Don’t miss the value of eliminating distractions. Look for opportunities to be proactive, watching for anything that might trigger a distraction for the potential homeowner. Your primary goal is to take care of them—this includes their immediate needs, not just their long-term housing needs.
Kids are often an immediate need. Salespeople have asked me, “What do you do about unruly kids?” My instinct is to change your mindset completely and start by getting the word “unruly” out of your vocabulary. If you see kids as the purest example of humanity and freedom, you’ll be glad to welcome them and then to straighten up after they leave.
If you want to succeed in sales, pretend every prospect has a sign around his or her neck that says, “Make me feel important.” Imagine if you’re the first salesperson who says, “This is a home. We buy houses to improve our families’ lives, so let your kids be kids. Here are some games…go ahead and play.” What if you include the kids in the process and encourage them to find their favorite room in the house? When you make it known they’re welcome and their opinion matters, they’ll be talking about you, the snacks, and the bedroom they liked most when they leave. When you remember this, you’ll treat the kids like family and I guarantee you will become the standout—the only salesperson who let their kids be free. When you do this, parents are able to relax enough to focus on you and to enjoy the experience.
One thing that pops our arrogant bubble is to remember that there are seasons of economies. When it becomes a buyer’s market, we can get away with less. But even while we can get away with it, we really shouldn’t. We should just treat people right. Always.
Builders and salespeople are not above the rules, and actually, you don’t want to be. You might get away with bossing people around for a short season, but you won’t win loyal customers or a standout reputation. So drop the arrogance and look for opportunities to make it easy to buy. Make the customer feel like gold. Instead of being the Big Bad Builder, you’ll become an advocate and trusted partner in finding a solution that improves their lives.
Jason Forrest: Culture coach tips.
