This Tuesday February 9th from 12:00 – 12:45 CST (1:00 – 1:45 EST) I’ll be talking with Marie O’brien of Blue Tangerine Solutions as part of their “Ask the Experts” series about how to stimulate your sales in 2010.

You can use this link to register (there is NO fee)

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/753470490

The program we’ll be discussing is called 6 Secrets to Maximizing Your Sales in Any Market Revealed. It’s an UNCONVENTIONAL approach at marketing and selling new homes and design/build remodeling.

First of all- We’re NOT selling ANYTHING at this program. AND everyone that attends will be able to download a summary of the program- at NO cost. Plus you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions and offer your opinion.

We WILL uncover the most common mistakes builders and their salespeople are making today…and how you can avoid them.

We’ll talk about…

• What you’re doing wrong with your marketing approach and how to correct it

• Why relying on a sales process that worked during the last recessions WON’T WORK.

• Why 99% of home builders are looked at as all the same. What you can do to stand out to today’s consumer

“Thanks Rick. With your new ideas we’ve adjusted our attitude and will create some new opportunities.”
-Mark Williams, Mark D. Williams Custom Homes

We’ll be discussing REAL WORLD strategies, from the trenches, that are working in markets that are down 85%+ from their peak.

And I’ll even take a stab at predicting how builders and remodelers will need to evolve their sales strategies as the decade progresses!

Warning: This will not be more of the “been there heard that” from sales trainers and marketers that think the answers to today’s market is what worked in the past.

If you don’t want to be challenged with NEW IDEAS and a fresh perspective on the housing market- avoid this webinar at all costs!

If you are ready for something different…Get yourself signed up and hold on to your seat! Remember- there’s no cost but it’s this Tuesday only.

Register here>>

“Realtors, Remodelers and Home Builders- Discover how to go from Bust to Boom in 2010 with these 3   Sure Fire Tactics”

What’s in store for housing in 2010? Wouldn’t we all like to foresee that!

My crystal ball is in the shop again so I’ve put together 3 tactics that cutting edge Remodelers, Home Builders and Realtors are using to “crack the code” in 2010.

Warning: You will not hear about these iron-clad strategies from others so if you snooze, you lose…Enjoy!

~Rick

Ok- 2009 is over. Great, right? I know this was a tough and trying year. But before we close the doors, let’s look at what was good about it…

• A lot of your competitors are gone and you (the strong) have survived

• You’re efficiency is off the charts because you’re doing more with less

• The market has taught you invaluable lessons and you’re a LOT smarter in January 2010 than January 2009

What the worst mistake most of you made in 2009?

If there was one mistake I watched most home builders and remodelers make in 2009 it was REACTING to the market.

When you react it usually means two things-

1. Sales are down and you make a move to step them up. Usually this means you cut prices.
   
2. When you do make a sale, margins suffer.

Very few predicted the full extent of how much our market would change in one year…Don’t beat yourself up if you reacted to the market for most of ‘09- it was a very difficult mistake to avoid.

So What’s Your Strategy to Ignite Sales This Year?

You’re smarter, more efficient and have less competitors.

If you’re going to get PROACTIVE you need some sure-fire tactics.

Here are 3…
1. Focus and Filter: Diversifying is NOT, I repeat, NOT the answer! Every other industry out there has specialty companies that target a certain demographic and psychographic profile. Very few in the housing industry do. We’re all trying to sell the same thing, the same way- yet we tell our prospects, “we’re better.” It’s no wonder we’re frustrated by price wars.

When money is tight consumers take longer to shop and will choose the companies they feel are best suited to solve their problems. Only about 10% of consumers will buy purely on price. The other 90% buy on emotional perceived value.

If you want consumers to choose you for what you are (and make a buck at doing it)- you can’t be everything to everyone.

The micro market (small niche business) section of our economy is poised to boom (and certain sectors are already booming!). The housing industry needs to take the lead from companies like Target, Best Buy and Ford. All of these companies focus on niche offering to a specific target market.

