Video Mystery Shopping Tip: The Profile of a ‘Sales SuperStar’

Courtney Pilka

What is your definition of a winner? What characteristics are essential in a successful sales person?

Well, truth is – successful sales people come in all shapes and sizes. There is no ‘one size’ fits all when it comes to success. In fact, great sales people are as unique in their characteristics and personalities as they are with their thumbprint; however, there is one consistent trait that every great sales person must possess….and that is PASSION! Successful sales people are passionate about what they do!

If you aren’t passionate about what you are doing (or selling) chances are you will never truly be a winner in that field.

I wanted to use this week’s blog to highlight a person whom I consider to be ‘sales winner’ in the new home industry. Her name is Courtney Pilka, and she is a sales consultant with Ryland Homes in Texas.

Courtney is averaging 2 -3 sales every month in her Austin new home community. Her gross sales (as of August) were $4,296,486 and she has not had ONE cancellation to date! And, she just recently won Ryland Homes’ ‘Dream, Strive & Succeed’ sales contest that awarded her a trip to Orlando!

I wanted to talk to this young lady (she is only 27 years old), and discover why she was so successful in new home sales. This is a person that wasn’t selling homes during the boom times, and has really only worked in the new home industry during what many consider to be ‘the worst real estate market in history.’

I think you will find her ‘sales success tips’ to be pretty straight forward and each is driven by her passion to succeed!

Courtney’s Secrets to Sales Success

Thorough discovery and qualification process: Courtney spends A LOT of time upfront finding out what her buyers want and what they can afford. Once she discovers this, she is able to perfectly match her product with their wants and financial means.
Get your buyer to become ‘emotionally’ committed: This tip is a winner every time! Create a visual picture of your buyers actually living in the home. Remember, buyers BUY based on emotion, and then justify the purchase later with logic.
Follow up….IMMEDIATLEY: Courtney’s mother always told her ‘if you can’t be good, be there’ and to Courtney that means being the first to follow-up and staying on top of things with her clients. The completion is tough! If you don’t follow up immediately, chances are very good that your competitor already has!
Create a sense of ownership at the beginning: One of Courtney’s tactics for creating a sense of ownership involves taking a picture of her clients putting a sold sticker on the lot marker of their new home right after they sign the contract. She then e-mails this to the buyers so they can forward to their family and friends. Courtney makes the ‘intangible’ become a ‘tangible’.
Sell the ‘sizzle’: Ryland’s green building and energy-efficient program is one of the best in the country. Courtney knows this and uses it as a selling tactic. But, she does more than just talk about the logistics of the program. She explains to the buyers how it will benefit them! And also how much money THEY will save annually on their heating and cooling costs!
Mirror your client: People have different buying patterns. Some will walk into a sales office demanding to know what deals and incentives you are offering, while others are more timid and shy. Understand the personality of your prospects, validate their concerns and sell to those concerns.
Turn negatives into positives: Everyone has concerns about the market and economy. Courtney makes a point of addressing this upfront with her clients. But instead of dwelling on how BAD things are, she talks about what an amazingly wonderful time it is to purchase a new home. Courtney refers to it as the ‘perfect storm’ of low prices and low-interest rates.

And Courtney’s final words about success: ‘Give your buyers a killer deal and build them an amazing quality home.’

Sounds simple enough, right? Bottom line is, in order to be a New Home Sales Superstar you must have the passion first, and then perfect and personalize your presentation every time!