Let’s all agree that builders deserve to have persuasive salespeople representing them. Builders pour tons of work, know-how, and sweat into getting their new homes built — not to mention the financial risks they endure. To pay proper respect for all of that, salespeople must be persuasive advocates for the new homes that are entrusted to them to sell.

Here’s a wake-up call. I promise, if all you’re going to do is show and write, I can replace you in a week’s time with good-looking, well-spoken people who will be happy to do what you’re doing for minimum wage. With a bit of training, they may even show and write better than you because they’ll be so eager to have the opportunity.

To deserve the big bucks most new home salespeople hope for, you’ve got to bring something more to the party than showing and writing. So, what is it that you do to deserve what you make?

Please don’t tell me you earn your pay by helping to get deals you’ve already written to make it to the closing table. I know it’s customary for salespeople to do all that busy work, but it makes little sense. Many builders would be far better off paying delivery specialists to do that job, thereby freeing salespeople to do what only they can do — produce signed purchase contracts with deposit checks attached.

If we were able to get your builder to convert to the delivery specialist idea, what would you do with your newfound free time? Hopefully, it would be to work more thoroughly and skillfully with more customers and persuade more of them to choose one of your new homes. With any luck at all, your company’s pace of sales absorption would increase more than enough to pay for the cost of using delivery specialists — and you’d have happier home owners to boot!

“Ah ha,” you say. “If I had more time, I would work on becoming more persuasive, and I know just how to do it. I’ll get out all my sales training books and learn how to become a killer closer.”

Certainly, I am a supporter of closing strong. You might even call me a closing strong coach. But, I’m here to tell you, there is much more to being persuasive than closing strong.

It has always amazed me that much of the hyperbole about closing involves metaphors of killing. It’s as though our job is to mow down those prospects — overwhelming them into buying by the sheer force of our ruthlessness. What’s up with that?

Thank goodness not many of us really do it. I know, because I get to analyze lots of mystery shopping tapes. Typical shoppers almost beg to be sold, and yet, many salespeople don’t get it. That’s truly awful. But, if we really used some of the entrapment closes we hear about, it’d be worse. We’d be featured on "60 Minutes" as abusers of the public.

Hear this now, and believe it Tuesday, friends. The sales process is not about doing something to them for us. Persuasive selling is just the opposite. It’s about doing something to us for them.

What is it we should do to us for them?

Level One involves simply making an effort to be respectful of our customers — placing them first on our priority list for the work day. Receiving customers cheerfully when they arrive, asking thoughtful questions to draw out their circumstances and preferences, listening attentively to their answers and knowing all there is to now about the homes we represent; these are typical Level One persuasive selling skills.

Level Two involves studying the body of knowledge that defines our profession and becoming proficient in a wide range of sales communication techniques. Understanding body language clues, knowing about behaviorally-based communication models, becoming aware of motivationally-based psychographic decision models and using the power of negotiation techniques; this is Level Two sales proficiency.

Level Three requires mastery of Level One and Level Two skills so that they live in your subconscious all the time and guide your every move. Level Three is an integration of many separate bodies of knowledge into a seamless whole which makes possible a magical thing. When you know, and you know you know, you can relax and await what comes your way. No matter what it is that customers confront you with, you’ll see it coming and handle it perfectly without having to worry a whit about what to do.

Here’s an example of Level Three in action: Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, Ted and Sally, appear to be in their late 30s. They are both employed and doing well in their jobs, Ted as a financial analyst and Sally as an advertising executive. They have two children, Martha, 9 and Ted, Jr., 13. They have come to our gated move-up community and are looking longingly at our Amherst model. It’s an impressive home with all the latest features, and they can just afford it with Ted’s bonus. Still, they are hanging back. 

Standing in the model, Rhonda Peterson, our salesperson, opens her sales presentation notebook to a pleasant-looking photo, and the Johnsons stroll over to take a look. The photo is a shot from an elevated camera looking down into a warm and homey living room with cream-colored carpeting. To the far left is a nice brick fireplace with a small fire burning inside. On the hearth, a honey-and-white cocker spaniel placidly sleeps. The center of the photo is dominated by two youngsters who are lying on their stomachs, propped up on their elbows, evidently doing their homework from school. In the foreground, we see both parents sitting in upholstered chairs, leaning forward, looking over their children’s shoulders as if to help with their homework. This is a pretty nice picture of family togetherness, isn’t it?

The message that photo conveys is that when you own a home like the ones we build, you will be able to enjoy these wonderful family moments with your children and fulfill your natural desire to nurture and guide them.

Rhonda chose this photo to show at this moment because she sensed the Johnsons were dealing with an inner concern about their careers possibly shortchanging their children. Rhonda correctly defined their situation as, “If we owned this home, we would really devote quality time to Martha and Ted, Jr. in the evenings.”

Rhonda really didn’t have to say anything. She just allowed the Johnsons to have a quiet moment living the story the photo told. The close happened without a word being spoken.

Salespeople who can operate at this level can also name their price. They are the best of the best because they have done their homework and have honed their skills. It’s a demanding path to follow, but also fantastically rewarding.

Tricky closes, on the other hand, are favored by salespeople who look for shortcuts to success. They think they can get what they want by pushing customers. Trouble is, when they push, customers push back. What results is frustration, anger and burn-out.  

Try the other approach. It works much better.  

Bill Webb, MIRM, is the president and founder of William N. Webb & Company, Inc. He is a past president of the Institute of Residential Marketing and author of IRM Course I and Course IV. Webb works with home builders and their marketing and sales staffs throughout the United States. In his new book, "Sweet Success in New Home Sales" (available at www.builderbooks.com), Webb shares more of his powerful, proven techniques for those serious about selling new homes and delivering what customers want.  [ return to top ]