can I get your number?

We've hit a wall. Our industry that is. 

 

Homebuilder sentiment in the United States is at an all-time low and home sales in both countries continue their downward trend. The secret ingredient to success, whichever side of the border you're on, lies in your unique ability to capture the information of the few prospective purchasers walking through the door. Some do it better than others but overall, most would agree its purely a numbers game. Or is it?

 

Day by day, month by month, its becoming increasingly difficult to capture highly coveted + personal "contact information" from the few prospective purchasers we see. Blame it on the internet, the spam messages in their inboxes or the obnoxious furniture salesman they wish they never gave their email address to. Yes, the world has changed and everyone from the first-time homebuyer to to the empty-nester and every purchaser in between is reluctant to give up their contact information. 

 

Expect More. Get Less? 

 

Could that really be it? I was meeting with one of our area's most respected builders the other day. We talked about the market slowing down. We talked about the decrease in traffic to show homes and we talked about the the lack of show home visitors that are registering when they walk in the door. It's happening everywhere but why? If their time spent in your show home or open house was great and they liked what they saw, wouldn't they want to receive more information from your talented + polished sales team? Even the best sales executives these days are having a difficult time getting prospective, interested purchasers to give up the goods. 

 

Some chalk it up to a sense of entitlement among show home visitors but I'm thinking its more along the lines of a lack of excitement + experience provided. They walk through the door with high expectations and walk out disappointed or at best, marginally amused. In the end, who's to blame? They expected more (an experience) and felt they got less (the same thing they got at your competitor’s show home next door). You expected more (their contact info) and got less (a friendly "thanks + goodbye").  At the end of the day, the customer is always right--even when you have no idea who they are! 

 

Experience Engagement.

 

Times have changed. The recent downturn combined with communications technologies evolving at warp-speed, have changed the game as we know it. They want more from us. We expect more from them. Seems like a fair compromise doesn't it?  

 

How can we get more when we're not even getting the basics now? We think its not only reasonable, but very realistic.  Prospective purchasers who take the time to visit your show home will tell you more if you give them more. It's not about higher-end furnishings, better staging, more signage or a slicker sales person. It has everything to do with the experience in which each of your guests are engaged in. From the moment they walk through the door to the moment they leave. Create a memorable, unique show home experience and they'll be falling over each other to give you their prized contact info. 

 

The reason for this post stems from our recent ThinkTank sessions at our company's Collaboration Centre in Calgary. We're more than embracing our niche of real estate building + development--we're working to make it better. The problem resonates with most of our clients so we'd be fools to not try and find a solution. Without giving it all away, the team has been hard at work on some incredible Prospective Purchaser Pathing Strategies (PPPS) + technology solutions for the ever-challenging show home experience. No matter where you are, what you build or who you're trying to sell to, who doesn't want to be able to "wow" prospective purchasers and not just get their contact info, but create a "fan" and future owner of our brand + our homes. Stay tuned. We've got some exciting experiences brewing. 

 

-jason

www.chattersondrive.com

#passiondrivessuccess

get off your soapbox, shut your mouth and listen

With the introduction of social media, the ways in which organizations communicate with key stakeholders has changed dramatically.  No longer forced to rely on the one-way dialogue that for so long dominated, consumers, clients + employees are now able participate in what is being said about an organization.  In fact, it is encouraged. 

Social media will not work unless you are willing to engage your audience.  Spouting facts or information non-stop will kill your social media platforms faster than you can shake a fist at.  Its in your best interest, as an organization, to listen to what your customers + prospective purchasers have to say.  Whether you are selling a product or service, ultimately these are the people who will influence the success of your organization.  You have an opportunity to understand your target market intimately if you know the right questions to ask and are willing to truly listen.

How do you do this?  Like any successful communications or marketing plan, you need to have a strong, well thought out strategy in place before launching your social media escapades.  Knowing where you want to end up will definitely help define the steps you need to put in place to get there.   But, if you don’t know what you are doing, it will show.  Nobody expects everyone to be a social media expert. But much the same way that I would never apply for (or expect to get) an engineering position, a company whose focus is not social media may want to consider outsourcing or bringing on a new employee whose skill-set and knowledge base focuses on social media strategy.  In fact, according to Mark Evans, one of Canada’s leading social media + digital marketing experts, this is one of the biggest mistakes companies make when attempting to integrate social media into their overall marketing and communications plan.

With the right strategy in place and a salient vision to see what it is that you want to achieve, your company has a huge two-way communication resource at its fingertips--literally.  So jump off of the proverbial soapbox and start speaking WITH your consumer. 

-kt
www.chattersondrive.com

#passiondrivessuccess