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>>

Jack from New York emailed me the other day and wrote…

“I would like to talk to you about how we can revive our companies sales.  Due to the downturn, we were forced to cut staff and go into survival mode over the past several months.

This was necessary, but the downside is, that we are now so tied up in the day to day that we have lost our ability to focus on marketing and selling homes. We need to find a way to shift gears back into sales and marketing and make some sales…..and soon!!!”

Needless to say the first 3/4 of 2009 has been pretty hard on most builders and remodelers.

As I talk to builders and remodelers across the country a consistent phrase keeps popping up. It goes something like this…

Click here to discover the fastest way to kick the door open to new sales>>

How has it been for you?

Are you ready to take control of your sales and marketing, once and for all?

Happy Selling!

P.S When you make a mistake in production you can normally pin point exactly how much it cost you. Have you ever taken the time to figure out how much lost sales are costing you? Believe me, the numbers are staggering.

Get my proven sales system now>>

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 copy of 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>>

If you haven’t heard of Seth Godin I encourage you to find out everything you can about this man. Read his books, watch his videos and subscribe to his blog.

In this clip Mike Lyon of Do You Convert interviews Seth at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference in San Francisco. Seth gave the keynote address and Mike was able to catch him before his speech and ask him this…

“In 2009, what is the number one thing a home builder should be doing to connect with consumers?”

Play the video and listen very carefully to the answer (I promise you it’s not like anything you have heard before)…

Forget Everything You Know…

I see the same old recycled garbage coming from the “so-called” experts in the housing industry.

Let me ask you a question…Do you think the newspaper industry will recover from its current predicament and re-live the glory days? Me either.

Then why do you believe the future of housing  will be any different?

Have you accepted the FACT that the market will not go back to any sort of normal we have known before. This recession, and the way people look at housing, will change things for every generation that is going through it. As Seth states, people might just look at their homes as a place to live rather that an investment and certainly a piggy bank.

In the video clip Seth’s talks about “the low hanging fruit may be rotten.” I would equate that to looking for tomorrow’s sale…. Today!

It’s called one step marketing and selling and it used to work. It doesn’t today.

Use this link to find THE critical path for marketing and selling new homes and remodeling>>

Why shouldn’t you use one step marketing and selling today?

Here’s 4 reasons:

1. It’s company focused. Nobody cares about being your next customer. They only care about what you will do for them.

2. You’re asking the prospect to become a customer in one step. Do people get married on the first date?

3. You ask the customer to give first. Sign the contract or write a check!

4. There is no relationship until the sale is made. Are you waiting for your next customer to walk in your model or call you on the phone?

Discover a sales system that will deliver consistent sales in any economy>>

My next blog post I’ll talk about the system the most successful home builders and remodelers are using today.

You can see a sneak peak of it by watching this video>>

Until then…Happy Selling!

Rick

Wow what a difference a year makes! Please understand these changes in the market are necessary and you can pull yourself up, dust off and still become an all pro. Please consider:

Issue #1: You need to prepare everything. You need to know your community and be able to communicate the benefits. You must know your neighborhood and why your prospects would want to live there. Prospects don’t buy features, they buy the benefits.

Issue #2: If you do not hold your model open everyday, you can be sure you are missing opportunities. We are not in the real estate business; we are in the retail business. Tell me, does Target have a note on the door to call for assistance on weekdays? Bottom line, if you aren’t open you can bet your competition is and they will take the business.

Issue #3: 95% of your success depends on what you do when you are not in front of the customer. What are you doing on a daily basis to improve your sales skills? Can you list 10 feature/benefit points about your homes? Are you prepared to answer your top 10 objections? What does you model home look like? Would you buy a home from you knowing that there are over 40% more choices today than a year ago?

Issue #4: You are responsible for traffic and leads. If your builder’s marketing is not delivering 5-15 traffic, phone, Realtor^® and email leads a week, you need to make up the difference. What is your Realtor^® outreach program? What is your referral program? How are you tracking and following up with your database? What are you doing to generate new leads?

Issue #5: Face it, you don’t know everything; nobody does. All pro salespeople know they need to strive for perfection everyday. They understand they must reinvest in their education over and over again. Just like a sports team, success in the game is determined by the efforts made on the practice field. It’s not an option; you must schedule learning and practice every week!

The extra mile is a lonely stretch of road. Take time each day to learn, understand your market, and improve your sales operations. Do this on a continual basis and your company will be in the winner’s column on game day!