-
Over the years, I’ve worked with home builders who have invested significant time, money, and resources into developing their Online Sales Counselor (OSC) programs. They’ve hired talented people, invested in CRM systems, provided training, and established performance goals. But somewhere along the way, something happens. The OSC program stops being actively managed and starts being measured. How many leads came in this month? How many appointments were set? How many sales came from online leads? What’s the conversion rate? Don’t get me wrong. Those numbers matter. I’m a big believer…
-
Over the years, I’ve worked with home builders of all sizes, helping them build, train, and grow their Online Sales Counselor (OSC) programs. And one thing I’ve learned is that even the best OSCs need more than great training to be successful. They need ongoing coaching, leadership, accountability, and someone who truly understands their unique role. But here’s the challenge. Who is managing your OSC program? In many homebuilding companies, that responsibility falls on the VP of Sales, Director of Sales, or another member of the leadership team who already…
-
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…
-
The Builder Marketing Summit has wrapped up for another year, and after two fast and furious days in Dallas, I walked away energized, full of ideas and, as always, wishing there had been just a little more time to talk with everyone. This was my fourth year joining Greg Bray of Blue Tangerine and Kevin Weitzel of Outhouse for the Summit, where they once again gave me free rein to lead the Online Sales Counselor track. That opportunity means a lot to me because there simply aren’t many industry events…
-
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…
-
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,…
-
“Everyone knows something you don’t… learn from them.” It’s a simple phrase, but one that’s resonated with me for decades. I’m not even sure where I first heard it, but it’s become part of who I am and how I approach life. Long before Blue Gypsy. Long before I was speaking at conferences or teaching classes. Before I ever became an Online Sales Counselor. It’s a mindset I’ve carried with me from experience to experience…country to country. I learned it years ago while traveling the world. Every place I visited…
-
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.…
-
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,…
-
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…
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…
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…
The Whole Human Approach: Redefining Leadership and Employee Integration
As leaders, we often focus on the mechanics of hiring—finding the right fit for the role, checking off qualifications, and onboarding employees with the tools they need to succeed. But in our drive to build productive teams, we sometimes overlook a fundamental truth: when you hire someone, you are hiring a whole human. This means embracing their unique personality, experiences, and ways of processing the world, not just their ability to fulfill the job description.…
A Thanksgiving Message from Blue Gypsy Inc.: Embracing Abundance, Gratitude, and Connection
Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away. It’s a good time to remember the importance of gratitude—not just for the food and fun… and hopefully days off, but for the people who make our journey meaningful. At Blue Gypsy Inc., Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the abundance in our lives: the opportunities we’ve embraced, the challenges that have made us stronger, and the partnerships that continue to inspire us. Gratitude is at…
Why Company Culture Matters in the Home Building Industry: Creating Positive Energy in Uncertain Times
Lately, my phone has been ringing a lot more than usual. Messages, calls, and even LinkedIn pings from Online Sales Counselors (OSCs) some I’ve worked with in the past —and even more I’ve never met—are coming in. The topic? New opportunities. Many are reaching out because they’re feeling stuck, undervalued, or frustrated within their current companies. Some are in environments clouded by uncertainty due to layoffs or organizational changes. It’s a reminder of just how…
Two Common Mistakes in Setting Up Effective OSC Programs – And How to Avoid Them
In today’s competitive home building market, setting up an Online Sales Counselor (OSC) program that truly drives results is essential. However, time and time again, I see companies making key mistakes that limit their OSCs’ ability to build rapport with potential buyers and, ultimately, secure stronger appointments that will convert to sales. These errors often stem from unrealistic expectations around follow-up times and interaction quality, undermining what could be a highly effective lead engagement strategy.…
Meeting Buyers Where They Are: The OSC’s Key to Connection
In today’s world, where we’re all bombarded with information from every direction, it’s more important than ever for Online Sales Counselors (OSCs) to be adaptable, quick, and personal when reaching out to prospective buyers. This means we need to get creative and offer diverse ways to connect that cater to the buyer’s preferences—whether that’s via phone, email, text, or video email. But here’s the trick: we need to let go of our own biases…
The Right Way to Handle Online Sales Leads: A Tale of Two Companies
I recently heard about a company whose Online Sales Counselors (OSCs) were instructed to stop following up with leads after just 15 days of no response. That’s right, if a lead didn’t respond within two weeks, it was essentially treated as dead, or it was moved over to a broad marketing drip with no further personal outreach. I have to say, that’s absolutely insane! When I heard this, I couldn’t believe it. Abandoning leads after…
Conferences: Turning Great Ideas into Action
Hey everyone, it’s Leah here from Blue Gypsy Inc.! I wanted to take a moment to talk about something that’s been on my mind since I got back from the Women in Residential and Commercial Construction conference in Arizona. I had the honor of leading a roundtable on Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience, and let me tell you—it was an incredible experience engaging with builders, remodelers, and other industry professionals who are as passionate about…
The Power of Cross Training: Harmonizing Online and Onsite Sales for a Seamless Customer Experience
In the fast-paced world of home sales, the harmony between online and onsite sales can be likened to a well-tuned orchestra. When each section knows its part and plays in sync, the result is a beautiful symphony that resonates with potential buyers. Cross-training between online sales, and onsite sales ensures that everyone is singing from the same sheet of music, leading to better teamwork, seamless handoffs, and ultimately, more sales. Understanding the Roles: Building a…