Video Mystery Shopping Tip: Persist but don’t Pester, the sales are in the follow up!
If you have ever been to a car dealership, you KNOW how annoying, frustrating and uncomfortable the experience can be. The moment you walk through the door a salesperson immediately latches on to you and does not let go. This person will do everything within their power to get you to ‘buy’ today! They will throw incentives at you left and right, discuss finance options until you can’t see straight and pretty much promise you their firstborn child if you buy on the spot!
But the most uncomfortable (and pathetic) part of the whole process for me is when you want to leave the dealership and have not purchased a vehicle. Once a salesperson tried to physically block me from walking out the door! And, once I did escape from the dealership (otherwise known as Alcatraz!), the salesperson literally RAN after me screaming ‘what will it take to get you to BUY today?’
Well, not only was I not going to ‘BUY today’, I made the decision not to buy from the dealership for the rest of my life! It was obnoxious! And, it gets better! Once I got home, the salesperson made it his mission in life to call me every other day to see if I was ‘ready’ to buy the car of my dreams…..he even promised to throw in floor mats…. for free! OK, STOP THE MADNESS!
The point of this story is there is a FINE line between being persistent and being a pest! My car salesperson was a PEST! And that was a huge turn off.
So, how do you make a sale without being a PEST? In New Home Sales we are taught to ‘ask for the sale’ – and I totally agree. However, we must also remember that we do not want to cross over from Persistent-land into PEST-ville!
4 Tips to avoid becoming a New Home Sales PEST:
P – Be Persistent, not Pushy. If the prospect is not ready to purchase on the spot, start asking questions! Here are some key questions to ask: 1. WHEN do you plan to make your buying decision? 2. Is there any additional information I can provide to you that will help you make this decision? 3. Are there any obstacles or objections that would stop you from purchasing? 4. Would it be alright if I kept in contact with you?
E – Explain to your prospects HOW the new home sales process works! Let them know what to expect from you in the way of follow-up…and then DO IT. I can’t tell you how many new home sales have been lost due to a sales associate’s lack of follow-up. Follow up is where the majority of new home sales are MADE!
S – Sell the community, the builder, the floor plans, and the home site. Get your prospects to fall in love with each one along the way, so that when you get to the closing, it becomes a natural transition! You aren’t just selling them a home; you are validating what they have already confirmed along the way. This means becoming a master of ‘trial closes’.
T – Take the time to really listen to what your prospect’s needs are. Don’t try to ‘sell’ them something they don’t need. Look at your role as that of a matchmaker and not a sales person. You are trying to determine if your community, builder, floor plans and home sites are a good fit for your prospects. And if so, it makes perfect sense for them to buy from you!
Remember, it’s all about creating value and an emotional attachment, not just selling a home. And the sooner you grasp this concept, the more new homes you will sell. And, no matter what else you do, promise me you won’t go running down the street screaming after your prospects once they leave your model center!
