February 3, 2012
“The vast possibilities of our great future will become realities only if we make ourselves responsible for that future.” 
–Gifford Pinchot
Sales Pros:
Read that quote again.
Do you truly believe that the future is what you make it? That success is linear—rising and falling with your efforts? If so, then, congratulations, you have what Carol Dweck calls a growth mindset! A productive way of thinking that says, “What I am currently doing equals what I am currently getting. If I improve what I am currently doing, then I will improve what I am getting.”
A fixed mindset, on the other hand, says that your efforts don’t matter—that success is just up to the sales gods who either shine down on you or don’t.
We’d never say we have a fixed mindset with that definition, but sometimes, we operate like that…with underlying beliefs that tell us it’s not up to us. Fixed mindedness leads to phrases like, “Good luck” or “I got lucky.” It also leads to excuses like “my prices are too high,” or “consumer confidence is low.”
To strengthen your growth-mindedness—celebrate the process (as long as you are giving your absolute best to every prospect), even if it hasn’t yet resulted in a sale. If you’ve had a dry spell, remember that if you keep putting forth the effort, you will make a sale.
If you find yourself giving into a fixed mindset, work on correcting your thinking right then and there!
Here’s to earning what you’re worth!
Jason Forrest
September 15, 2011
Even though my intention has always been to work for my clients and to help them earn what they’re worth; I’ve gotten feedback 
that I sometimes come off like I think I’ better than those I’ training or that I’ going to “fix” them because they’re broken. If you’ve ever taken my message that way, then I apologize.
Let me explain a bit of my approach. In order to push sales professionals to stay ahead of whatever circumstances come their way, I try to reinforce existing positive behaviors in addition to teaching new ones. My training seeks to hold new home salespeople and sales managers accountable to proven techniques, philosophies and attitudes and typically falls into three categories for sales professionals:
Category One: The behaviors salespeople already do with every prospect, every day. With this category, our training just reinforces what salespeople already do and believe. The goal then is to increase self-assurance and belief in those abilities.
Category Two: The behaviors salespeople have heard or read about, but do not do with every prospect, every day. With these behaviors, training serves as a reminder of ideas that work and should become more a part of a salesperson’s process.
Category Three: The behaviors salespeople have never heard of or have not executed, but that they would benefit from incorporating with every prospect, every day.
Right now, salespeople are selling at the level they are able to perform those techniques, philosophies, and attitudes that fall into their own category one and category two. Here are some tips for salespeople to improve performance:
Step 1: Make an inventory of your category one and two techniques and write down how much you are earning at your current performance level.
Step 2: Write down what you would like to earn.
Step 3: Commit to continuing your category one techniques and philosophies, moving more category two techniques and philosophies into category one, and pursuing training to add category three techniques and philosophies to your tool belt.
Your sales coach,
Jason
September 14, 2011
New home sales managers’are you riding the coattails of one superstar? You know the type’the sales professionals who seem 
to effortlessly pull in sale after sale no matter the circumstance, community, or price point. The ones whose backlogs are full and realtor relationships strong. When you’re behind for the month, they often pull off a miracle and carry the weight for the rest of the team.
I was listening to “The Herd” on ESPN and the host mentioned how the former GM of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Danny Ferry, was considered a genius. But as it turns out, the team was riding LeBron James’s shooting star. When LeBron left, the program failed. True brilliance in management is building a solid all-around program instead of rising with (and falling without) one superstar.
How many of us are guilty of basing our business strategy upon the success of one superstar? Just as Ferry found, the lack of a strong foundation will cause a team to crumble. A sound and sustainable business model supports hiring and training an entire TEAM. Don’t fall into the Ferry trap and fall out of grace when a superstar leaves for greener pastures!
Tips for managers: Staff to a minimum of 25% “A” players, with at least 50% of your team as “bench” at any given moment. Plan in advance for turnover and raise the bar with every hire. A good goal is to have 80% top performers and 20% bench for the normal attrition rate. Hire tough: manage easy”
Tip for all: Be sales ready!
Contributed by Jeanne Conger.
September 13, 2011
Like most people, if the items I bring into a dressing room don’t work for me, I am highly unlikely to get re-dressed, walk back to the racks, find an associate to let me into the dressing room again, get undressed and start the process all over. 
