A Good Sales
Person Uses Their Tools
Doug Stone, MIRM, CSP
Director of Business Development
Reach him at dstone@power-marketing.com
A
Good Sales Person Uses Their Tools
I have always been fascinated with the level of skill I see in the craftsmen who build a high-quality piece of furniture. From the ability to create complex joinery, to hand-carved accent pieces, and a meticulous finish; a fine craftsman uses his tools to produce a product that will become an heirloom.
In today’s new home market, the days of the “order taker”
are over. Builders are laboring for every sale they can get. It is a very
competitive market and only the salesperson that understands how to use
the tools of the trade will thrive. The sales “craftsman”
understands how to use their relational skills along with a critical path
of sales and maximize the marketing tools found in the sales area.
Whether you’re selling from a preconstruction trailer, a storefront,
a garage sales center, or from a model bedroom; the critical path of sales
should be properly utilized. There are no shortcuts, follow the steps;
they build on each other, and you will see your closing ratio climb.
Here are the tools I believe you need to become a sales “craftsman”. These steps of the critical path have different names depending on which sales guru’s book you’ve read, but they work. The first step is obviously meet and greet. Introduce yourself and establish rapport with the buyer. The quickest way to create a sense of rapport is to establish common interests. Next, we use our discovery tool; you want to qualify for need. What are their wants, needs, desires? Are they right for this product or community? Like the craftsmen we spoke of earlier, become a master with your tools. Listen, listen, listen; why do they want to move? What does there dream home look like? What gets them excited? Find out, and use them!
It’s at this point that a good salesperson begins the process of demonstrating the builder, the community, and the product to the buyer. At Power Marketing, we create a number of sales tools that are designed to lead buyers down the path and into the close or gain the commitment step of the path. Our point-of-purchase displays are designed to hit the “hot buttons” of your buyers. Not all builders have the budgets to create elaborate sales centers, but some basic, well-designed tools in the hands of a craftsman, can be very effective. In a typical two-car garage sales office we recommend using the following displays in an order that starts with the big picture and ends with a more focused product demonstration.
When a buyer enters your sales area, it’s important to put them at ease and help them relax. A welcome wall display is a tool that communicates to your buyer a sense of arrival; it is a good way to make them feel comfortable and welcome. This display can be as simple as gold lettering that reads welcome to the community with a logo and the builder’s name. More elaborate welcome wall displays may feature lifestyle images, amenity renderings, exterior or interior photography of the builder’s homes. Materials and the method of display are determined by what makes sense for the application and your budget, of course.
The salesperson should begin to communicate the builder’s credibility at the entry point of sales area. An excellent tool is a builder’s story display. This display focuses on creating credibility for the builder. This tool is used to show the builder’s strength, history, quality, design processes, etc. It establishes recognition of the builder with the buyer. “Mr. and Mrs. Jones, our builder, has a reputation for quality construction, and unsurpassed customer service. As you can see we have been in business for fifty years. We understand what you need in your home, and we’ll make sure it is done right.” You need to show your prospects what you mean.
Now that the buyer’s education has begun, the next step is to show them the area surrounding the community. An area map is the next tool we recommend to highlight features that are important to the buyer, and answers a number of questions. Schools, transportation routes, airports, driving distances, amenities that matter to the buyer, such as dining, shopping, and medical facilities are all considerations.
Follow the area map with a site plan showing the overall community and the current section available for purchase. I believe that this is the most effective tool a salesperson has. I strongly recommend defining only those lots available for purchase. The moment you show future sections in a community you have given the buyer the opportunity to disqualify themselves saying, “We’ll be back when that lot is available.” How the site plan is displayed is of equal importance. Wall space may be minimal in your sales area. This is where a site plan in a table display, proves to be a tremendous asset for the sales person. It allows the buyer to be on one side of the table and salesperson on the other. This gives the buyer a feeling of personal space and will make them more comfortable. Once again, plat tables can be as simple or complex as the market, or budget dictates.
Next step would be to talk about product; what home suits the buyer? Most builders who display elevations and floor plans on a wall set them in order based on square footage. Beyond wall displays, builders use anything from plan books, to interactive computer kiosks. The key is to know what gets the buyer excited; it may be the airbrush rendering with floor plans in a beautiful frame or the chance to create a sunroom and add bay windows on a computer program. Remember, your homes are what you’re selling; don’t skimp in the presentation. Make sure you understand all your plans, know what they feel like as buyers walk through, mention brand names, and sell style and design.
At this point any other display that helps reinforce the USP (unique selling proposition) may be displayed. Perhaps you have an in-house mortgage company, a popular warranty program, or you use well known products in your home like Andersen TM windows, or Kohler TM faucets; take advantage of any opportunity to communicate brands. Continue the demonstration process in your model. If you are in a storefront or a sales trailer the tools we’ve mentioned are even more critical to your success.
There are as many different options for a builder to create a sales environment that works, as there are homes and communities. If possible, hire experts to create and install your sales area. Power Marketing is dedicated to creating sales tools that work for builders based on their needs.