-
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…
-
Recently, a seasoned OSC reached out to me because she knows I do mystery shops. She also knows about the Annual Mystery Shop Report we conduct every year to get a pulse on the state of the industry when it comes to customer experience and the customer journey. She had been mystery shopped. On a Saturday. Her day off. Actually, it was the beginning of a four-day weekend for her. And as a solo OSC, she needs to take time off. Gone are the days when we should expect an…
-
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…
-
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…
Free Webinar – Selling in a Time of Uncertainty: Part 7 What’s Trending – Inspiration and Spring Cleanup
Register Here! Free Webinar – Selling in a Time of Uncertainty: Part 7 What’s Trending – Inspiration and Spring Cleanup Friday May 1, 1pm ET (11am MT) May Day, May Day – No our ship is not sinking, we are hosting our next free webinar on a day traditionally celebrating the change in season. It may have felt that the months of March and April had 157 days, but as states start opening up and…
Buyers Expectations Moving Forward – Choose Your Own Adventure
In episode 6 of our webinar I talked about Buyer’s Expectations moving forward. If you are more of a reader vs. a webinar listener this is the gist of what I talked about. I think that some things are going to be permanent changes in the way a buyer shops for a new home. It’s kind of like a buffet. Some people never thought twice about going to a buffet and touching all the utensils…
WEBINAR Part 6: Selling in a Time of Uncertainty: Pave The Road to Recovery
Register Here! Free Webinar: Selling in a Time of Uncertainty Friday April 24, 1pm ET (11am MT) Six weeks ago, we started on this path of discovery with our friends, colleagues, clients, and industry professionals to lend ideas and insights and provide a forum for feedback for builders of all sizes across the country during these unusual times. The interest is positive and overwhelming – and we will continue to provide support, actionable ideas and…
Finding the Bright Spots in the Darkness
If you weren’t in the mood to listen to our entire webinar part 5: Here were some of my main takeaways that you can internalize or not. Hey, I’m all about Energy and finding the bright spots in the darkness. I feel like so many people are coming together to help each other in our industry. In our communities. And our friends. My days are booked up with free consultations and talking with people from…
Webinars: Selling in a Time Of Uncertainty – Part 5: Energy, Optimism, and Action
We are continuing our FREE webinar series “Selling in a Time of Uncertainty.” In Part 5 myself, Carol Morgan Founder of Denim Marketing, and Kimberly Mackey Founder of New Homes Solutions will talk about Energy, Optimism, and Action. Register Here. Panelists: Carol Morgan, Founder, and President of Denim Marketing Leah Kaiz Fellows, Founder and Online Sales Counselor Trainer of Blue Gypsy, Inc. Kimberly Mackey, Founder, and Sales & Marketing Management Consultant of New Homes Solutions…
Chart Your Course – Set Up Your Online Sales Counselor Foundation
Here are some of my highlights from our 4th Webinar during COVID-19. Now is the time to set up your online sales foundation if it doesn’t already exist, or refine and review your current process. Those are important in charting your course forward. I’m just going to talk for a minute about my personal philosophy. There are two courses you can take when things go wrong and you feel out of control. You can retract…
Selling in A Time Of Uncertainty Webinars
Over the past couple of weeks, life seems to be continually changing in the building industry. I’ve had the good fortune to have amazing industry friends who have pulled together to provide ideas and information during these unprecedented times. Myself, Carol Morgan, Founder, and President of Denim Marketing, Kimberly Mackey, Founder, and Sales & Marketing Management Consultant of New Homes Solutions Consulting, and MODERATOR: Kelly Ann Zuccarelli, SVP, National Builder, Renovation & Condo Program Manager…
Is This Our New Normal?
Check out our free webinar part 3 or if you don’t want to watch everything here is my recap and highlights pertaining to Online Sales Counselors for builders. There’s Nothing Too New About This Normal While for so many, I know this seems like a new normal, but it’s really been the direction new home sales has been going in for a while. From the standpoint of online sales, we’ve been working from home and…
In New Home Sales, Where Does the Buyer’s Journey Begin?
When I started working as an online sales counselor, we though only 70% of people began their search for a new home online. Back then, in the ancient times of the early 2000’s it was almost as if your website was just a billboard on this new-fangled internet. (do you even know what a billboard is… I mean now they display the current jackpot amounts for Mega Millions and Powerball…) But before we honestly used…
Why Your Online Sales Program Isn’t Working
As an online sales trainer I’ve shopped builders’ websites who indicate that they have an Online Sales Counselor (OSC) and I’m often surprised at the results. I provide information on what I’m interested in, an email and a phone number hoping to take a look at their follow up. You know what I get instead? Crickets. In the majority of these shops I do not get a call in 5 minutes or less, and I…