INTRODUCTION

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The Internet, online marketing and shifting markets have transformed how homes are bought and sold. Today, home builders are increasingly utilizing the role of an Online Sales Counselor (OSC) to be the first point of contact with all their online leads. Mike Lyon of www.doyouconvert.com is a leading new home sales coach and is the pre-eminent North American expert on the benefits and how to effectively implement the Online Sales Counselor role as a way to multiply your leads to sales conversions rapidly and resourcefully.

WHAT IS AN ONLINE SALES COUNSELOR (OSC)? The OSC is a marketing or sales person who is dedicated to handling all online leads coming – from your website, landing pages or online directories like New Home Feed, NewHomeSource.com, New Homes Directory, BuzzBuzz.com and others. Using technology, and their communications skills via e-mail and phone, they follow-up and qualify leads, set appointments for the onsite team, and effectively convey your company’s message to prospective home buyers who begin shopping for a home online.

WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE AN OSC? The role of the OSC is to immediately respond to online registrations, wasting no precious time in engaging and beginning to build the ‘relationship’ with a potential home buyer. They answer questions and act as a great information resource on everything from the builder, available communities and floor plans, neighborhoods, to the home buying process and current incentives or offers. They qualify each lead and tenaciously follow up to set an appointment with an onsite sales agent. The OSC frees onsite sales agents to concentrate on walk-in traffic and appointments, tours and to focus on current hot prospects. With the lengthy list of responsibilities agents have for each home they sell, having the OSC manage online leads allows the sales team to concentrate on what they do best – building the one-to-one relationship with the buyers during their onsite visits and subsequent follow-up.

SECTION 1: KEY BENEFITS OF AN OSC

 There are four key benefits to implementing an OSC to manage your online

leads (for larger builders it is common to have multiple OSCs handling regions

or operating areas):

1. Immediate response will increase your conversion rate

2. Unbiased qualification speeds up home search

3. Continual follow-up builds trust before initial appointment

4. A focus on setting appointments accelerates the sales process

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1. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE This is the number one factor that will increase the number of conversions from a lead to an

appointment to a sale. Online shoppers expect immediate follow-up. It is the OSC’s responsibility

to meet or exceed these expectations and, consequently, will do a better job at this than the

traditional agent whose activities are focused on the buyer. Steve Shoemaker, Marketing Manager

for Ideal Homes of Norman, Oklahoma says it well “Speed to respond is the #1 priority of our OSC –

it makes all the difference

t to buyers today”.

SECTION 1: KEY BENEFITS OF AN OSC

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2. UNBIASED QUALIFICATION An OSC is only concerned about qualifying customers and setting appointments at the community

that best fits their needs. This style of informational educational selling puts the customer at ease

- a foundational cornerstone in building a trusted relationship. One thing that frustrates the home

buying shopper and slows down the selection process is when they inevitably go to a neighborhood

that does not meet their needs or desires. An OSC can be sure to set qualified appointments at

select communities or even the perfect community based on each customer’s unique criteria.

SECTION 1: KEY BENEFITS OF AN OSC

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3. CONSISTENT FOLLOW-UP By responding quickly, sending customized e-mails, and establishing an open line of

communication based on permission, customers become familiar with the builder and the builder’s

main attributes, their communities and their main selling features. By the time they visit the sales

professional at the community, they feel informed and more like old friends. This buildup of trust

increases the likelihood of a sale, with a higher tendency to write on the first model home or

presentation center visit.

SECTION 1: KEY BENEFITS OF AN OSC

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4. FOCUS ON SETTING APPOINTMENTS One of the biggest challenges when working with online shoppers is to get them out from behind

the safety of their computer and into your model home. By starting a one-to-one communication,

following a repeatable process and using well-crafted e-mails and scripts, an OSC will motivate

them to visit the onsite agent in the model. They sell without *selling*, while weaving a message

of uniqueness, urgency, and value into their communications. As renowned new home sales

consultant Myers Barnes (www.myersbarnes.com) states, “New home sales is all about the

acceleration business. An intense focus on setting the appointment speeds up the sales process

and will take the buyer ‘out of the market’.”