I worked at Banana Republic in high school and my manager, Diana, gave me one of my first lessons in making it easy for the customer to buy. She taught me to grab the clothes and start a dressing room as soon as someone starting picking items out. Then I’d say, “While you’re looking around, I’m going to find some things that I think you would like.”
Diana also taught me not to let them leave for more items once they were in the dressing room. I’d bring different sizes, items that matched, and coordinating accessories. I didn’t ask for permission either, I just did it.
Diana even taught me something about objections. If someone said, “I already own a shirt that goes with this skirt,” then I’d say, “Great, let me bring one in another color so you can see what it looks like.”
Some customers would never ask for help and even turn me down when I offered (“Would you like me to bring that in another size?). But if I said, “Stay here, I’m going to bring you another size,” they always appreciated the help and attention. Often, they’d come back asking for me. I enjoyed making it easy for people to leave with great-looking outfits. Folding all of those clothes was just part of the deal.
What can you learn about new home sales from this lesson from retail sales? Do you catch yourself asking permission to help your prospects? In what ways could you make it easier for your prospects to buy?
September 12, 2011
Objections are the best possible tool for a new home sales professional. In my latest post for Fearless Selling, I discuss why. 
Below is an excerpt:
The sale begins when the customer says no.
We’re now on one of my favorite topics in our series on the attributes of fearless sales professionals — embracing objections. Fearless sales professionals consider themselves consultants to their prospects, and as such, they love conflict. An advisor wants to bring up conflict so that they have something to advise.
I often hear that about 80 percent of prospective homebuyers never come back for a second visit and that only 20 percent come in and reveal everything they’re concerned about up front. Do you think there is a correlation? I do.
Read more.
September 9, 2011
“The toughest thing I ever had to do was get my team to overcome success disease.” – Bill Walsh, football coach
Dear X-Factors,
Have you ever noticed that very few teams win the Super Bowl back to back? This is because of a mental deficiency (called success disease) that makes individuals and teams think they don’t need to improve any more. It’s an arrogance of the mind that says that the next win is based on a previous victory.
I see this happening with hardworking sales professionals all of the time. They bust their butts to learn and grow and then once they start winning…they stop learning and growing. Eventually, the circumstances surpass their ability and they stop winning. Sometimes, a “losing season” is exactly what a sales professional needs to snap out of it and start pursuing master again. Unfortunately, if the success disease isn’t cured, they will just go through the same cycle once they start winning again.
Bill Walsh says the only cure to success disease is adopting an underdog mentality-a mindset that keeps you saying, “I have to work like no one else so that I can win like no one else.”
From this day forward, work like nobody else. Whenever you aren’t selling to prospects, making follow up calls, promoting to realtors, asking for referrals, and the like, pursue self-improvement through training. Selling will keep you paid today and training will keep you ahead of future circumstances so that you’ll get paid tomorrow.
Here’s to earning what you’re worth!
Jason
September 8, 2011
We are blowing out a new set of candles at J Forrest Group today. Happy birthday to our fearless self-promoter, fearless seller, 
and fearless leader himself–Jason Forrest. Step aside, Jeanne Conger. But don’t step too far…we’ve got some questions for you:
Why do you think new home sales professionals are so important?
The order-taking days are long gone and competition is fierce! An accomplished sales professional can understand a buyer’s problems, provide solutions, and overcome objections that could otherwise stop the sale.
Buying a new home is the largest financial and emotional decision that most will make in a lifetime, so educated, dedicated, and professional salespeople are a must.
What maxims do you live by?
I believe that we are each responsible for our own success and I like Winston Churchill’s “never, never, never give up.” A tough market will reveal the character of a company and the culture of an organization–whether they’ll crumble under circumstances and excuses or focus on what they can control and refuse to give up. I prefer the latter.
Who do you admire? Why?
A man named Mark Covert has gained my admiration. He is 61 years old and has run at least 10 miles every day since July 3, 1968 (that’s 43 years and counting!). Whether or not he feels like it; Mark runs. Whether it’s rainy or sunny, he runs. No matter the aches and pains; Mark runs. Every. Single. Day.
