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Gambling is well embedded in our lives. Most states have lotteries. Most of us have gaming casinos close to where we live. We have online gambling. We have off site betting. Office pools cover most sports. And of course…the ultimate mecca for gambling – Las Vegas!
There are arguments for and against gambling. It is a fun experience if it isn’t abused. And oh that dream of the big jackpot. Who would not want to buy their own island and fly there in your own private jet? Might as well dream big.
Unfortunately, we mortals also gamble on the wrong things. I think each of us can recall a certain situation or incident in our lives where we rolled the dice and hoped for the best. Some times it works…sometimes it comes up craps. That’s life.
But can we afford to gamble in our sales centers? Can we rely on the homes to sell themselves? While these may seem like silly questions, too often it appears that is what is happening.With the change in our market over the last few years I am amazed that we still have so many underperforming agents in our sales centers. How can any company gamble with mediocrity or worse? This is one bet that never should be placed.
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Understandably budgets have been tight and management has been stretched very thin to do the things that will insure solid performance in their sales centers – mystery shops and sales agent training.
But how can we gamble on the huge investment of time and money it takes to bring a product to market and not invest in your financial life line…your agents? If you do not have solid performance from your sales team, you will not successfully move product.
Likewise too many agents roll the dice when prospective buyers visit their sales centers. Too many times we have encountered agents who are there just to answer questions with the hopes the buyer will return to purchase at a later date. If all it takes to sell homes is someone to just answer questions, we could automate the process with a touch screen computer! Assuming someone will return after they have seen your models will only insure your competition has the winning hand…with your prospective buyers as the jackpot. Effective selling requires having the basics in place, having an understanding of the sales process, and then redefining how you sell to today’s buyer. Change…it is a constant in our lives.
So if you are going to bet on anything…bet on a sure thing. That means investing in your sales team. Sales agent evaluations are the baseline tool to help you come up with the winning hand. Give us a call!
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When markets were stronger, many sales agents squandered their rent vs. own opportunities. They only sold price appreciation versus the rat-hole of rent receipts.
But, wait! There are many more advantages. Even if the market faces a slight dip, or a flat spell, there’s a compelling case to own.
15 Ownership Advantages
1. Want to paint a feature wall Chinese Red? You need a weekend, a gallon of Behr and some patience. You do NOT need anyone’s permission. Then, if YOU don’t like it, you don’t need to fess up and ask for permission to change to black!
2. Want to get a new pet? That’s between YOU and maybe the County. Goats and boas may be a challenge, but there’s no landlord who hates cats, or who was once bitten by a dog. You can add or change pets, subject to reasonable limitations of your common interest development’s bylaws.
3. YOU and the building department decide if it’s OK to combine rooms, knock down a partition wall, add windows, or change the carpet to engineered wood flooring.
4. And, come on!! How many rentals ever use the good stuff, the high end appliances or the deeper carpet? Maybe you don’t want these now, or cannot afford them yet, but the choice is YOURS. When, if and whether.
5. Still have a waterbed or a 400 gallon aquarium? It goes wherever YOU choose.
6. Looking to display all your little prints? YOU decide where and when (not if) to put holes in the walls.
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7. YOU decide who has a door key, when or if to change the locks and when ANYONE gets access.
8. YOU decide when or if you will have guests.
9. YOU decide if they stay overnight, or for the school year, or forever. Again, it’s YOUR decision.
10. YOU do not worry about being evicted because the Landlord wants to move her son in.
11. YOU don’t get caught up in someone else’s divorce proceedings, and are forced to move because one of the owners now needs your home.
12. YOU never get caught by the old “insurance inspection” excuse which landlords still believe fakes you out!! We know this is more often a listing inspection preparing the home to be sold.
13. So long as YOU pay YOUR mortgage, YOU decide when or if you move. Many of us have seen renters evicted…NOT for non-payment of the rent, but because the landlord defaulted on the loan. The bank, the receiver, a judge or the new owners decide when tenants leave. And, don’t we know it is seldom with much notice, seldom on a weekend or at a convenient time!
14. And moving out on someone else’s timetable may well mean YOU pay more professional moving expense, more utility deposits, and disruption to YOUR school schedules, YOUR dental appointments, YOUR planned vacations, YOUR family reunion, etc.
15. NOW, only now, start the economic analysis. 15. NOW, only now, start the economic analysis. What if values dip 3% more?
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After tax what’s my “net?” And what would it be if I only rented? What if values increase by 3%...how am I doing?And, ke the most advantage of homeownership, buy a NEW home knowing that there is a warranty, and someone to answer the customer care line. Homes are better built, more energy efficient, and probably with more new community facilities. No lead based paint. No asbestos. No lead in the pipes. Wired for all the latest technology. Windows are not painted shut. Better snow-load or seismic protection.
It’s all about choice and controlling more of your life. Owners have more choices that impact their sanity and their household’s stability… not just their wealth. And when they own, they can better plan and manage several NON-housing expenses.
