By Shirleen Von Hoffmann,President & Sales Coach for HomeBuilders AdvantEdge & Creating VIP’s Copyright 2009

There are so many great things about being in Sales; I don’t know where to start. One of the most inspirational things to me about being in “Sales” is that I am in control of my destiny. I am Self Employed.

Don’t get me wrong, many of you out there may work for major corporations but if you are “Sales Employed” you are “Self Employed”, even while working for a company.

If all those “Non-Sales” folks out there in the work place knew what great jobs we have, they would be beating down the door to grab up all the Sales Jobs. Glad they don’t know and we won’t tell them all the reasons why we love Sales so much.

Here’s 30 Reasons Why;
1. I own my own Sales Company.
2. I am in charge of my own office.
3. I am the Office Staff.
4. I am the Receptionist of my Office.
5. I am the Clerical Person of my office.
6. I control the Overtime, how much and when it is needed.
7. I am in charge of my increases in pay, I say how much I will make this year.
8. I am in charge of my day to day routine.
9. I say when I go to lunch or if I have a lunch.
10. I say when it’s quitting time!
11. I am able to perform under pressure and abuse, but no one is harder on me than myself.
12. I control the amount of hours I work and can flex them around my personal life.
13. I am in charge of the Sales Department. I am a Sales Manager.
14. I am in charge of the direction of the Market.
15. I am my Marketing Manager
16. I am the Public Relations Department.
17. I am in charge of my Training Department.
18. I am in charge of my Motivation Department.
19. I am the direct contact to “The Customer” and know all about “Customer Handling”.
20. I am the Customer Experience!
21. I am a People Manager; it’s my business to know everything about our clients.
22. I am my own travel manager and can travel the world if needed.
23. I am a hunter and get to express that talent daily.
24. I am out and about, never being in one place too long.
25. I can spot quality prey amongst a crowd and can direct my energies on that prey, until it’s mine.
26. I get paid to find interesting people to chat and hang out with.
27. I set and achieve all of my goals and the goals of my employer, ME.
28. I am in charge of the “Top Producer Awards”.
29. I love hearing the phrase, “Job well done”, so I say it often to myself.
30. Without me, my skills and my participation, there would be no employer. I love that!

With all that being said, next time you think about complaining about the market, not making enough money, not feeling very motivated, remember, YOU are the only one in charge of your destiny. It’s as simple as changing up your habits and getting busy doing whatever you are complaining about. I still love the phrase, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.”

Get busy and Happy Sales!

You see quite a few people each week.

It’s hard to keep up with who’s coming and who’s going but, “Do you have your top ten list of prospects this week?”  You should because these are you customers next week!  Your top ten should get the majority of your attention.

Do you know who your top ten are?

Your Top Ten should include at least 7 prospects and 3 Realtors.  Find meaningful reasons to follow up with your Top Ten.  Make sure you tell them you will follow up with this or follow up with that,  while they are present, then make sure you do it.  Make great notes about them, right away so you can follow up with meaningful subject matter.

Here’s a few examples;

You have a couple who love your home but are concerned with the schools, they have a gifted child, who plays piano, but is really gifted in tennis as well.

• You call right away and thank them for coming in, knowing this is the right home for them.  I will follow up with a few things about this community that will help you make your decision to purchase here.
• You follow up with a handwritten note and attach a list of private schools which specialize in the arts, in your area.
• You email the tennis teams, clubs and private instruction in your area.
• You follow up with another note of the music studios nearby.
• And so on…

You have a elderly couple looking to relocate near their children.  They love golf and RV travel.

• You call right away to let them know you are looking forward to having them be a part of your wonderful community.  You know they will fit right in.
• You follow up with a handwritten note talking about your gated community and the security it provides.  You include a list of golf courses and memberships available in your area.
• You follow up with an email showing them the RV groups in your area.
• You call to offer a private showing after hours for their family to come and see your product once they get off work.
• And so on…

Great Sales People are true Hunters.  True Hunters have the capability of knowing which prey is the good prey and which prey is a waste of time.  Think about hunting among a huge group of prey. You have to run and think quicker than your prey.  You have to be able to  zero in on the good prey and pursue them until you have them sitting before you, writing a contract.

Your top ten should get your top attention, when it comes to follow up.

• Quality, smart follow up, via hand written notes with meaningful content that applies to each.
• Meaningful Phone calls
• Emails with compelling content
• Realtor Office Visits
• Realtor Lunches
• Private client viewings after hours

Remember each week your Top Ten will change, grow and refine.  Make sure to stay on top of this way of thinking and you will stand out among your competition and be a Top Producer!

