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October is here, which means we are officially entering the last quarter of the year. And I think this is a really important time to ask ourselves a question: What are we going to do with the next 90 days? There is a lot of uncertainty in our industry right now. Interest rates, affordability, consumer confidence, traffic and the economy are all creating questions about what the rest of this year will look like and what we can expect when we head into the spring selling season. We can’t control…
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Why an AI Tool Isn’t the Same as an AI Strategy AI is everywhere in new home sales right now. Chatbots, automated follow-up, texting, dialers, lead nurturing, appointment setting. There are some incredible tools available, and I am certainly not anti-AI. Used correctly, AI can help us respond faster, manage more opportunities and take some of the repetitive work off our plates. But buying an AI tool is not the same thing as having an AI strategy. You don’t just buy it, unbox it, plug it into your website or…
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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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Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of joining an NAHB Shop Talk with a title so good I figured it deserved a blog post of its own: One Team, One Experience: Turning Spring Traffic into Sales. When a topic is this relevant, this timely, and this painfully familiar to anyone in home building, you don’t just leave it neatly tucked inside a one-hour conversation. You bring it back out, dust it off, and say, “Alright, let’s talk about what this really means.” The discussion was moderated by Kelly Fink,…
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Every year I walk into the International Builders’ Show with the same challenge. There is simply too much good content. IBS is one of the few places where you can find yourself staring at your schedule thinking, “I want to be in three different rooms at the same time.” Between sales, marketing, technology, leadership, and customer experience sessions, there is always more to learn than any one person can realistically absorb in three days. That’s honestly part of why I keep coming back. This year is no exception. I’m especially…
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It’s finally here! My new book, Attract, Engage, Convert is now available on Amazon and I couldn’t be more excited! This book is for builders, OSCs, marketing teams, sales leaders, and anyone trying to make sense of what really works and how to set up a successful OSC program. It’s built from nearly two decades in the trenches, helping builders and OSCs create meaningful, intentional online sales programs. And it was a labor of love. Even better, builders are already buying copies for their OSC teams. That’s exactly what I hoped…
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If you’re considering launching an Online Sales Counselor (OSC) program, or reviving one that’s stalled, you may be tempted by the promise of outsourcing. The idea of offloading the responsibility of nurturing your digital leads to a third-party service may sound like a time-saving solution. But here’s the hard truth: There is no easy button when it comes to creating a successful OSC program. Whether you bring your OSC in-house or contract the role out, the same requirements apply: learning your tools, your process, your product, your people, and most…
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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 thought you’d sell this year…
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When it comes to building homes, every builder knows the phrase cost of doing business. But what’s less often discussed is the cost of not doing business the right way. Especially when it comes to your Online Sales Counselor (OSC) program. Profit Margins in Homebuilding According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the average net profit margin for builders was 7.0% in 2020 and rose to 8.7% in 2023, the highest in more than three decades. Public builders (like D.R. Horton, Pulte, Toll Brothers) often report consolidated net…
Did You Miss The Powerhouse Panel on Power Hour?
I had the pleasure of participating in the New Home Sales & Marketing Power Hour: Annual Lasso Round-up Webinar with several amazing industry experts. It was such great energy and advice going into 2022 on how to ramp up your marketing and sales in the new home building industry as well as how to shape your company culture, and be the best you can possibly be. You can’t ask for a better group that included…
Making Your Online Sales Plan for 2022?
If you are planning for 2022 and would like to get some feedback and ideas did you know I’m here to help? There are options to book some time with me whether you are a past, present, or future client or just want to brainstorm some ideas and get to know each other. I’ve recently made it easier than ever before to grab a quick 15-minute encounter, a 30-minute virtual cup of coffee, a complementary…
Online Sales Counselor Recognition – National Silver Winners
Being an online sales counselor is hard work. They are the unsung heroes and vital team members in lead development and conversion. And the thing about these unicorns is that one of the things that makes them so successful is that they usually are not one to brag about themselves. While online sales counselors are often the face of the websites, much of what they do happens behind the scenes and they almost always like…
Thanksgiving Shouldn’t Just be One Day a Year
Every year around Thanksgiving, people begin to do their various exercises in “thanks and giving.” They either start with something they are thankful for at the beginning of the month and do a daily “thanks.” Or they pour their heart out (On social media) the day of Thanksgiving. I believe that it’s important to start every day with intention and being thankful. Putting positive energy out in the world and shining your light on people.…
What Happens When You Rush the Process?
Sometimes in our need for speed, we lose sight of some of the basics. While it’s true that an OSC’s role has always been about appointment setting and getting people in front of the site agents there are several factors that must be addressed. Appointments Need to be Strong – the whole point of filtering all the digital leads to the OSC is to make sure to find out what people really want. There’s a…
Frequently Asked Questions About Online Sales Programs
There are many questions I get when we are looking at starting or evaluating an existing program, especially when it comes to hiring an OSC and setting them up for success. Frequently asked questions: Can’t we just move an agent from sales to online sales or hire a seasoned realtor? The answer is sometimes. Not all sales agents, or realtors for that matter, will want to do the ongoing repetitive task handling that is part…
Blue Gypsy Inc. 11 Years, 11 Months
My LinkedIn says I joined Blue Gypsy Inc. 11 years, 11 months ago. This December Blue Gypsy Inc will turn 12 years old! And just like any tween my business has gone through a variety of transformations over the past 12 years as I’ve found my passion and Blue Gypsy Inc.’s purpose. I remember when I passed a major milestone of having been in the building industry longer than the number of years I traveled.…
Has Follow Up Improved From Last Year? Our Results Are In…
In the 2nd Annual Homebuyer Mystery Shop Blue Gypsy, Inc. got together with Melinda Brody & Company and Denim Marketing to shop 50 new home builders across the country. We looked at national, regional, and local builders and spent 30 days tracking the follow-up a customer would receive if they submitted an inquiry with their name, phone number, and a question. As usual, we looked at speed of follow-up, frequency, and diversity of touch points.…
It’s Almost Halloween…
It’s almost Halloween and sometimes OSCs have some spooktacular stories to tell. Maybe you can sell a house just because they see the ghost of a past loved one… When a potential client reaches out to inform you that her deceased mother can be seen as a ghost in one of your new construction homes, it becomes apparent that the role of an OSC is not only to sell appointments, but to guide people to…
Transformation: Don’t Miss the Women in Residential Construction Virtual Event
I’m excited to participate as a roundtable speaker in this year’s Women in Residential Construction’s live online event. The 2-day conference will take place on October 27-29th. This marks the 7th annual event for the organization. I’ve had the good fortune to attend this event in person and virtually over the past couple of years and it never disappoints. It’s always packed with inspirational speakers, idea generation, and sisterhood. The online version is a way…