Help your prospects…and those that SHOULD be…to
Choose control.
Choose ownership.
Dave Harding is President of HARDintelligence.com a sales training resource for homebuilders and other housing stakeholders nationwide. He is the NAHB Sales Manager of the Year 2004 and a member of Who’s Who-- the Industry’s Finest. Dave teaches several courses on housing and sustainable community development at UC Irvine and is on the Advisory Board for entrepreneurship-focused programming at Chapman College. He can be reached at 949.315.5890 or HARD@HARDintelligence.com. See www.thehardintelligence.blogspot.com or http://www.linkedin.com/in/hardharding
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As a conversation is an activity that needs to involve more than one participant, I thought I would start a conversation in this newsletter and see where it goes. A while back I posted a general question on the discussion pages of my LinkedIn Groups. Below is a sampling of responses. If you would like to respond with your ‘two cents’, send me an email - Mary@mleblanc.com and we will see if we can start a conversation!
QUESTION:
Does the traditional Critical Path sales strategy still work in today's selling market? If not, what top 3 essentials must be included in a successful sales presentation?"
RESPONSES:
Jeff Shore
CEO at Shore Forrest Sales Strategies
Great question, Mary. In my humble opinion, the sales conversation cannot be placed in so tidy a box. Every sale is as different as every prospect and every salesperson. While the Critical Path gives the sales rep some idea of where they might want to take the conversation, it will backfire if the customer has some other agenda in mind!
3 essentials?
1) Discovery of the "why" being more important than discovery of the "what". Too many salespeople are all about what the customer wants, but little about why they want it.
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2) Leadership. Salespeople must take the lead in setting the agenda and driving towards the close with a purpose. The idea of just providing information and waiting for the customer to decide is bogus.
3) Process-oriented closing. We've got to stop thinking of "the close" as that one big question at the end of the discussion. The final close should be the culmination of a series of closing moments throughout the presentation.
Zeev Gur
Global Account Director at Corporate Visions, Inc.
1) Tell a story - do not do a data dump
2) Deliver your story with passion and confidence
3) Deliver a remarkable and compelling experience - where the customer is the central character of your story
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Jason Dolker
VP of Marketing, Groundswell
Agree with all the points you have made. The best sales people will learn about the type of buyer they are working with and create a buying roadmap that makes sense to the buyer addressing their needs while gaining gradual commitment to the sale along the way.
1) Listen - We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. The more you want to learn about the buyer the better you can address their questions and match the product to their needs. Great sales people ask great questions.
2) Trusted Advisor - I have always trained my sales teams to look at their role as a trusted advisor. You are not there to sell, you are there to help people make the best buying decision and dare I say it, it is okay at times to tell the customer this is not the right fit for you but to go check out project "x" or "y".
3) Insight - I believe the role of the sales person is changing. This is being driven by the availability of information online (example, Redfin). When the buyer walks through the door they already know almost everything about the product, hopefully not more than the salesperson (that's another topic). What value is the sales person adding to the process? This can often be in the form of insight. It's the stuff the average customer can not find online and that only years of experience can bring. This will gain respect and trust of the buyer.
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- SEEING IS BELIEVING. Eliminate the doubt. No matter what the market conditions may be, a community’s success ultimately relies on the quality of the sales agents. Video Profiles from LeBlanc & Associates capture each agent’s sales presentation, the good and the not-so-good, through the eyes of the buyer.
- TRAINING. Using a Video Profile from LeBlanc & Associates of you best agent(s) demonstrates what you expect from the rest of the sales team. What better way can an agent learn than from the best of their peers? The training aspect is then reinforced with our self-evaluation guide.
- TECHNICALLY SPEAKING. To maintain the highest quality of final product, all our work is done in-house. Our clients receive two DVDs of each sales encounter and have the option of either a fully processed or non-processed format.
- QUALITY. LeBlanc & Associates is established as the premiere company for sales agent evaluations. Our business is your business . . . new home sales. Our high level of training for our field techs provides the best capture rate of your agents. We know you are paying to see your agents – not the walls and windows of your sales office.
- WHY LEBLANC & ASSOCIATES? Have you tried the rest and found ill prepared field personnel? Have you seen more walls than agents? Do ceiling shots make you dizzy?
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- THEN BE PREPARED FOR THE BEST. GIVE US A CALL!
- LeBlanc & Associates
- 800.838.1779
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The Viewer
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How good are your agents?
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LeBlanc & Associates now provides its clients the option of viewing their agent’s videos online from a secure link on our website. Each account is given a username and password to view each encounter from any computer at any location.
It’s easy! Give us a call!!
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■ Audio Evaluations
■ Video Evaluations
■ Telephone Evaluations
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How good is your competition?
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| ■ Competitive Project Reports |
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| To be added to our email list, either visit our website and submit a contact form on our CONTACT US page or email Mary directly at MARY@MLEBLANC.COM
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