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Alright, friends. We’re closing out March Debunking AI Month with one more thing I need to get off my chest: I am deeply skeptical of these micro learning AI courses that keep popping up all over my social feed. You know the ones. “Learn 47 AI tools in 28 days!” “Become an AI power user by next Tuesday!” “Master the future with our daily 10-minute lessons!” Meanwhile I’m over here thinking… who has time to collect apps like they’re Pokémon? What do I need 10…or 28 different tools? And more…
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I just came back from the International Builders Show, and there were no less than 39 educational sessions with the word AI in the title, and vastly more that mentioned AI in the course of their presentation. AI has become to new home builders what, Marsha was to Brady Bunch. “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha…” if you don’t get the reference, it means I’m entirely too old. But I digress. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but March is now Debunking AI Month. Yep. I said it. I hereby declare…
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Every New Year starts the same way. The ball drops. We toast to “fresh starts.” Someone says, “This is the year we really tighten things up.” And somewhere, right now… an online homebuyer filled out a form on your website and is still waiting to hear back. Which brings me to the newly released 2025 Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report. And fair warning: this one doesn’t whisper. It clears its throat and says, “Hey… we need to talk.” The Good News: OSCs Are Showing Up Stronger. We’ve seen improvements across…
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It’s finally here! My new book, Attract, Engage, Convert is now available on Amazon and I couldn’t be more excited! This book is for builders, OSCs, marketing teams, sales leaders, and anyone trying to make sense of what really works and how to set up a successful OSC program. It’s built from nearly two decades in the trenches, helping builders and OSCs create meaningful, intentional online sales programs. And it was a labor of love. Even better, builders are already buying copies for their OSC teams. That’s exactly what I hoped…
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If you’re considering launching an Online Sales Counselor (OSC) program, or reviving one that’s stalled, you may be tempted by the promise of outsourcing. The idea of offloading the responsibility of nurturing your digital leads to a third-party service may sound like a time-saving solution. But here’s the hard truth: There is no easy button when it comes to creating a successful OSC program. Whether you bring your OSC in-house or contract the role out, the same requirements apply: learning your tools, your process, your product, your people, and most…
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When margins are tight, it’s tempting to look for places to cut costs. Too often, the OSC program ends up on the chopping block. On paper, removing a salary line or trimming bonuses may look like savings. In reality, it’s one of the most expensive mistakes a builder can make. An OSC isn’t just another role. They are the engine that converts costly digital traffic into real appointments and closed sales. Without them, your marketing dollars evaporate, your conversion rates sink, and the homes you thought you’d sell this year…
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Okay, I’m going to say it. Louder for the people in the back, the front, and especially for those OSCs sitting in the dark corner of the CRM, aggressively tagging every incoming lead like a kid calling dibs on Halloween candy: Just because a lead touched your pipeline doesn’t mean you are owed a bonus on it. You have to do the work. And more importantly, just because someone walked into a home for a self-guided tour or a realtor schedules through ShowingTime does not mean you should automatically get…
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Here we go again. I’ve seen it before, and I’m seeing it now. Whenever the building industry slows down, the panic button gets slapped, and out come the budget-cutting machetes. And somehow, every single time, the Marketing Department is one of the first on the chopping block. It’s like an annual ritual: Market softens? Fire up the spreadsheets, folks! Line items must be slashed. But don’t worry, let’s totally ignore the fact that those “line items” are the only thing keeping new prospects trickling in during a downturn. You know,…
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Guest Post by Greg Bray President of Blue Tangerine Founder & Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast Founder of the Home Builder Digital Marketing Summit October 18-19, 2023 in Denver Pioneering home builders have started to embrace the reality of selling homes completely online. However, buying a home online does not mean the process will be completely self-service. A new home is often the largest purchase someone will ever make, buyers will have questions along the way. Even if your company is far from embracing fully online home sales, quickly responding…
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Guest Post by Kimberly Mackey Founder of New Homes Solutions Consulting Co-Host of Sales & Marketing Power Hour National Trainer & Speaker Recently Kimberly Mackey, co-host of the Sales & Marketing Power Hour & National Speaker, posted a thread on her Facebook group asking for “Random Advice” No specific topic, just good advice. To start the ball rolling she gave us a true gem that needs to be heard by leadership, online sales, and sales people alike as well as anyone working within the building industry. Really if each person…
Guest Post: Code Cracking – Unlocking the Power of Analytics in Interactive Floor Plans
Guest Post by Stuart Platt Managing Partner Outhouse, LLC You implemented Interactive Floor Plans (IFPs) on your website months, if not years ago. Maybe you have seen a report that your IFPs are experiencing a lot of visits which is fantastic; but what else can you find out? You ask yourself, what other information can I gain from Google Analytics and how can I take advantage of this data? Depending on when you read…