jen Barkan: Hmm. Mhm.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. Yeah, you know, we should do.
Jen Barkan: A whole episode on backup plan. I think we've done it before, but it would probably be good to revisit that because you're right. It is vacation time coming up, and you don't want to be like the day of going. Okay, what do I do. With these leads. What do I do with my phone?
Molly Adams: Mm.
Jen Barkan: And don't be like me. Who said, I'll just work while I'm on vacation.
Melissa Fort: Yeah.
Jen Barkan: Bad. You gotta have a good backup plan. Um. Okay, Molly. Fun. Facts. What do you do when you're not working.
Molly Adams: Yeah, um. So I'm in Colorado. So we. We hike a lot.
Molly Adams: And um. Yeah, we're out exploring. I have. I have new hobbies all the time. I'm.
Molly Adams: I'm a tiktok girly, so I'm always coming up with the new hobbies. So.
Jen Barkan: Okay.
Molly Adams: I'm in the Sourdough now. If you're interested, I'll make you a loaf.
Jen Barkan: Okay.
Molly Adams: And then I'm gardening.
Jen Barkan: Sourdough. Mhm.
Molly Adams: Not well, but am. So.
Jen Barkan: Attempting to garden.
Molly Adams: Attempting to garden.
Melissa Fort: Molly crochets, too.
Molly Adams: Healthy, lifestyle.
Jen Barkan: What kind.
Molly Adams: I do crochet.
Melissa Fort: Did you know that.
Molly Adams: Not well either. Nothing. I do. Hobby wise. It's very well, but I do it.
Melissa Fort: Got it. She daffles.
Molly Adams: A dabble.
Jen Barkan: Oh, man! I love that.
Molly Adams: Mm.
Jen Barkan: Well, as you can see, these ladies are just amazing. They're so smart they have such great experience. Um, coming in and joining the team. And I can.
Jen Barkan: Tell you that they are already making a huge impact. On the online sales specialists that they're working with. So thank you guys, we are so happy. You're here.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: And. I'm excited that this was your first, st podcast. Ever.
Molly Adams: I know it was fun.
Melissa Fort: Not too bad. We're good.
Jen Barkan: Yeah, you did. Good. Okay, let's do a skills check because you better check yourself before you wreck yourself as ice cube says. Um. I wish that was an original quote. I need to come up with one.
Jen Barkan: Um. Okay. So we've been talking about numbers. And we've also been talking about. With Molly and Melissa, some behaviors, some things that they're hearing out there, as they're talking with people.
Jen Barkan: Amanda also gave us some good tips for success in Q. 2. So we need to take all those things into consideration. And for your skills check. I want you to take a look at your q. 1 numbers.
Jen Barkan: You know. Is there any number there that you're like? You know? I'm not either hitting this benchmark, or I want to push myself to increase that, or do better. So first, st you know. Look at that, and then go all right.
Jen Barkan: What? Let me diagnose this, if my lead to appointment. Is not where it needs to be. Let me look at the behaviors that will affect lead to appointment.
Jen Barkan: Response, time pivoting objections, creating urgency. Telling them that they're gonna go to the appointment versus asking.
Jen Barkan: All of those things will increase that lead to appointment number. So whatever that is, I want you to lean into that behavior. Going into this next quarter.
Jen Barkan: Um appointment to sale. You know what are the things. Melissa, that you think affect appointment to sale.
Jen Barkan: Converge.
Melissa Fort: I think it's like, yeah, finding the right one. I love what Amanda said, too, about like when you have time, that you're not working on conversion activities, making those connections.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Melissa Fort: Part of that's like making connection with the community teams and.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. Hmm.
Melissa Fort: Being knowledgeable and being the expert, so that you feel confident that you are offering the right solution to that buyer, and you're helping them find the right community.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Melissa Fort: You know they're looking for certainty and confidence. So you have to go out there and gain it. If it's been 6 months since you've been out to a community.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Melissa Fort: Probably looks a lot different now. And so knowing if that's like a hill of dirt or a whole completed home, you know, is.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Melissa Fort: Huge. So I feel like that. Is that confidence of getting them to the right place helps with that, and doing the handoff.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Melissa Fort: Again. If you're out visiting communities, shoot some handoff videos with your sales team.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Melissa Fort: Get them bought in. They probably have a little bit more time on their hands these days.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Molly Adams: Yeah.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Melissa Fort: And so you're a huge value to them, hey? I'm contributing 49%. This is what I need in return. You've got some, you know, leverage right now with the sales team, so use that.
Jen Barkan: Mhm. Yeah.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Molly any thoughts on that.
Molly Adams: Yeah. Tell them your numbers like, I feel like onsite kind of forgets, like when it's slow, they always turn to the Osc. And they're like, What are you doing wrong? So going out and talking to them and chatting about. This is what's going on. This is the numbers for your community, um, and creating that relationship with them.
Jen Barkan: Mhm.
Molly Adams: That's so great. And if you have time on your hands.
Molly Adams: Shoot a new handoff video if your handoff videos.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Molly Adams: 2 plus years old, or whatever like just.
Jen Barkan: Yeah.
Molly Adams: Taking the time. Now, while you have the time.
Jen Barkan: Dust the cobwebs off of those old videos guys.
Molly Adams: To.
Melissa Fort: Yes.
Jen Barkan: That's the cobwebs off of those templates that you've been using for 5 years. Like, you know, everything needs to be refreshed. Fresh eyes.
Jen Barkan: Um. So you know it's it is important to know your numbers. Obviously. So you know what where you're at and where you need to go. But also look at those behaviors that affect those numbers and lean into that, because that is what's in your control.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Appointments are sales are a result of appointments. Appointments are a result of the behaviors, and the engagement that you have with your. Customers. Okay?
Jen Barkan: Last question. For Molly and Melissa.
Jen Barkan: Are you? Down with opt.
Melissa Fort: Oh, we're so down. Molly, were you old enough to like? Know where even that reference comes from?
Molly Adams: Oh! No, I'm not. But.
Melissa Fort: Okay.
Jen Barkan: Oh, man! Oh, okay.
Melissa Fort: Are you down with? Opt, yeah, you know me.
Jen Barkan: Yeah. You know me.
Amanda: Hmm.
Molly Adams: Is this A is this a movie.
Melissa Fort: Look it up.
Amanda: Oh dear!
Jen Barkan: No.
Melissa Fort: Look it up, we'll send it to you.
Jen Barkan: It's a song. It's a song and um! I'll I'll we'll talk about it later.
Molly Adams: No. Guys, we're just gonna blast my age across the Internet. They're gonna be like.
Jen Barkan: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Melissa Fort: Fresh perspective. We like it.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: No. Okay, love it. All right.
Melissa Fort: We'll just have to school you on the old school.
Molly Adams: Hmm.
Jen Barkan: Thank you, guys, thanks for listening. Um heart like subscribe. Give us a review. Send us an email. Tell us what you want to talk about. We will talk about it, hey? Nothing is nothing's off the table. So.
Jen Barkan: We'll see you next time.
