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…
Read MoreLead Conversion Optimization: Lead a Horse To Water…And Make Them Drink
My previous blog post talked about developing a system to manage your leads. If you generate leads and then do not have a systematic way to deal with them, you might as well not have paid to generate the leads. Darin Persinger of Productivity Junkies has some great insights in the following video into the topic of Lead Conversion Optimization. The fact is you can’t convert a lead if you don’t have a system. But…
Read MoreLead Management: Having a System
When I tell people my business is Lead Management, sometimes I get weird looks. What is that? What do you mean lead management? Do you generate leads for clients? Lead generation and lead management are two different things. You can’t have one without the other. But if you only generate leads and you don’t manage them you might as well not bother. There are services out there, especially in the real estate realm, that will…
Read MoreA Soldier’s Silent Night: How To Get Involved During The Holidays
I love this time of year. It’s pretty to drive down night streets and see lights and colors aglow. There’s the smell of cinnamon, spice, evergreen and woodsmoke in the air. Visions of fires in the fire place and chestnuts roasting take me back to my childhood. People are a little bit nicer as you smile and chat with strangers in stores. More bells appear to mark your entrance into shops and homes. Winter scenes…
Read MoreChanukah Ham…Is It A Hoax? A Little Holiday Humor
Today I opened up facebook and was greeted by this picture one of my friends posted. Hysterical—> The tag line on it read: Dear Walmart, I think you are barking up the wrong tree. Love, The Jews. This is a true case of not knowing your audience. And hopefully striking funny bones and not stepping on toes. Being the unobservant Jew that I am, (while born Jewish, I have more Christmas lights on my house…
Read MorePay it Forward: Random Acts of Kindness and Deliberate Acts of Kindness
Hey folks did you get the invitation? It’s circulating around Facebook and it’s about Pay it Forward day. If you haven’t seen the movie it will make you cry! And then it will make you think why don’t more people do this kind of thing on a daily basis. What a better world we’d live in. I need your help paying it forward today. Every year there is a Dream Home giveaway in Hampton Roads…
Read MoreWhat Level Do You Live On?
As we wind down the year, and especially during this season of giving, not only is it a great time to take stock of how we met our goals on a business level, but also on a personal level. It’s also the time of year to be calibrating those goals for next year. It’s important to set both business goals and personal goals. But sometimes it’s hard to decide or understand the importance of what…
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