Scenario: Barry thought that the new house he was building for the Hopewells was off to a good start. They had signed the contract, completed their initial client selection meeting prior to pouring the footings, and selected their siding and where they wanted hardwood, carpet, and ceramic tile for the flooring.
At their second client meeting, things seemed to be going well, until they reached the plumbing hardware selection. “I just can’t decide,” Barbara Hopewell said. “It’s either the brass and chrome, or the pewter finish. And I don’t know if I want single lever or the more traditional two-handle faucets. Can’t we delay this decision for a few weeks? You won’t be installing this for a while anyway.”
Barry tried to explain that the shower/ tub valve was installed at the rough-in stage. He could delay the sink faucet selection until their third meeting, scheduled in six weeks, but he needed a valve selection now.
“But if I make the wrong decision, they won’t match,” Barbara wailed. “This is my dream home. Everything has to match.”
“How about if I give you an extra day,” Barry said. “You can visit the showroom tomorrow and make a final decision. You don’t want to delay moving into your new home, do you?”
“I’d rather move in a few days late,” she answered, “than have to live with the wrong selection for the next 15 years.”
How can Barry keep the Hopewells on schedule?
Solution: Barry is trying to do all the right things. His sales contract includes a client selection schedule that spells out what selections the client must make at each stage of production. He wisely didn’t ask them to make all their selections at the same time. Poor Mrs. Hopewell would have been totally overwhelmed with that many decisions all at once.
He’s also provided them with a range of options to choose from. Since this is a custom home, they can, of course, go outside those options and pick anything they like. But if people have a hard time making decisions, giving them unlimited choices can induce total decision paralysis.
Barry has even alerted them to begin thinking about the major upcoming decisions, such as cabinetry choice and color. But he has now discovered that Mrs. Hopewell is a decision procrastinator; she tends to delay her final decisions until the last possible moment. This could create major problems later on, wreak havoc upon his construction schedule, and increase costs all the way along.
Barry should make every effort to keep the house on schedule. He should explain to the clients how delaying the project will increase their costs by increasing the interest on the construction loan, adding overhead expense, and incurring extra costs later in the schedule. He should emphasize that he is trying to spare them unnecessary expenses. He has to make them understand that they must meet those decision deadlines or incur a financial penalty. Once they understand the costs, most people will try to avoid the additional expense.
When people procrastinate, it often indicates that they feel insecure about some aspect of the decision. Mrs. Hopewell may be worried about costs, or how the new fixtures will color coordinate with each other. Barry may have to spend a little time ahead of those scheduled selection meetings walking Mrs. Hopewell through her decisions. He could try to uncover her source of anxiety and deal with it directly. Or he could try to probe her value system by asking her what she thinks the advantages of the different selection options are. She may prefer the platinum finish, for example, but is afraid that the cost is greater than that of the chrome and brass. If the difference isn’t significant, Barry could offer to install the platinum for the lower price.
Procrastination can become a frustrating problem if you don’t deal with it early and compensate for it in your selection process. But if you help your clients deal with their insecurities at the start of the project, you can help create a smoother process throughout construction.
Al Trellis, a co-founder of Home Builders Network, has more than 25 years of experience as a custom builder, speaker, and consultant. He can be reached at altrellis@hbnnet.com.