Always remember people don’t really care about what you have to sell.  People care about what they want and need.  It’s your job to figure out what they want and need and sell it to them!

Happy Sales!

By Shirleen Von Hoffmann President and Sales Coach HomeBuilders AdvantEdge Copyright 2010

Just a reminder to you on how important it is that you dress for success at all times. What I see most in the sales field is bad hair, people not taking the time to prepare themselves in the morning, no make up, outfits not appropriate for real estate, sometimes to tight and too casual.

Why? Here are three good reasons…
1. Because you are a professional, you must appear as one You are helping people make their biggest purchase of their lifetimes. In a good market you make more than some doctors and most lawyers. You must look sharp as they do, all the time.
2. Because you must appear as the expert in Real Estate and dressing for success helps to convince the prospects you are an expert and a successful one at that. It also gives you confidence!
3. Because most Managers are very sensitive about this topic and ask me to talk about it.

Ladies-
• You don’t have to spend a bundle to look good. Heck I don’t care if you wear the same outfit everyday as long as it looks clean and professional.
• Business jacket that fits well, Not to small and not too big, long or short sleeves. If you jacket is slightly tight, don’t button it, leave it open.
• Nice blouse
• Pants, skirt or dress. (skirts and dresses being at the knee or longer)
• Hair is important. It needs to have a style, be styled and put together. Longer hair needs to be off the shoulders. Pull it up in a bun (not using a big clip) or pull it back in a professional ponytail.
• Light Make Up and perfume
• Nice Earrings-Diamond studs or pearls are best.(if you can’t afford real-they make such good fakes you can’t tell)
• Simple-Necklace (pearls preferred)
• Nice Watch
• Nice Shoes or pumps (clean and polished)
• Manicured nails

Gents
• You don’t have to spend a bundle to look good. Heck I don’t care if you wear the same outfit everyday as long as it looks clean and professional. » Read more: Dress your way to Success!

All Great ideas start from the top and move downward. Here is a list of Builder Tools to help you through this market!

Happy Sales…By Shirleen Von Hoffmann copyright 2009©

Builder Tool Kit

1. Create Powerful Partnerships within your community, local government, Realtors, vendors and your employees. Utilize those relationships whenever you can for marketing and advertising and to achieve your goals.
2. Create and Hire only powerful, well trained Agents who have the “go the extra mile” attitude and extraordinary sales skills to sell in this market. You deserve a “Dream Team” working for you, this market demands it.
3. Create a great website with your inventory, pricing, options, coops and buyer build a home features. Market your website to your prospects, to realtors and every change you get.
4. Create a great name and reputation and protect and promote your brand at all costs.
5. Cherish and market to your past clients, they are warm leads and your best referral source. You should have at least one person in the office designated to marketing your past buyers.
6. Do everything possible to make an impression on prospects coming in. Welcome them, Warm them and WOW them, so they remember your homes and community over all the rest.
7. Take a hard look at your models. Are they fresh? Some models are tired due to the length of time we have projects now. Call in your decorator, spruce them up if needed. Sometimes if models have been around for awhile you can re-brand them to freshen them up.
8. Do all of your floorplans work for this market? If not, build one that does. Have it close by your other models so can be viewed as a remote model.
9. Save costs by redesigning interiors of models and cutting out options that were once included.
10. Be a leader in your marketing and advertising. Blogs, podcasts, video, chatrooms, audio video postcards, remote radio broadcasts, social networks, community websites, intranet, text messaging, webinars, you need spaces on my space, facebook and all other “free” spaces or social websites where you can advertise your communities.
11. Always ‘leave your mark” in your communities. People like doing business with socially conscious companies. Make sure your Sales Team knows what you do to make this world a better place, so they can brag about you to their prospects. » Read more: Builder Tool Kit for 2010

MORTGAGE RATES HIT LOW OF 4.49%

Courtesy of Big Builder Magazine

By ALAN ZIBEL
WASHINGTON – Mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level in decades for the sixth time in seven weeks, offering the most attractive opportunity for those who qualify to refinance or purchase a home.

Government-controlled mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate for 30-year fixed loans this week was 4.49 percent, down from 4.54 percent last week. That’s the lowest since Freddie Mac began tracking rates in 1971.

The average rate on the 15-year fixed loan dropped to 3.95 percent, down from 4 percent last week and the lowest on record.