Mark’s friends say you’re not tough unless you’re “Covert tough.”
What tip would you give new home salespeople this week?
Take charge of your business and target your buyers. Ask buyers what THEY want. When the market changed, buyer behaviors and buying cycles changed with it. Consider how you’ve changed to be ready for today’s market and today’s buyer.
Be Sales Ready!
September 7, 2011
Since we’re on the subject this week, I had to share my own avid fandom for college football-T.C.U. football to be exact. Not only is T.C.U. my alma mater, but I also attend every home game and wear purple socks in honor of my favorite team’s colors. 
It’s more than the thrill of the game-it’s the culture of T.C.U.’s program that gets me going and, in the case of this NY Times article, makes me cry. Coach Patterson is a leader who has created a dynasty of unity and high standards on and off the field (he took a team with no police records to the Rose Bowl and his players have above average graduation rates). Talk about a cultural change–the same program was scandal-ridden in the 1980s.
Because of the program’s reputation, recruitment at the small private school is up, “His 98-28 record over the past decade is the reason that this year, T.C.U. had nearly 20,000 applicants [...] for 1,600 spots.”
This guy is a model for new home sales managers. Do your market’s best new home salespeople want to be on your team because of the culture you’ve created? Are you known for raising the standard and holding your team accountable to it? Are you stealing top recruits from other builders by making salespeople more successful in their careers? What is your legacy in new home sales management? Are you purposeful in what you do?
Del Conte, the athletic director at T.C.U, said Patterson is their Joe Paterno or Bear Bryant. Are you the Bear Bryant of your industry? Would your division president be able to say that about you? Why or why not? If not, how can you find a way to be better? What can you do to facilitate a culture change in your organization?
Do some soul searching and consider these questions. Or don’t. Just count the days until you get replaced by somebody like Gary Patterson.
September 6, 2011
I have SEC fever. 
Although I was in the kitchen while my brothers and dad watched football every Thanksgiving Day and I played the part of the nagging little sister begging to watch Fresh Prince of Bel Air on Monday nights; all it took was one game at Auburn University for me to catch the fever. The band, the legacy, and the cries of “Waaaaaaaaaaaaar eagle, hey!” captured me like nothing in the NFL could.
Dad taught me the basics, but it took Auburn for me to care about onside kicks, special teams, and the magic of miracle comebacks.
The Tigers do best under pressure. Even last year (when Cam Newton and the powerhouse defense led the team to an undefeated season and the national championship) they came from behind in several crucial games. One of the most notable was against their rivals, Alabama University (a rivalry that ranks in ESPN’s top ten).
The Tigers have pulled off miracle after miracle after miracle, which is why, on Saturday; I had some choice words when I saw a flood of orange leaving Jordan Hare Stadium in the final minutes. Sure, we hadn’t looked much like defending champions, but this is Auburn, I thought, we are made of miracles!
Minutes later, those fair weather fans repented their lack of faith as the din inside the stadium increased. Sure enough-Auburn recovered with an onside kick and scored 14 points in the last three minutes.
Coach Gene Chizik acknowledged the Tigers played below standard, but said, “[It's] been instilled in this group that you never look at the clock and the scoreboard until it says zero-zero-zero.”
This is the mindset we need in the housing industry and the thing I appreciate most about J Forrest Group’s approach to new home sales training. Your turn (please comment below):
Who is your favorite sports team and why?
How do you adopt Chizik’s mindset in your daily process?
Contributed by Alicia East
September 3, 2011
“Winners are simply willing to do what losers won’t.”
–From “Million Dollar Baby”
August was a tough month for everyone! In response to the US credit downgrade, the stock market was as wild as an unbroken stallion. Can you tell I’m from Texas?
But for a few new home salespeople, those circumstances didn’t hold them back. X-Factor sales professionals pushed themselves to do the things that their competition wasn’t willing to do. And it worked. They won when others chose to lose!
To those of you who didn’t make your sales goal in August–drop your ego. Instead of getting offended by what I just said, pull yourself from your bootstraps and get back in the fight!
To those of you who made your sales goal: you rock!
Here’s to earning what you’re worth!
Jason
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