Stellar Sales Strategies

RECEIVING AN INDIVIDUAL AWARD AT The Nationals is a career-defining achievement for a new-home sales professional, whether the recognition is national or regional. Each year, only a handful of sales pros are chosen for the honor.

So it stands to reason that the winners of The Nationals have a few tricks up their sleeves that have helped them make it to the top of the field. We managed to get four of them to stop moving long enough to answer a few questions about the qualities of a great salesperson and to share some of the strategies they use to stay on top of their game.

In no particular order, here are some of the strategies, processes, philosophies, and attitudes that have helped them achieve their stellar success.

EMILIE EPELMAN, a sales associate with New York City–based The Marketing Directors, tied for the gold as the 2005 Rookie Sales Person of the Year.

Confidence counts. The most important personality trait for a successful new-home salesperson is confidence in yourself and your product. If you know yourself and you know your product, you will always win.—N.K.

Trust is No. 1 in the relationship. The most important qualities of a new-home sales professional are strong ethics and empathy for the buyer. Customers value trust in a relationship. You need to see the customers through. If they come to you with a question after they're living in the development, put them first. Don't forget about them.—E.E.

Tailor your presentation. Treating every customer how you want to be treated is better than nothing, but the most respectful and the most successful interaction with a customer is based on how they want to be treated. Some need more information; some need more guidance; some simply need you to get out of your own way. Learn to read body language, dress, speech, and other observable cues. Tailor your presentation and all your service based on who they are, not who you are.—P.H.

Train, train, and train some more. When he's not golfing, what do you think Tiger Woods is doing? How often do the Yankees train? The best athletes and entertainers practice and train to improve their skills before they compete or perform. Team training should be done weekly. Anything less is a waste of team talent. Beyond that, provide opportunities and suggestions for individual training in the form of professional reading, online courses, or motivational CDs and tapes.—D.H.

PATRICE HALL, the 2004 Sales Person of the Year for Region 2, also working at the time for Western Pacific, now is a sales executive with D.R. Horton in Los Angeles/Ventura.

Find a point of connection. Customers value someone who is honest, funny, and can relate to them. If you can connect with something that you both like or have done before, you are in. People buy from people they like.—N.K.

Everyone is a “be back.” Treat every prospect like a “be back.” Give them your best work, even if it is their first visit and they may never come back or buy. Don't assume that buyers even need a second visit to make a buying decision.—P.H.

Be passionate. When someone comes into the sales center, be enthusiastic and excited that they are there. You need to be passionate about what you're selling and believe in the product.—E.E.

Clean up the inventory. As a sales manager, remember that the sales team is your “inventory.” Make sure they are always clean, presentable, and ready before the customer is ever in the office.—D.H.

Talk to anyone who comes through the door. You have to be fearless in that aspect and never judge by looks. You never know who has money to buy and who doesn't until you've spoken with them.—N.K.

Use all your work time so you can protect your personal time. While driving, listen to tapes or CDs. Practice the ideas until they become habits, and then evaluate their success. Pre-program your cell phone to follow up with customers during the commute hours. Try to have 10 possible follow-ups each day. Simply dial them in order as you leave your site. You may not get to all of them, but you will have a specific agenda. Purge and add new follow-up contacts daily. As you remove names from yesterday, you will be able to add the results of the call to your follow-up and contact management resources.—P.H.

NIKKI KUTACH, a sales associate with Royce Builders in Houston, was the 2005 Rookie Sales Person of the Year for her region.

Network. Take advantage of industry opportunities for training, networking, and new-product information. Most of your competitors will help you succeed if you ask. Someone needs to make the first overture.—D.H.

Stand out in follow-ups. Avoid using e-mail for follow-ups because it may be difficult to find the right tone. Follow up with handwritten cards. It stands out in people's minds. Make sure you have a reason to contact them and share a point of connection: “How did that graduation go?” It makes the person feel like you care. Real estate is such an emotional sell. It feeds right into that.—E.E.

Set goals. It sounds simple, but it pays off to have a written series of goals for and by each salesperson. Find out what their motivations are and reinforce those.—D.H.

Hold their hand. It's vital to make customers feel comfortable with the home-buying process. To do that, you need to constantly explain the next step. The easier you make the process for them, the more effective you are. They're making a big emotional decision. People like to have their hand held. It keeps the process moving forward.—E.E.

Ensure a smooth handoff. Let your colleagues know how each of your customers wants to be treated and how they respond best to a particular kind of interaction. A smooth handoff at the end of the construction cycle should include an orientation tailored to the customer, not a rote presentation that is given to everyone.—P.H.

Shop your team often. This is for training, not for firing. Have fun with videos. Consider editing those from several of the salesforce and have a fun evening of “outtakes.” Rent a small movie house or use your own training facility and invite families of your team to the screening. Take the fear out. Then have the team describe the lessons learned.—D.H.

Timing is everything. Follow-ups can pile up in a hurry if you don't stay on top of them. Write a note as soon as someone leaves the office. For phone calls, wait a few days.—E.E.

It's all about them. You must bond and connect. If you don't do this part, and you just start talking about prices and who we are and what we offer, are they really listening? But if you start talking about them, and then a little about you, then they will be more apt to listen to what you have to say.—N.K.

Measure and manage. Calculate your closing ratio based on units of traffic. Know that increasing sales requires more traffic or higher conversion rates. Take ownership of both and increase each.—P.H.

DAVE HARDING, the national 2004 Sales Manager of the Year, working then for Western Pacific Housing in Los Angeles, now has his own firm, Ultimate New Home Sales & Marketing.

Celebrate successes. The sales crew is the largest and often the only source of revenue to a merchant builder. Give the sales professionals the respect that comes with that. Let your own team, and the rest of the market, see how proud of them you are. This will carry you through some sales slumps, and will help you recruit.—D.H.

Have fun.The home-buying experience is typically rated as a higher stress inducer than a root canal, divorce, or even death. Make it your responsibility to truly lessen the fear and anxiety for your buyers ... and all those who come into contact with you. Spend as much time with them as possible. Do not simply point them to your models. Build the rapport that will pay huge dividends. It will set you apart from those that disrespect the customer.—P.H.B