website design

Podcast: Kevin, Greg and I Chat About the Importance of Online Sales

October 13, 2020

Have you heard of The Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast? Kevin Weizel at Outhouse – amazing interactive floor plans, digital renderings, and virtual tours for builders and Greg Bray at Blue Tangerine – incredible websites and marketing for new home builders, joined forces to bring you a great industry podcast chalked full of important information along with guests who can bring you insights into every aspect of the home building industry. It was a pleasure…

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Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations of the OSC and the Online Sales Counselor Program

October 8, 2020

Recently I needed to write up a detailed description for a client of the roles, responsibilities and expectation of the OSC. While this company already had an OSC program previously it wasn’t set up for optimum sales.  It’s important to understand what an OSC is supposed to do – like make the appointment. And not set unrealistic expectations like – every lead will be wrapped up in a bow and ready to write so your…

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Eat That Frog – Time Blocking for Online Sales Counselor Success

September 17, 2020

The other day I was in a mentoring session with one of my new trainees. She’s fantastic! She is a sponge and absorbs everything I teach her.  She has been thrown into a very busy OSC program with lots of leads being generated. Already we are realizing that we are at 50 leads per week which really means we need a 2nd OSC. But I digress. One of the hardest things about an OSC’s job…

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homebuyer mystery shop landing page header

The Results Are In! Is Follow Up Your Weakest Link?

September 14, 2020

  Blue Gypsy Inc. Partnered with Melinda Brody & Company and Denim marketing to shop 50 new home builders across the country. We spent 30 days tracking the follow up processes and examined speed, frequency of messaging and diversity of touch points. The results will shock you. Or maybe not. In our mystery shop we noted the follow-up behaviors of the group as a whole, as well as looking at those who did have online…

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2020 Vision: It’s a Game Changer – Webinar September 11

September 9, 2020

Is your follow up your weakest link? I’m a guest this week on the 2020 Vision: It’s a Game Changer series – by Kimberly Mackey Founder and consultant at New Homes Solutions Consulting and Carol Morgan Founder of Denim Marketing.  Myself, and Ben Marks – President of Melinda Brody & Company – in conjunction with Denim Marketing recently completed putting together the results from a 3o day mystery shop of 50 builders across the country!…

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Video about Live Chat

Quick Tip Tuesday Video – How To Optimize Live Chat

September 8, 2020

Today’s Quick Tip for Online Sales Programs in the Building Industry is about Live Chat. If you are going to have your OSC utilize Live Chat you need to make sure these 3 things are happening. I’ve always been on the fence about live chat because all too often I’ve seen this become a band-aid for a true online sales counselor program. If you only tend to your live chat leads you spend most of…

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Don't Burn Out Your OSC

Don’t Burn Out Your Online Sales Counselor

August 31, 2020

Look, I’ve been doing this since 2007. Back when I began as an OSC we did not have the same kind of marketing and lead generation as we do now. I worked for a builder that sold about 350 or more homes per year, and back then we said if an OSC was doing 20-25% of overall sales for the company they were doing a great job. As a producer hitting 32% of overall sales…

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What's happening in September

What’s Happening: Events in September

August 27, 2020

September is always a busy time of the year! But lots of conferences, summits, webinars and podcasts have recently been released or are coming soon in the month of September, which is always great for learning and industry education. I’m lucky enough to participate in some of them! Now through the end of the year,  SEBC  –  This year the Southeast Building Conference went virtual and has all their education available through the end of…

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CRM Customer Relationship Management for new home builders

CRM – Should it Integrate with Your New Home Builder Software?

August 18, 2020

So, I get this question a lot! Or I get this statement… “We don’t want to change CRM’s because it integrates with our contract writing, purchasing, building etc… software we already have.” Here’s the thing.  Some of the companies tack on an inferior Customer Relationship Management tool, (CRM) so that you will utilize their entire system. They think this is a value add. It’s not that they mean for it to be inferior. At least…

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Quick Tip Tuesday Video – The Value Of Video Emails in Online Sales Programs

August 11, 2020

Today’s Quick Tip for Online Sales Programs in the Building Industry is about Video Email. Video email is a MUST when it comes to the online sales counselor role. According to 2020 marketing statistics compiled by SNOVio Labs, an initial email with a video receives a click through rate increase of 96%. Using the word video increases the open rates 19%. When we use video email we cut down unsubscribes by 26%. This is not…

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