While several professionals may argue the role of a new-home sales manager has changed over the years—especially with technology evolving every day—in many ways, the attributes and personality traits needed to do the job well have remained somewhat the same.
Today’s home sales associates focus on the sales process, build trust with potential buyers, and master the art of following up, while sales managers need to provide a positive work environment and overall example, set specific goals for their teams, and give their teams the tools to achieve those goals.
BUILDER spoke with new-home sales executives to find out what attributes make a great sales manager in 2020. These seven qualities will help position your sales team for success:
1. A coaching and people-first mentality.
Although the true business of a home builder is building, the industry starts and ends with people, including the customers, employees, builders, and vendors. Sales managers should be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a salesperson and coach them to their full potential, says Bob Musa, president of Computer Presentation Systems, a software solutions provider for home builders. When sales leaders put forth the effort into training their people and help them develop good habits, the company in turn can ultimately benefit.
2. Genuine interest in their people’s success.
According to Mark Heidmann, director of sales and marketing at Trendmaker Homes, sales managers should not only be interested in the success of their internal salespeople, but also with their external customers. “We have to take an interest in the process from start to finish,” he says. “From their search and the actual sale to all the parts that go into a mortgage, their design studio experience, to the build, and closing … we have to have interest in all those things and support them going well for both the salesperson and customer we are servicing at the end of the day.”
3. The ability to radiate positivity.
Every day, sales leaders are responsible for the frame of mind of their people. Amy Rino, chief customer officer at Taylor Morrison, says, “You can’t create a positive outcome with a negative attitude.” Leaders should invest time in creating a positive environment for their workers, so the salespeople can focus solely on the customer’s needs and make them feel good about their home buying decisions. “It’s the foundation of what we do in sales and leading sales,” Rino explains. “We are all about creating feelings and the memories in the future for our families.”
4. A steady or steadfast approach.
Housing professionals know there can be highs and lows to this industry, many of which are out of a single person’s control. The real estate market as a whole goes through its cycles, and there can be successes and drawbacks in new communities or during home building processes. Plus, there are personal highs and lows in the lives of each individual team member. To be a successful sales manager, leaders need to be able to smooth out these highs and lows—or even anticipate them—and make adjustments as necessary, notes Heidmann.
5. Honest, upfront connection.
Although every manager has their own unique style, it takes courage and vulnerability to be a leader. Rino suggests creating an open and honest relationship upfront during the hiring process to show that the company and its leaders genuinely care about its employees and will help them find balance between their personal lives and the real estate sector. “It is critical for sales leaders to take the time on the front end to get to know them and allow them to get to know us, because that relationship is so important and it sets the tone for how we move forward,” she says.
6. A reflective perspective.
Many have heard the line “never forget where you came from,” and it’s an important one to remember in new-home sales. A large percentage of sales managers started out working as greeters or salespeople in new-home centers. Rino reminds her team of this quote often and asks them to recall their work ladders. “We have to remember where we came from and appreciate the journey,” she states. “Never give up on the basics, because they are the fundamentals of how we create success in sales.”
7. Passion to keep learning.
As the business continues to evolve, it is also essential for sales managers to welcome new ideas, thoughts, and technology. Thirty years ago, sales managers didn’t have access to customer relationship management software, electronic purchase agreements, interactive websites, social media, or virtual reality.
“Technology has removed a lot of the burden from the salesperson of communicating information to the potential buyer,” says Computer Presentation Systems’ Musa. Staying ahead of the curve and learning how to use the best new tools could help the company become more organized, keep goals on track, and increase home sales.
