Let’s get this out of the way right now: I am not a CRM implementation expert. My job is to train and strategize with Online Sales Counselors (OSCs) and companies to help them thrive in their roles and their adoption of the CRM across all departments. It’s important for the marketing, sales, and online salespeople to all be rowing in the same direction when it comes to big tools like the CRM. I’ll give you the ideas and the parameters, but I leave the nitty-gritty of CRM setup to the techies and specialists. What I do know is what a CRM should be able to do for you as an OSC in the homebuilding industry. It’s up to you to become the expert on the platform your company uses. And let’s be honest—often OSCs end up being the CRM experts in their companies. So, roll up your sleeves, dive in, and figure it out. Here’s the good news: there are resources everywhere. Your CRM likely has a support team, a knowledge base, and (bless the internet gods) YouTube. You can Google just about anything these days. Or—and here’s a crazy idea—you can play with it. Tinker, explore, and press all…
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The Rule of 3’s with a New Online Sales Counselor Program and Seasoned Agents
Adopting a new online sales counselor program can be like adopting a rescue dog. Not that the OSC is the rescue, the site sales agents are. Okay, okay, okay hear me out… I just recently started up a brand new full-time online sales program for a new home builder. For 8 years previously they had a part-time online sales counselor, and the program was not structured for optimum results. Tracking was off, the role was…
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Debunking 5 Myths About Online Sales
As someone who started out in an online sales role for builders near the very early times (I like to call it back in the Stone Age) It’s time to debunk some myths about the online sales role. Myth #1 OSCs have only been around for about 10 years or so – While I started in the role back in 2007 which is 15 years ago, there were OSCs as far back as at least…
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Bridging the Gap Between Digital Marketing and Your Online Sales Team
Online Sales can’t happen in a bubble. There are two areas where an online sales counselor does not have control of the customer journey and the sales process. The first is at the very start which is generating the leads. The last is at the very end which is closing the deal. This is why I often say online sales is the crossroads between marketing and sales. When implementing an online sales program the most…
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What Does No Lead Left Behind Really Mean?
While the online sales program has evolved a lot over the past 20 years since it first started to show up as a position for new home builders, there are some things that remain the same. Though we have gotten away from some of these things over the last couple of years. It’s time for a few reminders. Remember, the online sales counselor is NOT a secretary, and their true role is to develop the…
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Why Training Isn’t an Option No Matter Who You Are
Back in my college and immediate post college days I was a bartender. I actually fell back on bartending on and off for 15 years as I traveled around the world. I had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings from nightclubs to restaurants, to pubs, to bars, to comedy clubs… I even worked on the party boats out of Boston Harbor and casinos in Las Vegas. I knew how to make drinks.…
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Sharpen Your Skills and Stay on Top of Changes in the Market
As the market normalizes and it takes more effort to make a sale, it’s more important than ever before to be on top of your game. For OSCs this means working on your phone skills, your follow-up skills, your database prospecting, your metrics, and your overall re-commitment to the duties of an OSC. What are we talking about when we say Phone Skills? Well, up until recently anyone and everyone was banging down the door…
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