SECTION 1: KEY BENEFITS OF AN OSC

SECTION 2: JOB FUNCTIONS OF AN OSC

OSC MAIN JOB FUNCTIONS

- Respond quickly and personally to all online leads

- Handle all incoming phone leads

- Provide persistent and targeted follow-up

- Qualify the lead based on individual wants and needs

- Set and schedule appointments for onsite sales agents

- Maintain CRM with leads and updated information

- Track and report on conversion statistics

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SECTION 2: JOB FUNCTIONS OF AN OSC

OSC SECONDARY JOB FUNCTIONS

- Update inventory on website and 3rd party referral sites

- Conduct e-mail marketing campaigns

- Manage or track Search Engine Marketing

- Continually research new sources for online advertising

- Maintain online marketing budget and conversion statistics

SECTION 2: JOB FUNCTIONS OF AN OSC

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The OSC handles the lead until the appointment is set and then turns the responsibility over to

the Onsite Sales Agent. Some buyers may request more information from an OSC and want to go

through the entire sales process. Don’t allow the process to go too far. Turn the lead over to the

onsite agent when the leads have been properly qualified. Having the OSC position handle a lead

all the way to closing will limit the effectiveness of the online sales program and this position.

An OSC cannot properly manage any volume of leads if they are expected to work with a client

through the whole process. If an OSC is spending time getting financing together, following up

on paperwork, updating the buyer on the construction, putting out fires or holding the deal to-

gether, they will not be able to respond quickly to the new leads arriving daily. This is, in essence,

the onsite agent’s difficulty in handling leads and the reason the OSC position was created in the

first place. Also, this will put an OSC in direct competition with the onsite agent, leading to an

unhealthy rivalry. Having the OSC set up appointments for the onsite agents will keep everyone

focused on what they do best and you will sell more homes.

SECTION 3: OSC SUCCESS

TIPS FOR OSC SUCCESS

Be quick on the draw. OSCs know they are more likely to set an appointment if they catch a lead

while still on their website. That means lightning fast response time – having the lead receive

an email when they are still on their computer engages them quickly with attentive professional

customer service. A real competitive differentiator!

Use a CRM and implement a repeatable follow-up process. Once contact is made and key

information is identified, the OSC begins building a relationship. Lasso, via the Registrant

Management functionality including Sales Process and Activities, Website Tracking and built in Email

Marketing allows OSCs to easily create and execute short-term or long-term follow-up consistent

with the buyer’s specific needs.

Sell the appointment, not the home. In this position and process, the “close” is setting the

appointment. Understanding how to ask and being prepared for the common objections that will

follow gives the advantage to those who are ready. It may seem obvious but that’s what separates

people who send emails from highly effective OSCs who facilitate sales.

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Dave Clements President & CEO

Dave has been a trailblazer in technology, marketing, sales, and operations

for 25 years and is part of the vanguard of Internet professionals who have

been building the web into a useful business tool since the mid-1990s. He is

passionate about helping business and their frontline marketing and sales teams

leverage CRM strategy and software to consistently achieve better results.

dclements@lassocrm.com

Mike Lyon Do You Convert

Mike has accumulated a wealth of “real world” knowledge and first-hand

experience in the realm of online marketing and sales for home builders.

He delivers his information from the trenches and draws from his diverse

background in online advertising, digital design, and internet sales.

mike@doyouconvert.com

SECTION 4: ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Lasso Data Systems is the leading developer of innovative “on-demand” CRM software specifically designed for home builders and real estate developers. Lasso, deployed on thousands of new home communities globally, equips builders, developers, and sales agencies with tools to convert prospects to purchasers and sell out their developments faster and easier. The company’s online software manages potential homebuyers from interest list to occupancy including marketing, sales, inventory and contract manage-ment. Lasso works equally well for urban high-rises, suburban town homes, single family, master planned and senior communities; and golf, mountain and ocean destination resorts. Lasso is designed for ease of use, rapid deployment and pay by usage to not only maximize each client’s ROI but reduce their technology and financial risk as well. www.LassoCRM.com

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