Sales Training & Coaching Archive

Improving Lives through Homeownership

Tags: asking the right questions, benefits of homeownership, buyer decision points
February 23, 2011

The desire to improve one’s life has more influence over the home buying decision than any other factor.

Carla Hill at Realty Times reports that “From health to wealth, [homeownership] stands out as a great long-term investment, and that’s why 67 percent of American households are owner-occupied.”

You’re probably familiar with the tax benefits homeowners enjoy, but there’s more. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homeownership may also improve quality of life through increased stability for the whole family:

“Homeowners are happier and healthier and enjoy a greater feeling of control over their lives.

Homeowners pay 80% to 90% of federal income taxes, contributing to federal programs that benefit all Americans.

Most homeowners enjoy stable housing costs-a fixed rate mortgage payment might not change for 15 or 30 years while rent typically increases 3% a year.

Children of homeowners â€¦ are more likely to participate in organized activities and spend less time in front of the television.

People who own their own homes â€¦ volunteer more and contribute more to their neighborhoods.

Home owners do not move as frequently as renters, providing more neighborhood stability. In turn, this stability helps reduce crime and supports neighborhood upkeep. Children of home owners do better in school, stay in school longer.”

Your clients want happy, healthy, and successful lives for their children. They want financial security. They want to pay less on taxes. They want a better life than they currently have.

If a potential customer comes through your door, they want to improve their lives in one way or another and they believe a new home can help them reach that goal. Find out why they’re unsatisfied with their current situation by asking the right questions, then show them how they can improve it with one of your homes.

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Vital Behaviors of Sales Leaders

Tags: Builder Radio Interview, coaching X Factor sales professionals, new home sales training, redefining training, sales management
February 21, 2011

Training that doesn’t change behavior is nothing more than education. As a new home sales trainer, my goal is to provide ongoing coaching that changes results. For sales leaders (managers), this means equipping salespeople to become the best version of themselves.

In a podcast for BuilderRadio.com, I talked about the vital behaviors of sales leaders. Here are some of the highlights:

The toughest challenge that leaders face is how to get their people to exceed their own expectations by expanding their comfort zones. This requires certain behaviors, including:

1. No fear of conflict

Without conflict, there is no change. I’m not talking about “make my day” kind of conflict, I’m just talking about holding salespeople accountable to doing what they’re uncomfortable doing, which helps them become the best version of themselves. As a leader, you’re not doing your new home salespeople any favors by being their buddy and enabling them to stay in their comfort zone.

Help them do the things they don’t want to do today so that they can have the results they want tomorrow.

2. Assertive Communication

Assertive communication means providing clear and specific direction for your salespeople. Instead of saying, “I need you to focus on improving your sales message,” tell them exactly what they need to do/say; and how, why and when they need to do it. Assertive communication sets clear expectations and attainable goals.
Beliefs drive emotions, emotions drive behaviors and behaviors drive results. An effective sales leader will give new home salespeople the right direction, equipment, and expectations to be successful alone. Show your salespeople how and practice with them so that they can confidently execute the principles on their own.

Next week, we’ll cover the next two vital behaviors. Stay tuned.

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Embracing the X Factor

Tags: coaching X Factor sales professionals, cultural change, new home sales training, transforming homebuilders, X Factor sales professionals
February 15, 2011

The team at the Villages at Lake Sumter has truly adopted the mindset of the X-factor salesperson and it’s paying off.

According to research from Hanley Wood, there are only a few large builders (those closing more than 1,000 units) that will see an increase in closings in 2010 versus 2009.

Leading the pack with a 34% increase is The Villages at Lake Sumter, one of Jeff Shore and my shared clients. In 2010, we took them through the 12-month process of changing their sales culture and they now see themselves as a sales organization that builds homes rather than a homebuilder that tolerates salespeople.

With sales at the center, they’ve made a priority of coaching and training their salespeople weekly.

Incentives, models, and deals don’t sell homes, people sell homes. The market and circumstances didn’t create success for the Villages. Greatness will always prevail regardless of circumstances. As the beliefs at The Villages have changed, their confidence has increased and their behaviors have changed to match. That is the point of true training-to change behaviors, and thus, to change sales results.

Congratulations to the Villages for getting serious about becoming a culture that creates salespeople who earn what they’re worth!

Click Here for Information on the Who’s Up and Who’s Down in 2010 Closings!

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How to Lose a Client

Tags: X Factor sales professionals
February 2, 2011

People don’t have a problem with salespeople. They have a problem with people who waste their time and with unethical, boring, or unhelpful salespeople!

But that’s not the kind of salesperson you have to be. There are many ways to lose clients (and taint the profession’s reputation while you’re at it). Today, we’ll focus on one faux pas that’s common in our industry–sending generic emails with information that doesn’t apply to the recipient.

I told a Realtor exactly what kind of home I wanted, but at least once a week he sends me a generic e-mail with all of his listings, most of which are completely irrelevant to me. I have lost respect for him and immediately delete his emails. He does not own the process, he is not helpful, and worst yet, he is wasting my time. It may not technically count as Spam, but it has the same effect on me. With this kind of “service,” I might as well do it on my own.

Tip: Don’t send customers generic marketing pieces with your homes or available inventory. Send customized pieces only.

To help hold yourself accountable, always start the email with something like, “Based on your desire to have (stated needs) I thought you would enjoy this,” or “Based on your concern about (stated concern), I thought you’d want to see this listing.”

