New Home Sales Consultants | Forrest Performance Group

Posts Tagged ‘ new home sales consultants ’

Of power, discrimination, and the iPhone

September 22, 2012

Tags: closing the sale, Forrest Performance Group, iPhone 5, Jason Forrest, lead conversion, new home, new home sales, new home sales consultants, new home sales trainer, X Factor sales professionals

The iPhone 5 came out today and loyalists are standing in line all over the world to get their hands on their very own. But there’s evidence that salespeople are pushing customers away from the iPhone.

This highlights an x factor sales professional’s power to persuade. But, as Spiderman’s Peter Parker knows all to well, “With great power comes great responsibility.” In this case, are salespeople helping their customers find the right product for their needs or are they so motivated by money that it clouds their process? The difference between manipulation and persuasion is intent.

Sometimes companies give sales professionals a bonus for selling a particular product even though we also tell them not to be pushy salespeople. But does providing a spiff make sales professionals view every prospect through that lens?

I believe there’s a paradox of selling–the more you focus on trying to sell something, the less you sell. But the more you focus on understanding and accomplishing your customer’s mission to improve their life, the more you will sell. When you lock on to selling a particular product, it can make you unable to see the customer’s real needs. And if you can’t really see or hear the reason they want to buy, it sure makes it hard to persuade.

So it’s your turn to weigh in:

1. It’s been proven that spiffs like this increase performance. But is it sustainable long-term?
2. What would you do (either as a sales pro or a sales coach) if this was your organization?
3. As a sales pro, are you influenced by these types of spiffs? How much does your selling preference have to do with incentives?
4. Is steering customers toward a product other than what they’re looking for doing what’s right for the client?
5. And of course…if you have the new iPhone in hand…whaddya think?

Contributed by Jason Forrest, new home sales trainer/coach

Jason Forrest (named one of 2012′s Top Young Trainers for Training Magazine–a national, industry-wide publication) is an expert at creating high-performance sales cultures through complete training programs. He incorporates experiential learning (rather than theory) to increase sales, implement cultural accountability, and transform builders into sales organizations that build homes. A sales professional at heart, Forrest is the author of Creating Urgency in a Non-Urgent Housing Market and 40-Day Sales Dare for New Home Sales. As a consultant for many of the leading homebuilders in the United States, Canada, and Australia, Forrest’s competitive distinction is his behavior-modification approach (which focuses on people, process, and presentation) and his focus on culture change. Learn about our new home sales training programs at http://www.forrestperformancegroup.com.

On Coaching and Cookies–the X Factor Sales Coach

August 15, 2012

Tags: development and leadership training programs, Jason Forrest, management coaching, new home sales consultants, new home sales management, new home sales trainer, new home sales training, sales coaches, sales coaching, sales management, X Factor Sales Coaches

“All fighters are pig-headed some way or another: some part of them always thinks they know better than you about something. Truth is: even if they’re wrong, even if that one thing is going to be the ruin of them, if you can beat that last bit out of them… they ain’t fighters at all.” –Eddie, Million Dollar Baby

Salespeople are fighters. Why else would they give up the security of knowing their income each paycheck, work retail hours, and miss weekends and holidays with their family and friends?

I’ve got a little three-year-old fighter on my hands in my son, whose circumstances (including my instructions) aren’t going to separate him from what he wants. Is it a challenge to parent him? Sure. But it’s rewarding, too. Of course he has to learn how to follow instructions and I have to teach him respect and temperance. It’s like you. As a home sales consultant, you need team members who will allow you to help them ditch the programming and beliefs that hold them back.

But you also gotta have people with a little spunk. Remember–this is sales! If your sales pros don’t have an edge, they ain’t gonna make it. So yes, salespeople tend to have a little bravado and think they know better. And that can be challenging. But they also tend to be like my son–purposeful and persevering toward reaching their goals.

So don’t be discouraged if you get a little push back. What you have is a fighter. And you can work with that.

Respect them, earn their respect, and sell them on the reasons they should want you to be their coach. I guarantee if you start proving that your coaching puts money in their pockets, they’ll be lining up at your door.

To hold yourself accountable, strive to make your coaching sessions worth the $600-an-hour going rate for such coaching right now. Wait for your people to give you permission to coach them. And once they give it–coach them. Hold them accountable to being their best.

Contributed by Jason Forrest, new home sales trainer/coach

Note from Jason Forrest: Don’t chase the unicorn

August 3, 2012

Tags: new home sales consultants, new home sales process, new home sales techniques, new home sales training, note from Jason Forrest, x factor beliefs

Sales pros:

When customers are chasing the unicorn (perfect house), their only options are to keep chasing or to compromise. It’s your job to get them to identify their non-negotiables and then to move forward on the home that is closest to what they’re looking for. It’s about getting people to make decisions that allow them to live life to the fullest right now.

To end the unicorn chase, use the funnel approach (rather than the shotgun approach):

The shotgun approach: “Here are five houses, which do you like best?” We feel like we have to show them everything, but it’s too ambiguous and ends with frustrated buyers!
The funnel approach: You find out what they they’re looking for, show the closest thing to it and have an interactive experience as you show the home. After that, you find out where they’re at and start funneling them toward a solution.

