Great Stories: Let Your Customers Tell Your Story!

Robert Clay, writing in MarketingWizdom, tells us,

"By articulating everything you do in the form of a story,

you bring everything alive, you make the invisible visible,

you enable everyone in your team to understand what you're about, 
and deliver your product, service or expertise in a better and more consistent manner."

What??? you might ask.  Our product is "X" (where x might be diapers, pencils, accounting services or new homes).  How can this piece of marketing speak help me sell?

Your customer is telling their story -- with your product!

One key element, Clay suggests, is that great stories should be aimed at a specific group of people who are in the market right now for what you offer. 

Stories communicate values -- and those values reinforce what the target audience already believes. 

In a sense, you don't need to worry about teaching something new; rather, you're communicating a message to a small group already looking for your product today.  This target audience is open to sharing your passion -- and when that mission is fulfilled, they're ready to spread your story!

CPS' SalesTouch product helps tell your story.  You already have a target audience and (in most cases) they're in the market right now for what you have to offer.

Put your story-telling skills to work!  Tell your customer how your property meets their needs -- with words, pictures and video. 

Let them create their own story from your story: moving furniture into Plan 1 with Move it/Move it or re-drawing the floorplan with Make it Mine!

One SalesTouch client has homeowners bring their friends into the leasing office.  They're looking for a great place to eat, relax or visit.  At first glance, you might think they're using the touchscreen as some sort of giant map but..they're actually illustrating how their home meets their need for convenience, access and living "in the middle of it all!"  Aren't they telling the developer's story?

CRM 2.0: Helping Homebuilder Agents Become Better Salespeople

No doubt you've heard the expression, "Now, there is a born salesperson!"

Have you really thought about that statement? Who really is born a sales person?  Or, an engineer, software developer or nurse, for that matter?  From a practical standpoint, people are born; everything after that, it can be argued, is based upon learning and choices.

Robert Clay, in his Marketing Wizdom blog, suggests that, while everyone utilizes selling skills in one way or another, very few salespeople have had formal training in selling technique or strategy.  And, too much of even formal training, he feels, is merely passing information from one person to another in a corporate setting.  Clay goes on to say, "Effective selling is not just a matter of a sales spiel, having the gift of gabor or using manipulative techniques."

Rather, Clay says, "Effective selling is a process of leading, guiding, educating and directing your buyers."  And, that's where an effective CRM system helps!

How can your sales agents lead, guide, educate or direct without some form of organization?  How can they keep track of who received a follow-up phone call or wanted more information about the school district?  And, the effective salesperson knows each prospect's needs and wants -- but very few can remember all of them after a day or two -- or, more importantly, a month!

CRM can bring organization and consistency to not only an organization -- but every participating salesperson.  It will help your agents communicate with prospects, nurture them, identify the best prospects and provide ongoing information oriented towards making a purchase decision.

Interested in how your agents can become better salespeople and increase sales?  We'd be happy to demo CRM 2.0 and talk about the power of the process!

Sales Training: How Do You Communicate Your Advantage?

Robert Clay, in his Marketing Wizdom Tips No. 1 & 2, suggests asking yourself, "Why should someone buy from me?"

Their unique Selling Proposition is very clear!

There are a number of components involved, in order to answer that question, including a Commitment Statement, a journey "Behind the Scenes," a Positioning Statement and an irresistible offer.  Have you developed any of those components? 

And, more importantly, how do your salespeople articulate these components?  Are they able to communicate your advantage to every prospect that walks in the door?  Interactive touchscreen systems can help; however, how your sales force addresses the components is critical.

That's where sales training comes into play! Everyone in your organization needs to be able to easily and clearly communicate your selling proposition -- and you need to be able to coach your agents through the communication process.

Are you attending IBS2012 in Orlando? There are a number of great Sales & Marketing seminars available at IBS and we'd like to suggest Pulse2012 - a free sales and marketing event featuring Jeff Shore -- a nationally know sales trainer.  Information is available here:

https://www.builderwebapps.com/pulse/

What is Your Unique Selling Proposition?

Why should someone buy from you?

Robert Clay, in his blog, Marketing Wizdom Tips No. 1 & 2, suggests that fewer than one business in a thousand can answer that question in a compelling manner. 

Are you that powerful number one or a member of the anonymous 999?

Don't you agree: there's a unique selling proposition here?

Can you tell someone what differentiates your business, what's unique, offering a superior benefit or providing something irresistible? 

There's actually at least two elements involved in that conversation: your actual unique selling proposition and how you tell that story.  We'll let you work on what is unique as we concentrate on telling the story.

Communicating your benefits quickly, clearly and effectively is critical -- and an interactive touchscreen will help.  Guaranteed.  Have you been in a sales location that has one?  It brings energy; immediately engaging visitors and getting them involved in your product. 

We're going to be at the International Builders Show in Orlando, Feb. 8-10.  Talking about our unique selling proposition as we demonstrate how we can help you communicate yours -- stop by!

Is Your Message as Compelling as Your Business Needs?

Great article by Robert Clay, Marketing Wizdom Tips No. 1 and 2. He suggests every successful business requires a strong, sustainable foundation. 

How unique is this? Your customer is defining their need!

A solid foundation needs to be able, Clay suggests, to express its business purpose in a fashion that is understood and shared by everyone in the business.  Otherwise, prospects and customers can't fully understand, appreciate or get excited about your product.

Clay goes on to suggest that the more compellingly the message is weaved...the greater the competive advantage and the better you'll be in the marketplace.

So...how do you weave the message? Step 1: Determine your customer's needs; and Step 2: Develop your unique selling proposition.

A well-designed interactive touchscreen goes a long way to helping with both Step 1 and Step 2! 

While it is possible to say: customers enjoy interacting with a touchscreen...what's really going on is the customer is defining their needs relative to what is being touched (which is your product).  They're  forming opinions: "This location is really great: the elementary school is only 2 blocks away" as well as making decisions: "I like Plan 2 better than Plan 1 because it has a separate laundry room." 

Boom: your agents have their prospect's needs being defined.  And, during this process, the prospect has been touching your unique selling proposition: whether it be location, features, floorplan or warranty.  And, they realize you are making an effort to make this process more helpful, a bit different and definitely unique!