Focus on what you do best or focus on an un-served niche in your market. Filter everything else out- especially the sacred cows!

This is also called Market Positioning and you can discover how to do it by clicking on this link>>

2. Beware of Baby Boomers: I know, I know- you’ve been told that you should be targeting boomers- this is where the money is, right? This is where the money USED to be and this group may have the lowest consumer confidence.

Consider…

• Boomers are getting old (the oldest are turning 64 this year) and they don’t have a lot of time in the workplace. They’re not willing to take on large mortgages and want to do lateral moves as they consider down sizing (which doesn’t work because their current home has lost so much value).
  

• The dreams of early retirement and staying young forever are fading. Boomers lost an incredible amount of wealth last decade, have burned through a lot of savings and won’t be able to replenish it quickly.

The Exception…

Remodelers take note- aging in place along with certain remodeling projects will start to appeal to boomers because they will find themselves unable or unwilling to move (along with the acceptance they are getting old).

3. The Decade of the Woman: Over the last 30 years a woman’s role in buying, building and remodeling homes has grown to where she is now 80% – 91% of the primary influence.

Couple that with our current job market. Approximately 72% of the job losses have been men due to the high percentage of construction and manufacturing jobs shed.

There is no doubt that as this decade plays out women will not only continue to be the emotional decision makers- they will also take a larger role in the financial decisions of the home.

Find out how a group of home builders and remodelers are making their companies more appealing to women (and adding to their bottom line)>>

What are your predictions for 2010 and beyond? What tactics will the new and rebuilt home builders, Realtors and Remodelers be using to unleash sales?

Share your thoughts below…

Happy New Year & Happy Selling!

Save the date!

Tuesday August 25th from 2-7 pm at…

Becker Home Center in Becker, MN

Hi guys,

Here’s the story behind this Sales Summit…

I’m the chair of the Sales and Marketing Council for the Builder’s Association of the Twin Cities and at our last planning meeting I wanted to offer some “nearly free” training for the home builders and remodelers participating in the fall Parade of Homes and Remodelers Showcase-  (there should be a “SM” behind each of those with a disclaimer that reads, “The Parade of Homes and Remodelers Showcase are service marks of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities and used with permission,” but my blog software doesn’t allow me to superscript. Anyway, now I’m covered!)

We set a tentative date to host a round table training session with some top new home and remodeling salespeople.

Click here to meet Rob Fritz who has sold 4.5 million in new home sales in 7 months>>

Then I traveled around the state in May and found out many other local associations have fall home tours and home shows. I asked each of the home builder association executive officers if they would be interested in offering a summit like this for their members….Low and behold 3 more were interested.

So….we now have 4 different associations participating and planning this incredible event.

Play the video below to get the overview…

Click here for more information and to register for the event>>

I’m bringing in my BEST clients, the ones that are still doing an amazing job of selling in this very tricky market.

The goal of this training is very simple…

We’re going to show you exactly how to Maximize YOUR return on investment when you enter a home tour or home show. You’ll find out how to…

• Set an appointment within 9 minutes of meeting a prospect

• Turn your prospects objections into a sales advantage

• Integrate social media into your follow-up techniques

• Website strategies that will help keep moving a prospect towards a sale

• Ask questions that will get your prospects talking and you on your way to your next sale

You’ll find out the strategies and techniques my clients have used to outpace the market by 50%, 80%, 120% and more.

Register Here>>

Now that’s MY part of this summit. The associations are also adding…

• Staging seminars for empty AND occupied homes. Discover how to present your models or homeowner’s homes for maximum appeal.

• Information stations on how to…

Get more public relations for your company

Utilize social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogging, Twitter and more!)

Staffing strategies for remodelers involved in a home show or tour.

Governmental update with Pam Perri Weaver from the Builders Association of MN

Green selling strategies with Mike Williams, chair of MN Green Star.