Don’t let them pull you into chasing the non-existent home that has every single aspect of what they’ve liked along the way. When you’ve shown them the home that is closest to their needs, stop.

Even if they say they’d like to see another floor plan, there’s nothing wrong with taking the reigns and saying, “You mentioned that x feature is important to you. If that’s still the case, the floor plan you want to see doesn’t have that. In looking out for your best interest, I’d rather keep you focused on the homes that fit the criteria you’re looking for.”

Keep it simple!

Here’s to earning what you’re worth!

Jason Forrest

Contributed by Jason Forrest, new home sales trainer/coach

Bump, set, spike (for increased sales)

April 24, 2012

Tags: closing the sale, creating urgency, J Forrest Group, Jason Forrest, lead conversion, new home sales consultants, new home sales training, sales process, X Factor sales professionals

Get your division president, superintendent, land department, loan officers, and designers on your team. If they’re in your office at the same time as a prospect, involve them in your sales process. Ask them for a third-party endorsement and then sit back and watch them sell.

For example, when your division president comes in, ask, “Why did you choose to work here?” or “What do you think is great about this builder?” Or with your superintendent, say something like, “You could’ve worked for any builder, but you chose Builder Y. What is it about the construction quality that drew you here?”

If your land person shows up, get them to talk about the neighborhood and what unique niche they were trying to fill. Hearing why it was important for the land department to secure the property and what they went through to make it happen will reinforce the value for the prospect.

Facilitate the employee (your teammate) to provide that third-party influence. After they’ve made their sales presentation, make sure to step back in and capitalize on the conversation. When your teammate leaves, use their responses as a springboard and ask questions like, “Of all the things you heard, what stood out to you most?” Their answers will either uncover objections you can address or push the prospect to the point where they’re ready to move forward.

Either way–it’s a win. Go team!

Contributed by Jason Forrest

Note from Jason Forrest: Instant Gratification

April 20, 2012

Tags: delayed gratification, new home sales, new home sales consultants, note from Jason Forrest, sales professionals

“Instant gratification takes too long.” –Carrie Fisher

Sales Pros:

Would you rather make 2 grand this month, or wait two months and make 6 grand? If you’re anything like these kids (and most of us are), it’s not as simple an answer as you might think.

I like to think of delayed gratification this way–I work like no one else today so that I can earn like no one else tomorrow. It applies to working out, to saving for retirement, and to so many other things. Stick with it and it will be worth it.

The more we can be disciplined to accept short-term pain for long-term gain, the more successful we will be.

Whenever you’re struggling to wait for something, divide a sheet into two columns. On the left side, write out the risks, pain, or discomfort associated with the delay. On the right, list all the advantages and benefits of waiting.

For example, in new home sales, working hard and missing nights and weekends today would fall on the left side of the page. But on the right would be the reward or goal that you will get in six months by sacrificing those things now.

Focusing on the rewards that delaying gratification will get you is a great way to get through the temporary pain.

Here’s to earning what you’re worth!

Jason Forrest

Do you have examples from your own life? Share them in the comment.

Contributed by Jason Forrest

Note from Jason Forrest: DTR

March 21, 2012

Tags: lead conversion, new home sales, new home sales consultants, note from Jason Forrest, sales process

Sales Pros:

Have the DTR talk. Regularly.

The DTR is the “determine the relationship” talk. You know the one. In college, it’s the, “Hey, I feel things are going pretty well here and we’re ready for the next level. Do you feel the same?”

And it’s important to have that talk with your buyers. I’m not talking just one time—I’m talking before they leave the first day (and every day following), when you call and follow up, while the house is being built, and all the way up until they move in.

It may not be the easiest talk when you’re dating, but in selling, it’s a good thing to do. At the very least, have the DTR before they leave each visit. The goal is to find out where you stand; whether your home is a finalist; and how your options compare to what the buyer is hoping to find. Think of it this way—it’s a benefit to the buyers because you’re leading them to resolve in their mind whether they like you enough to go to the next level. And it’s a benefit to you because you get a better idea of whether the person is going to answer your call or call you back.

In order to DTR, ask your buyers what might be keeping them up at night or making them uneasy. Figure out where we’re at. For a confident salesperson, DTRing is about finding out where you stand and resolving any issues.

This week, have the DTR with each of your buyers under contract as well as each new prospect.

Here’s to earning what you’re worth!

How to Fail in Business Without Really Trying

March 20, 2012

Tags: 40 Day Sales Dare, follow up, Jason Forrest, lead conversion, new home sales consultants, new home sales process, X Factor sales professionals

Really trying means doing. And saying you’ll try means you intend to fail. It’s a cover for, “I don’t expect to have much success with this, but I want you to think I’m going to give it an honest go, so….I’ll try.”

