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…
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How Does Your Follow-Up Stack Up? The 5th Annual Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report Is Here
Online leads are one of the most valuable sources of opportunity for home builders—but only if they’re handled well. In today’s competitive market, buyers expect timely, personalized, and consistent communication. So, the big question is: How well are builders actually doing when it comes to online follow-up? That’s exactly what the 5th Annual Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report set out to uncover. Conducted by Blue Gypsy Inc., in partnership with Melinda Brody & Company and…
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What DiSC Can (and Can’t) Tell You About Finding a Great OSC
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…
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Spring Selling Season Means Spring Hiring Season
Ahhh spring. That magical time of year when the birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and home builders suddenly realize… they needed an OSC yesterday. Let’s be real—when the spring selling season ramps up, it’s like someone flipped a switch. The leads are pouring in, the phones are ringing, and suddenly, builders everywhere have a lightbulb moment: “We need an Online Sales Counselor!” …To which I say, “No kidding. And let me guess—you wanted…
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IBS 2025: What Happened in Vegas Is Too Good Not to Share
IBS 2025, you did not disappoint. I’m still riding the high from three jam-packed days of innovation, connection, and let’s be honest… sensory overload in the best way possible. Vegas was buzzing (and not just from the slot machines). Builders, marketers, sales pros, tech wizards—you name it—came together to share the latest and greatest in the home building industry. You know how they say, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”? Yeah, no. Not this…
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Unlocking CRM Potential: What to Look for and Why
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…
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Blue Gypsy Inc. Turns 15: Reflections, Realizations, and a Look Ahead
Time flies when you’re building dreams—and helping others do the same! As I sit down to reflect on Blue Gypsy Inc.’s 15th anniversary, I can’t help but chuckle at how this milestone snuck up on me, much like that epiphany I had years ago in South Africa. I was a dive instructor in Sodwana Bay, gearing up to celebrate my 33rd birthday with friends, when it hit me: I wasn’t beginning my 33rd year on…
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