As Billy Mayes would say, “but that’s not all! (my wife hates hated that guy. Imagine that…I Loved him!)”

Becker Home Center is providing…

• A beer/wine networking happy hour

• Dinner

• Door prizes (you need to stay to the end to see if you won!)

Plus we have a keynote speaker Charlie Kanan who will be giving an address called “The Boss is Not in the Building,” where he will show you how to grow your business through the art of talking with your customers and prospects.

It’s all happening Tuesday August 25th from 2 – 7 pm. We’re nearly booked to capacity and the RSVP seating ends on Tuesday August 18th. It’s only $25/person!

What are you waiting for? Click here to get signed up!!

Happy Selling!

Rick

Okay, 3 quick questions…

1. Are you a home builder or remodeler and would like quit competing on price alone?

2. Would you love to leverage your website for new leads?

3. Does the idea of increasing your sales conversion rate sound appealing?

Dear home builder or remodeler,

“People don’t change until the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of the change.” I love that quote. The only constant in life is change and today’s economy dictates that we must change and adapt to the new way of selling homes and remodeling services.

You have an opportunity to learn a system that allows you to do just that. It’s called Woman-Centric Matters and there are about 100 home builders, remodelers and other businesses across the country utilizing it to make sales and grow their business no matter what the economy.

Watch the video below to get a better idea of the program…(the end of the video gets cut off but just follow the instructions below if you’d like to watch and listen to the webinar)

Get more information by clicking here>>

You have one last change to attend a 1 hour webinar to learn all the details of the program and determine if it makes sense for you and your business. The webinar details are below:

Check out the MN Woman-Centric Consortium of Home Builders web site>>

Our Last Webinar is Monday June 22 at 2:00 CST

1.  Please join my meeting.

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/718690170

2.  Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) – a headset is recommended.  Or, call in using your telephone.

Dial 213-286-1203

Access Code: 718-690-170

Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting

Meeting ID: 718-690-170

If you would like to attend this meeting please post a comment to this article with your name, phone, email and company name along with the date of the webinar.

There is limited space for each webinar so if you would like to attend, please send me a comment with your information and we will send you a reminder email prior to the event.

Minnesota Builders Know What Women Want

From BUILDER Online — By: Alison Rice — A fresh approach to marketing, customer service, and home design brings business to small firms during a incredibly difficult market.

When a handful of small Minneapolis-St. Paul builders decided in 2008 to join forces on a woman-centered marketing campaign, they had no idea how timely a decision that would be. “What started out as a marketing strategy turned into a survival strategy,” Rick Storlie of New Home Sales Coach told attendees at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas Tuesday.

Read the entire post –

http://www.builderonline.com/sales-and-marketing/minnesota-builders-know-what-women-want.aspx

Check out the MN Home Builders Consortium

3 Quick Questions for You…

1. Do you work in the home building or remodeling industry and would like quit competing on price alone?

2. Would you love to leverage your website for new leads?

3. Does the idea of increasing your sales conversion rate sound appealing?

Dear associate to the home building industry,

“People don’t change until the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of the change.”

I love that quote. The only constant in life is change and today’s economy dictates that we must change and adapt to the new way of selling homes and our services/product to home builders.

You have an opportunity to learn a system that allows you to do just that. It’s called Woman-Centric Matters and there are about 100 home builders, remodelers and other businesses across the country utilizing it to make sales and grow their business no matter what the economy. Now you have an opportunity to take advantage too!

Watch the video below to get a better idea of the program…

Get more information by clicking here>>

Check out the MN Woman-Centric Consortium of Home Builders web site>>

If you attended our informational webinar or would like to see it for the first time, I’ve recorded the video and it will be posted on my web site very soon.

Get an overview flyer of the program by clicking here…wc-associate-flyer1

We will be holding a final “Think Tank” webinar on Wednesday July 15th, 2009 from 9:00 – 12:30.

If you’d like to attend that so you can get the entire overview of the program, please post a comment below and we will send you an informational kit to review prior to the webinar.