I happen to know that new home sales professionals who are good about following up are more successful than those who aren’t, which is why I often recommend one hour of uninterrupted follow-up calls. Listen, I get that it’s not easy. People have a lot going on. But it’s also not impossible. So when I get push back from salespeople who say they don’t have time or never have one uninterrupted hour in a day, I push back.

I ask them to commit to making as many calls as they can for one hour. If a prospect comes in, I always, always advise them to take care of the prospect and then get back to making calls. And then, if they can’t get 60 minutes in straight it one day, then they do it again the next day. And the next. Until they succeed. I don’t accept, “I’ll try.”

How often do you “try?” How would your career change if your mindset changed to “I will do,” or “I must do,” as Geoffrey James describes in his post, Three Words that Guarantee Failure.

For more on similar challenges, see 40 Day Sales Dare. Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Contributed by Jason Forrest

Jason Forrest is an expert at creating high-performance sales cultures through complete training programs. He incorporates experiential learning (rather than theory) to increase sales, implement cultural accountability, and transform builders into sales organizations that build homes. A sales professional at heart, Forrest is the author of Creating Urgency in a Non-Urgent Housing Market and 40-Day Sales Dare for New Home Sales. As a consultant for many of the leading homebuilders in the United States and Canada, Forrest’s competitive distinction is his behavior-modification approach (which focuses on people, process, and presentation) and his focus on culture change. Learn more at http://www.forrestperformancegroup.com.

Nation’s Building News: Nine Steps That Can Improve Your Brand, Help You Make More Sales

January 30, 2012

Tags: economic climate, industry publications, Jason Forrest, Nation's Building News, new home sales, new home sales consultants, new home sales process, new home sales techniques, new home sales training, new home sales training program, published articles

I like the idea of personal branding, as explained by Tom Peters in “The Brand Called You,” and believe that every salesperson and new-home sales manager should understand what sets them apart.

Home Shopping Network Jeanne’s Journey

January 13, 2012

Tags: asking the right questions, Leadership Selling, new home sales consultants, new home sales process, solving customer problems, X Factor sales professionals

Contributed by Jeanne Conger

Through our new home search, my husband and I have met one shining star – one true X-Factor sales professional named Steve. Steve asked meaningful questions about why we wanted to move; talked us through the benefits of buying now; and guided us through floor plans to determine what would work best for us. We were sold! But we have yet to sign on the dotted line. Why? Well, let me tell you about it.

As we have delved deep into our very own home shopping network, we have actively listened to countless model home monologues (yes, monologues) and learned about endless features. We’ve seen a lot of nice communities, met a lot of nice folks, and filled out a lot of registration cards. We have answered every question posed. And yet, we have ended each day disappointed.

Like many of your buyers, we don’t have to move, we want to move. Politicians know that winning over on-the-fence voters secures elections. X-Factor sales professionals know that winning over undecided people like my husband and me is the way to increase their own bank accounts and their builder’s market share.

We just haven’t been won over yet. And that’s because not one salesperson has dug into the whys behind our decision. No one has asked us why we are relocating or what the consequences would be of not moving. No one has helped us make an emotional connection with the home, the community they represent, or themselves.

Not one person except Steve, of course. We would have ended our search and signed with him a long time ago if it was a more manageable commute. You see, Steve is a sales pro for one our clients. In Australia.

Sales Tip: Win over undecided buyers by selling them emotionally and helping them understand the consequences of NOT moving. Jason’s book, Creating Urgency, provides over 30 “no fear” sales approaches to creating urgency in buyers just like me.

Read it, practice it, and be sales ready to earn what you are worth!

P.S. I’ll let you know when we find an X Factor sales pro like Steve to guide us home.

P.P.S. Learn about our new home sales training programs.

Rage Against the Machine

January 6, 2012

Tags: GPS, Michael Scott, new home sales consultants, new home sales process, new home sales professional, sales process, sales script, science and art, X Factor sales professionals

Contributed by Jason Forrest

In a scene from The Office, Michael Scott follows his GPS directions blindly, taking a right turn that leads him into a lake. All the while, he tells his protesting passenger, “The machine knows!”

The machine doesn’t know. The scene ends with the GPS saying, “Turn around when possible,” as Michael’s car sinks into the lake.

I’m totally convinced that heavy dependence on GPS navigation, spell check, and smart phones, makes us dumber. Sometimes the spellchecker gets it wrong. Sometimes, a smart phone makes us dumber. And sometimes, a GPS leads us into a lake.

While scripts are a great tool for making sure that information is presented completely, accurately, and effectively, over-scripting in new home sales can be like relying on a spellchecker to determine the difference between it’s and its.

Instead of teaching sales pros to think and adapt; over-scripting makes them robotic. The new home sales process is different every time and we need humans—folks who can adapt to the situation before them. It’s not all science. It’s art, too.

That’s why we need good new home sales pros in our offices—those with the right combination of art and science. Because if Michael had relied a bit on his own brain instead of the machine, he would have seen the right turn just ahead, made it to his destination, and saved himself one heck of a car detail bill.

P.S. Learn about our new home sales training program.

Posts Tagged ‘ new home sales consultants ’

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