Hiring an Online Sales Counselor (OSC) is like finding a unicorn that can juggle fire while smiling at strangers and analyzing a spreadsheet—all at the same time. No one person is going to nail every skill on the wishlist: people skills, task management, analytical thinking, adaptability, emotional stability, and the drive to perform. That’s why tools like the DiSC assessment can be incredibly helpful—not as a crystal ball, but as a flashlight to illuminate learning styles, communication patterns, and potential red flags. Over the years,…
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How Dog Rescue Keeps Me Sharp for Online Sales Training
I have worked in the world of online sales since 2007. After a year of working on a new home site as a site assistant, I began working in the office for a new home builder, as their Online Sales Counselor (OSC). It was a relatively new role at the time, and I invented it from the ground up, showing successful metrics out of the gate. For 7 years I worked as an OSC before…
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Building the Bridge Between Online Sales and Marketing
While your online sales counselor should not be the same person in charge of your marketing, there are many reasons why these two departments within a new home builder’s office should collaborate. It may seem fairly obvious that the marketing department’s job is to create awareness, drive traffic to the website, and generate leads. Just as important, the online sales counselor’s position is there to field these leads, build rapport, and set appointments that assist…
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What is Your New Home Sales Strategy for 2019?
As the real estate market cools, interest prices on the rise, and competition becomes more stiff there are several things that new home builders will need to do to stay on top of their game. One of the most important elements will be implementing or fine tuning their online sales programs. Having a dedicated Online Sales Counselor, who is there on the front lines, answering phones and emails quickly is the key to beginning successful…
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20 Blind Men, An Elephant, and Your 360 Degree Evaluation
Have you heard that old parable about putting 20 blind people in a room with an elephant? Each person has a different experience with the elephant. The first leans against it feeling a sturdy wall. The second feels the tip of a tusk and believes it to be a spear. The next feels the trunk and thinks he has a snake in his hands. Yet another feels the substantial leg and mistakes it for a…
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Follow Up – How Many Times Should You Contact a Lead
Follow Up. The other day in one of the professional groups I belong to on Facebook I saw someone lamenting the fact that prospects were not returning his emails. He asked, “How long do you follow up before you just feel like you are being a pain?” I was astounded by the answers given by these professional social media people. The answers ranged from “one and done” to “You’ve done your job to follow up…
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Is Your Inbox Getting You Down?
Last week I was on a mission. I wanted to clear my personal inbox of all the useless crap, spam, and subscriptions I get on a daily basis. Do you have this problem where you can walk away from your email for a day or two and when you open it back up your eyes cross with the 272 emails you have in there waiting for you to moderate? I couldn’t look at anything anymore.…
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