If your clients feel like you are looking out for their interests and that you’re saving them time instead of wasting their precious time, you’ll gain their respect and appreciation. On the other hand, if your clients feel like just another email address in your contact list, you’ll lose their respect and likely, their business, too.

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Earn Respect by Being the Expert

Tags: buyer decision points, consumer confidence, economic climate
January 23, 2011

Last week, we covered an article that points out the mindset shift in what it calls the “post-recession consumer.” We discussed the importance of asking the right questions and selling to the current consumer, not the consumer we encountered in 2007. Check the post for some of the statistics that are currently affecting consumer’s home-buying decisions and how that affects the market.

As always, statistics and information are good, but only if you know how to use them.

One way to use them is to help educate your buyers and to show them you’re the expert. This helps you earn their respect and builds their confidence. After all, you know it best. I cover the subject in an article for Sales and Marketing Ideas magazine.

One way you can demonstrate that you have the expertise needed to lead them through the process is to know what’s happening in the market and how things are changing. This article does a great job of giving an overview of current trends. Read up and be ready to be the expert your buyers are looking for.

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There Is Nothing So Constant as Change

Tags: asking the right questions, economic climate
January 15, 2011

As the housing market shifts, builders and salespeople must respond. According to an article from the National Association of Home Builders, the shifting economy has changed consumers’ mindsets. The article cites the following statistics:

65% of consumers believe responsibility and good citizenship in home buying means having a home that is as energy-efficient as possible
42% believe responsibility and good citizenship mean not buying a home that is larger than they need (up from 34% in a 2007 survey)
22% consider lack of energy efficiency savings a deal breaker
An additional 19% said they’d be willing to pay extra for a home offering energy efficiency

Since 2007, Newland Research has “uncovered significant changes in the disposition of the recovery consumer.”

In 2010, 11% of consumers felt dining out was the best way to spend their free time (down from 48% in 2007)
23% felt that relaxing at home was the best way to spend their free time.

Just as I’ve always believed, the article says that the recession has caused a backlog of demand. This research shows that as these backlogged buyers re-enter the market, they will be looking for different qualities than they looked for in 2007. As always, asking the right questions puts you in position to meet the consumers right where they’re at and provide exactly the home they are looking.

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Don’t be a Downer

Tags: 40 Day Sales Dare, Debbie Downer
December 21, 2010

Debbie Downer, a character on Saturday Night Live, reminds me of some salespeople. If you’re enjoying eggnog and cookies, Debbie will warn you about the dangers of salmonella and the juvenile diabetes epidemic. If you’re planning a trip to the beach, she’ll quote shark attack statistics.

In my book 40 Day Sales Dare, I talk about how often I see salespeople bringing up all the stressful topics like credit scores and mortgage rates before they even open the door to the first model. Sure, those discussions will come, but give your customers a chance to fall in love with your finishes and layouts before you hit them with application fees and construction changes. I’m not asking you to avoid reality, just don’t be a downer or you’ll be running your clients out the door faster than the turkey in the clip below.

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Info is Good. Application is Better.

Tags: coaching X Factor sales professionals, new home sales training, X Factor sales professionals
October 26, 2010

Training is good, but I don’t care how many lessons you get, if you don’t apply them, they do you no good. That’s why it’s so important to put your lessons into practice. You may hear the best, most-inspiring speaker, but if you don’t know what to do with all those lessons once you leave, you won’t retain that knowledge.

Sales Executive Council research shows that your performance will increase by 22% with training alone. But without continued coaching and on-the-job reinforcement, your will lose 87% of the training after just one month. With long-term coaching, your performance can increase by up to 88%. You’ll retain your training and discover how to implement it successfully.

If you want results, don’t look for a quick fix. Invest in long-term solutions for outstanding results.

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Nation’s Building News Article

Tags: economic climate, industry publications, Nation's Building News
October 15, 2010

In September, I wrote an article refuting the New York Times and Time Magazine for saying that buying a home is no longer a great investment. Nation’s Building News asked me if they could republish the article but they said that I had to add more evidence to support my claim. I really appreciate their criticism because it forced me to make my article stronger. I went back to the drawing board, found supporting evidence and here is the new article!!

It does not matter what you believe. It only matters if you can prove it to your customers. Therefore, you must have evidence to back up your claims. If not then it will be your opinion versus their opinion and no one will win!

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Need more proof that 40 Day works?

Tags: 40 Day Sales Dare
June 30, 2010

In my last post, I talked about how my last book, 40 Day Sales Dare, provides discipline. While it may give you a few light bulb moments, it’s not about reinventing the wheel. 40 Day Sales Dare is about providing the necessary practice and repetition for you to sharpen your skills.

Mike Banson found the dare so rewarding that he started the whole process over right after he completed the first 40 days. He wanted to “refresh [his] memory and perfect each dare.” Now that is how to get major results-daily practice and sustained discipline.

Mike wrote about his experience with 40 Day Sales Dare on his own blog post, and I’ve included a bit of his testimonial here:

“[40 Day Sales Dare] was a wonderful learning experience that has helped me immensely. I was set in my ways and didn’t realize I was making critical mistakes in my day-to-day performance. The 40 Day Sales Dare made me reevaluate everything I was doing, all with fantastic results. I was able to write a new contract for every week of the 40-day dare! [â€¦]

I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to have a program that starts each day with a simple and easy format, yet yields such powerful results. [â€¦] I could add 11 sales to my performance a year, which results in an increase in $21,500 to my annual income. If that isn’t a good return on a $19.95 investment, I don’t know what is.”

Hey people, it works! That’s all I’m trying to say.

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