Rates have fallen since spring as investors seek the safety of U.S. Treasury bonds. That has lowered the yield on Treasurys. Mortgage rates tend to track those yields.

The last time home loan rates were lower was during the 1950s, when most mortgages lasted just 20 or 25 years.

Low rates have sparked some activity in the weak housing market, but not a massive boom in refinancing.

Applications to refinance loans increased 1.3 percent and those to purchase homes increased 1.5 percent, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Nevertheless, high unemployment, slow job growth and tight credit have made it difficult for many to purchase homes. The housing industry received a boost this spring when the government offered homebuying tax credits, but housing activity has plummeted since they expired in April.

The number of buyers who signed contracts to purchase homes plunged in June to the lowest level on records dating back to 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors.

To calculate the national average, Freddie Mac collects mortgage rates on Monday through Wednesday of each week from lenders around the country. Rates often fluctuate significantly, even within a given day.

Rates on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 3.63 percent, down from 3.76 percent a week earlier. Rates on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages fell to an average of 3.55 percent from 3.64 percent.

The rates do not include add-on fees known as points. One point is equal to 1 percent of the total loan amount. The nationwide fee for loans in Freddie Mac’s survey averaged 0.7 a point for all loans.

Utilize this article for your prospects… Copy it and hand it out. http://bigbuilderonline.com//industry-news.asp?sectionID=363&articleID=1355596

I will tell you mine if you tell me yours…

By Shirleen Von Hoffmann President and Sales Coach Creating VIP’s and Homebuilders AdvantEdge  Copyright 2010

People are at the centric of your business. Not much can happen without them. Most businesses have external people (customers) and internal people (employees).  It’s a real balancing act but companies who figure out how to have happy employees and happy clients, usually figure out what the success recipe is made of!

The sooner you realize you are in the People business, no matter what business you are in, the quicker you will be able to mix your recipe for success.

Too often, especially during tough market conditions, companies fail to see the value of internal customers (employees) and they are the first to be affected.  Companies adjust to market conditions with layoffs, cutbacks in benefits, wages, reduction of hours, overtime and the little rewards so many employees enjoy. I know from owning my business, you may have the phone and the internet but unless you have the passion behind the scenes from my employees, selling my goods, running my operations, managing my overhead and most of all, helping my clients.  When any of these things are not carefully handled, it can lead a company to complete failure.  Company leadership must always remember that happy, loyal, employees impact their business in a positive way and make sure to nurture that.  It’s like a recipe for success…1 cup of happy employees, add 2 cups of customer, add good products and you have a winner!

As I coach employees and business owners around the country, I hear the same messages. The owners are saying, “I’m paying my people too much.” And the employees are saying, “I am not getting the support, respect, or resources I need to help me succeed.”

» Read more: Article for NSBIA-North State Building Industry July Magazine – Recipe for Success: Your People

By Shirleen Von Hoffmann President and Sales Coach of HomeBuilders AdvantEdge and Creating VIP’s  Copyright 2010

Think about when you go through your mail.  First, you see all the advertisements, which in my case start the throw away, stack.  Then you scan for bills and formal mailings.  I usually scan mail and sort the junk from the mail I will open.  I come across a small handwritten card and it goes on top of the pile.  I am usually anxious to open it and see who it is from and what is inside.  It’s probably a safe bet that everyone opens and reads these pieces of mail almost immediately.  Why because it’s personal and I think because small cards are usually thanking you or inviting you to something fun!

In fact, it is proven that handwritten notes and cards get opened 95% of the time.  Much higher statistics than email, postcards or letter size mailings. Handwritten notes are one of the least expensive, most effective and largely ignored marketing tools in your sales arsenal today. People who send personal notes are thought to be considerate, creative, gracious, well mannered, mindful and a “cut above the rest.”  Not a bad return on stationary, a stamp and a few minutes of writing!

Here are six powerful tips to get you kick started today!

