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HIRE
THE BEST
 Take
the time to hire the very best sales team. You can never
have mediocre sales people selling your homes if you expect
to meet your goals.
After
you hire, it is essential to have meetings, training sessions,
and several phone calls per day to review prospective buyers,
buyers, specifications, inventory, financing, incentives and more. Evaluate the performance of the sales personnel through
consumer surveys to determine how to improve the product,
the company, and of course, the sales personnel. It is
also advisable to evaluate the performance of the sales
personnel by 'mystery shopping' them. This form of evaluation
is most helpful; but you must also realize that one analysis
does not always provide you with a true picture of how
an individual is performing. Everyone has good days and
bad days - hopefully, more good than bad.
Remember
the purpose of the 'mystery shop' is not to be used to
fire an employee, but to help educate and train them to
do a better job; to sell and serve each buyer better.
PAY
ATTENTION
 Customer
service begins prior to the prospective purchaser walking through
the door: The sales center should be neat and clean and the
sales per- son should be aware of his product from every price
to every home specification to every policy and procedure to
ensure customer satisfaction.
Upon
greeting the customer; make sure to make him feel comfortable
and welcome. A customer determines whether he will
consider purchasing a product from you within the first
four minutes of meeting you, so it is important to be attentive
to the customer's needs by asking questions of who, what,
why; where, when and how. Each of these questions will
provide you with answers about the customer to better qualify
him to purchase your new home.
The
next step in the service process is to present and demonstrate
your product. By showing the amenities, the land and the
speculative built inventor. As you demonstrate the product,
it is essential to once again make sure you listen and
hear what the customer is saying.
When
you tell a customer that you are going to follow-up, make
sure you do, because each time you make good on your promise,
you further ingratiate yourself with your customer. He
or she will know that you care enough to want his or her
business.
Prior
to the customer leaving your sales environment, please
make sure he is living with as much information as necessary
for him to be comfortable with you and your product.
EARN
THEIR TRUST
 Several
hours after you have visited with the customer; call him
and provide him with any additional information he may need
and/or to thank him for his visit. Within 24 hours of the
visit, send a letter to him with information and thanks.
Industry
statistics indicate that it may take as many as eight visits
and meetings before a customer makes the final decision
to buy a new home. There are many choices to consider and
decisions to make. Therefore, it is important to follow-up
with the customer on a periodic basis to stay in touch
and provide a 'helpful hand' and 'gentle shove' in your
direction.
A
REALTOR® may also be responsible for introducing a prospective
customer to your community. Treat that REALTOR® with as
much respect as possible. Every time you follow-up with
a customer; always contact the REALTOR® to keep him apprised
of your conversation. Invite him to meetings. Correspond
with him. Copy him with your customer correspondence. The
more service you provide the REALTOR®,
the more business the REALTOR® will provide you. Throughout
the follow-up process it is essential to explain the home
buying process and do your best to keep your customer especially
advised of the actual building process.
It
is recommended to have various sales/construction meetings
with the customer prior to the purchase of the home to
explain to the customer what he is actually purchasing.
Prior to or at the signing of the agreement, it is further
important to provide the customer with a general schedule
of construction events including: foundation, framing,
rough-in of all mechanical equipment, drywall, finish trim,
completion.
Several
weeks prior to the finalizing of each of the aforementioned
phases, you may afford the customers the opportunity to
make changes. A scheduled visit with the responsible construction
management person and you should take place to explain
how your home is being built to specification and if certain
changes can be accomplished.
If
ever a problem arises, try to handle the situation on a
person-to-person basis rather than through the mail or
a telephone call. Your personal attention means more
to the customer and will further enhance the resolution
to occur more quickly because the customer has learned
that he can trust you.
FOLLOW
THROUGH
 One
week prior to closing the home, you should schedule an
appointment with the customer to walk through the home
with yourself and a construction management person to
determine what needs to be completed before the formal
closing of the home.
It
is then advisable to meet at the home two days prior to
the actual closing of the home to review the completed
process and also learn how to operate all of the equipment
in the home. At the time of the closing, deliver a warranty
manual and an operational manual for the home to the home
buyer. Review these materials.
The
day after the customer has moved into his home, make sure
a construction management team member visits the home to
ensure customer satisfaction.
After
the customer has moved into his new home, customer service
is
extremely critical for the first three months. This is
the time period most problems will arise. You and your
constructional management
team need to be responsive, reliable, reassuring, honest, sensitive,
empathetic and helpful!
There
is no better measure of success than happy and satisfied
customers for you and your company! Earn the customer's
respect and you will earn more business today, tomorrow
and always!
Originally Printed
in "2002 SPEC BUILD" Magazine Published by Design
Basics, Inc.
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