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One of the first things I ask for when I start working with a new builder has nothing to do with conversion rates, lead response times, or appointment-setting percentages. Well okay I ask for all of that stuff. But I also ask for this… I ask to see every follow-up sequence living inside their CRM. The automated emails. The texts. The videos. The call tasks. Everything. Why? Because before I can coach an Online Sales Counselor, I want to understand what the buyer is experiencing. Every email, every text message,…
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In our last blog post about One Team, One Experience I talked heavily about alignment. If the move from online to onsite is done well, it should feel natural from the buyer’s perspective. Exciting, even. The OSC should be building anticipation, not creating confusion. It should sound more like: “I’d love for you to meet my good friend; they’re going to have a much better handle on those specific house questions and help you take the next step.” That is a handoff. Not: “Here’s the appointment. Good luck.…
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I feel like I make a post about this almost every year… but spring cleaning isn’t just for closets, junk drawers, and that cup holder in your car full of receipts, hair ties, mystery crumbs, and old empty coffee cups from Starbucks. It’s for your follow-up too. Let’s be honest… somewhere in that CRM is a sales process you built with the best of intentions and then never looked at again. She’s out there. Collecting dust. Sending old emails. Possibly embarrassing you. This time of year, is the perfect excuse…
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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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We live in a business world that often rewards the illusion of perfection. You’ve seen it. Polished LinkedIn profiles, shiny headshots, carefully curated captions that make it look like everyone’s got it together all the time. (I mean check, check, check I have all those things going on!) It’s like we’re all somehow superheroes in blazers…well not me, I don’t think I own a blazer. It seems like we are dodging failure, fear, and insecurity with a winning smile and our own business taglines and philosophies. But let’s get real…
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Let’s talk about something not often discussed in professional circles, but very real for so many of us, especially those of us who seem like we’ve got it all together on the outside. High-functioning depression. It sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? Functioning. Depressed. But it’s not. Is it a clinical term? No probably not. (Well definitely not…I looked it up!) What does it mean? It means showing up to work, meeting deadlines, staying upbeat in meetings, helping others, being productive, and all the while, carrying a quiet, heavy weight…
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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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I remember the first time I used AI to help me write and organize something. It was June 2023, and I was finally thinking seriously about putting my house on the water in Virginia onto the short-term rental market. My dad and I bought this house while I was still working on wooden schooners, and it was my place to go between boat jobs. Up to this point, I was an expert at couch surfing. Later it became my peaceful retreat, and I even lived there the first year I…
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Lately, I’ve swapped my mindless Facebook scrolling for something a little more intentional, LinkedIn. Fewer ads, more inspiration, and the chance to connect with friends and colleagues in the industry. So when I came across a post from Morgan Lurz, President of Cannonball Moments, I had to stop the scroll. She wrote: “Forget work-life balance—what we truly value is what we prioritize. I’ve been knee-deep in interviews lately, and nearly every candidate brings up that elusive ‘balance.’ But here’s the truth: balance is a myth. Progress happens when we go…
Your Follow-Up Templates Have an Expiration Date
One of the first things I ask for when I start working with a new builder has nothing to do with conversion rates, lead response times, or appointment-setting percentages. Well okay I ask for all of that stuff. But I also ask for this… I ask to see every follow-up sequence living inside their CRM. The automated emails. The texts. The videos. The call tasks. Everything. Why? Because before I can coach an Online Sales…
The Handoff Should Feel Like a Warm Introduction, Not a Witness Protection Transfer
In our last blog post about One Team, One Experience I talked heavily about alignment. If the move from online to onsite is done well, it should feel natural from the buyer’s perspective. Exciting, even. The OSC should be building anticipation, not creating confusion. It should sound more like: “I’d love for you to meet my good friend; they’re going to have a much better handle on those specific house questions and help you take…
Spring Clean Your Follow-Up: 5 Things Every OSC Should Audit Right Now
I feel like I make a post about this almost every year… but spring cleaning isn’t just for closets, junk drawers, and that cup holder in your car full of receipts, hair ties, mystery crumbs, and old empty coffee cups from Starbucks. It’s for your follow-up too. Let’s be honest… somewhere in that CRM is a sales process you built with the best of intentions and then never looked at again. She’s out there. Collecting…
A New Kind of March Madness: March Is Debunking AI Month (And I’m Declaring It Official)
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…
The Ball Dropped. The Confetti Fell. And Your Leads Are Still Waiting.
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…
Vulnerability Is Not the Opposite of Strength
We live in a business world that often rewards the illusion of perfection. You’ve seen it. Polished LinkedIn profiles, shiny headshots, carefully curated captions that make it look like everyone’s got it together all the time. (I mean check, check, check I have all those things going on!) It’s like we’re all somehow superheroes in blazers…well not me, I don’t think I own a blazer. It seems like we are dodging failure, fear, and insecurity…
High-Functioning Depression: Pushing Through with Grace
Let’s talk about something not often discussed in professional circles, but very real for so many of us, especially those of us who seem like we’ve got it all together on the outside. High-functioning depression. It sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? Functioning. Depressed. But it’s not. Is it a clinical term? No probably not. (Well definitely not…I looked it up!) What does it mean? It means showing up to work, meeting deadlines, staying upbeat…
Stop Hoarding, Start Helping: Why Being an OSC Is More Than Just Racking Up Bonus Bucks
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…
Fiddler’s Green, My First Dance with AI, and Why You Still Need Your Own Voice
I remember the first time I used AI to help me write and organize something. It was June 2023, and I was finally thinking seriously about putting my house on the water in Virginia onto the short-term rental market. My dad and I bought this house while I was still working on wooden schooners, and it was my place to go between boat jobs. Up to this point, I was an expert at couch surfing.…
We Value What We Prioritize: Rethinking Balance and Growth
Lately, I’ve swapped my mindless Facebook scrolling for something a little more intentional, LinkedIn. Fewer ads, more inspiration, and the chance to connect with friends and colleagues in the industry. So when I came across a post from Morgan Lurz, President of Cannonball Moments, I had to stop the scroll. She wrote: “Forget work-life balance—what we truly value is what we prioritize. I’ve been knee-deep in interviews lately, and nearly every candidate brings up that…