If there’s a day that doesn’t work- please let me know.

As always, please contact me with any thoughts or questions at 952-895-5566.

Are you Making it Harder to Sell and Don’t Even Know it?

The market is tough enough, wouldn’t you agree? Why then, would you make it even harder to market and sell your services today?

“What do you mean by that Rick?”

Does this sound familiar?

• Your marketing doesn’t work.

• The only thing your prospects are interested in is a low price.

• Your phone has quit ringing and your model traffic is near dead.

• The last ad you ran or postcard you mailed netted a whopping “0″ calls.

• The only thing you do is “bid” today.

You’re thinking it’s the market or just consumers in general. Maybe.

But what if you had something to do with it?

What if 90% of your problem was internal and not the external market?

Why You’re Not Selling What You Want

The reasons your not selling today are…

Your prospect’s think you’re just like every other builder AND you’re looking for your next customer, not your next prospect.

I don’t have time to get into it but if you want to know the answers to finding more prospects and converting more of them to customers, download my FREE e-guide:

6 Secrets to Maximizing Your Home Sales in Any Market Revealed (yes it’s FINALLY ready)

You can get it by clicking on this link>>

Did You Miss Me At the Becker Home Center Green Expo?

No worries, see a video of my presentation, How to Make More $Green by Building Green by clicking here>>.

You can even get a copy of my power point. Just click here (it’s FREE!)>>

Coming Soon to a Minnesota Town Near You!

I’m on the road March 19th – 22nd and speaking about how to transform builder websites into lead generation machines.

Paul Foresman of Design Basics will be speaking with me about market positioning using the Woman-Centric approach>>. We’re going to show everyone, step by step, how builders from across the country are having their best year’s yet.

Get more information and reserve your spot here>>

The last time we teamed up was at the International Builders Show and the attendees loved our message.

You can keep hoping or…

Show up, learn and start kicking some ass. It’s your choice. What will you do?

Happy Selling!

~Rick

P.S Don’t miss me out on the road! Get the details here>>

Helping contractors maximize sales in any market.  The New Home Sales Coach Transformational Sales System for home.builders and remodelers transforms dull and boring organizations into extraordinary and remarkable ones.

Click here>> and get Rick’s FREE e-guide 6 Secrets to Maximizing Your Home Sales in Any Market Revealed.

Ask Rick a question and he may feature it in an upcoming issue of Coach’s Corner>>

What’s Working in Today’s Market…

Are you a member of the Builders Association of Minnesota (BAM)?

Would you like some help in your marketing and sales efforts?

How about finding out how to double or triple your sales?

If you are an associate, home builder or remodeler, you have a once-in-a-lifetime (no B.S.!) chance to discover a system that is selling today.

I’ll be traveling the state of Minnesota the week of May 19^th – 22^nd with three other speakers to show you how builders and remodelers are transforming their websites into lead generating machines using the Woman-Centric philosophy.

Some of these builders have doubled and even quadrupled their sales!

Check out this case study and download a FREE e-guide to see how it’s being done>>

BAM has put together a first rate event “Tune Up & Jump Start: Best New Ideas For Reinventing Your Business” which delivers five of the most interesting speakers on four different days around the state giving you helpful information on topics to help you reinvent your business for the new economy.

All events will be held from 8AM – 12PM (Paul Foresman and me will be speaking from 8:00 – 9:30) , and the dates and locations are listed below. I think most of the sessions will be Free but you need to call your local home builder association to find out. The numbers are below…

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Prior Lake

To register call 651-697-1954

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

St. Cloud

To register call 320-251-4382

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Brainerd

To register call 218-829-4982

Friday, May 22, 2009

Duluth

To register call 218-722-5707

**Also, a FREE ENERGY CODE CLASS “Major Changes to the New Residential Energy Code: Overview and Open Q & A Session” will be held in the afternoon from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm for all members, building code officials, licensed residential contractors, HVAC contractors and insulation contractors.