1. Have some a variety of personal note cards and keep a stack on your desk. Challenge yourself to write note cards every day thanking a prospect.  Make sure to market smart and mention something personal about the visit.  For instance if they had a child with them, mention you enjoyed meeting “Little Billy” and know he will enjoy playing in the community pool in your new neighborhood.
2. Make sure to handwrite and personalize the outside of the envelope in some small way. It really helps in getting the envelope opened.  A small sticker of some sort.  A quick caricature.  I had one Agent who drew a quick dog paw on the envelope and mentioned the owner’s dog by name.  “Bring Alex with you next time; I have some treats for him!”  These small things cost nothing but a little time and will make a huge dent in your beback success rates, ultimately improving your sales rates.
3. Do you have an idea that fills a need or an event that prospects need to know about? Send out a handful of personal notes inviting people to your event and let them know you have an idea that you believe could have something of value for them. Not everyone will take you up on your offer but the ones who do could turn out to be tomorrow’s buyer.
4. » Read more: Marketing 101: Handwritten Notes

By Shirleen Von Hoffmann President of Homebuilders AdvantEdge

My company does a lot of Secret Shopping for Home Builders.  I consider the Secret Shopping aspect of my company my very own pulse of the market and love doing secret shops myself, whenever I can, because it keeps me in touch with what the Agents are doing right and not doing at all.  Right now what I see most and my new mantra for the year is,”We need to get back to the Basics”.

Remember when you were young and had to do the ABC’s over and over until you got it right?  Well we as Sales People, we need to get Back to the Basics and do it over and over, until we get it right! In this market, while we have more time, that is what we need to be doing.

I recently did a competition shop for one of my Builder’s in a high end area, where a group of Builders decided to shut down their communities due to the poor economy.  They just reopened about three months ago to try the market again after a two year hiatus. Now after being closed due to no buyers you would have thought the Agents would have been the best in the business.  However, I was so disappointed in this shop, I have to share it with you.

Here are the basics of the visit.  Upon entering I was greeted with a “Hello”, given a brochure with no pricing and pointed towards the doors of the models.  After arguing that I needed to know some basic pricing in order to view the models, I manually wrote down the base prices and viewed the models.  After viewing, the Agent I had spoken with was busy speaking to another prospect, the other Agent was saw me but was busy doing paperwork and simply didn’t acknowledge me or the fact that I was standing there, so I left.

I left feeling like I didn’t matter to them at all.  As I walked away I thought to myself, “Boy, do we need to get back to the basics.”  There is nothing more important that the prospect who is walking through your door.  You should do everything you can to sell them a home.

In this shop;

• No one asked me questions about what I was looking for?
• No one tried to build rapport or trust with me.
• No one gave me their name, asked my name or got my contact information.
• No one walked me through the models or spent time with me.
• No one really cared that I came to that community.
• No one even tried to sell me a home.

And all this was from a community that was closed due to no buyers, amazing!

7 tips to get Back to the Basics  

Goals and Aspirations

Come up with goals you want to achieve, not only for your community but for your life and career.  Really take the time to do this and don’t forget to spell out the action steps it will take to achieve these goals and aspirations. Make sure to calendar the action steps on your calendar to make sure they get done.

Perfect Your Self

Strive to perfect your sale skills by reading, scripting, role play, seminars, and webinars.  Practice, practice, practice creates perfection.  After each prospect visit, evaluate the visit and think about how it could have been better.  Could you have done things differently to get a different, better result?

Become the Expert

When people think about Real Estate, you want them thinking about, You.  Become present in every organization, event and function that might help you become the one everyone calls when it comes to Real Estate.

Meet and Greet

Always drop everything you are doing and greet the prospect who is walking in your door.  Make sure to welcome them, exchange names and extend your hand for a hand shake.  It is a basic thing that is missed 90% of the time.  “Is this your first time here?” or “How did you find us?” are not good introductions.  Greet them as if they were guests in your home.

Walk the Models

Make sure you use this as an opportunity to spend time with your prospects and get to know their needs and wants.  When else will you get the opportunity to spend this kind of time with them?  It’s a huge opportunity to listen and to ask question so you can get to know them, their needs and their wants.

Build Rapport & Trust

Build rapport is one of the most important things you can do.  Everything becomes easier when you have rapport and trust.  Get to know your prospects on a personal level, that’s how you build rapport and trust.  There are studies that prove when you build trust and rapport it can make as much as 65% of a sale!

Close them Every Time

Don’t ever just let them walk out the door feeling like they didn’t matter to you. Close them every time!  People want to matter and they want to be closed.  Here is a big tip, if you have built rapport and trust, closing will be easy! When you find out their needs and wants; you simply sell those needs and wants!

Follow Up Smart

Do your best to obtain registration cards on everyone who come in your door. Create a follow up routine for your prospects and follow up with them every time.  Make sure your follow up is personalized and addresses the needs and lifestyles of your prospects.  By following up you will stand out from your peer group and they will remember you.

It’s all about getting back to the basics.  Given our economic environment and our market it is essential we all pull our best skills forward and get back the basic skills we need to use in this market and every market.

Happy Sales!