2017 Means More Buyers, More Selections: How to Manage Customization

A Builderonline article, Your Biggest Competition isn't Other Builders, highlights advantages to purchasing a new home when compared with an existing home sale.  The author, Myers Barnes, highlights 7 key selling advantages.

The second key advantage is customization and that asks a basic but key question:  who wouldn't want input on design and product selections?  The article suggests reminding home shoppers that a new home will reflect their personal style -- not someone else's taste.

FieldCollaborate: Improve customization processes

And, a reminder: Millennials -- expected to be a key 2017 buyer profile -- are very keen on customization and personal style!

Some of you might be thinking, "Oh, customization; tried that.  It adds time to our schedule and it's tough to keep track of all the selections, changes, re-selections. Not even sure they're profitable."

But...customization is a key selling advantage for new homes.  How can a builder's current process be better managed to efficiently offer something that home shoppers really like?

Previous Blogs mentioned the need for simplification and process analysis.  Scott Sedum's 25 Essential Scheduling Practices article in ProBuilder offers several steps to consider:

(1) Provide only the number of options customers will pay for and can be kept 100% current - revisit annually.  Do you know how many times each option is selected?  If every sale has a particular option, wouldn't it improve operations to make it a standard feature?

Ask accounting to provide an "options ordered" list and review with sales.  It's a great selling advantage to have an extensive list; take the time to analyze that all your costs are included and the scope isn't so extensive to unduly burden the team refreshing the list at the beginning of each year.

(2) Coordinate cut-off dates with sales for option selections and changes -- and help manage everyone's expectations. Sedum mentions, "It takes skilled salespeople, a focused management team and a company-wide commitment to maintain this discipline." Not maintaining such an approach impacts schedules and costs and can create negatives in home buyer perceptions, as well.  No one wants to hear the neighbor was able to add the granite counter top after cutoff when they couldn't!

We'll suggest a third:

(3) Take advantage of technology so your team knows when options are added or deleted -- and can easily browse all appropriate documentation including drawings.  CPS' FieldCollaborate offers scheduling software tools and provides field managers 24/7 data access necessary to keep up with options activity.  They're able to see what has been ordered on Lot 12 -- and when.  It's possible to view drawings -- all from their smartphone and tablet!

Customization is a powerful selling advantage; make sure that your operations are nimble enough to manage the necessary processes. CPS can help you determine what processes will best help you -- CPS•CRM manages option selections including cut-offs and FieldCollaborate provides critical 24/7 access to selections, schedules and drawings.

Builders: Proactive Translates Well to Productive and Profitable

Builderonline's recent Pain Points: Win or Learn article by John McManus highlighted a timely point: 3 things matter most for builders this morning!

And, all 3 things are within every builder's control (vs. those you can't control such as weather, the economy, etc). Not just large builders, or public builders, or small mom-and-pop builders. All builders.

This Blog will focus on the first controllable: sales.  Everyone has their eye on trends, projections and actual sales. Sales are important because they're not just a clearly identifiable way to measure actual vs. budget but provide insight into what your buyer profile is looking for in a home and where your product stands in terms of delivering.

What are you doing to make sure your story is being told most effectively?

Using technology to tell your story!

Today's buyer -- whether Millennial, GenX or BabyBoomer -- is using technology to search, review and rate communities and homes.

Yesterday's broadcast marketing (same information to all participants) doesn't meet today's buyer's need for individual focused narrowcasting addressing their objectives.

Have you taken a look at interactive sales presentations?

Are your buyers focused on neighborhood, schools, recreation?  Tell that story with an interactive map highlighting the interesting, unusual and local favorites.

How about the variety of home customization options offered? Let your buyers mix/match the options to "build" their new home! Offer them the ability to "mark up" the plan with notes, names and wishes and then email it to study at home. This home shopper just transitioned from the brochure floor plan to their home!

Let technology not only tell your story but inform your buyer that you understand their stories, hopes, dreams and needs.  Every buyer segment responds to this message!

CPS has been providing interactive touchscreen systems since 2008; ask us to show you how SalesTouch can enhance your current marketing program and help address the first controllable: sales!

Today's Home Builder Key Word: Customization

Take a look at Builderonline's October 2015 article, Your Biggest Competition isn't Other Builders, discussing new-home builder's sales advantages when compared with existing home sales.  The author, Myers Barnes, highlights 7 key selling advantages.

The second key advantage is customization and it offers a very powerful message:  who wouldn't want input on design and product selections?  The article suggests reminding home shoppers that a new home will reflect their personal style -- not someone else's taste.

And, a reminder: the millennial demographic -- only starting to purchase homes -- is very keen on customization and personal style!

Take advantage of technology to stay current on selections

Some of you might be thinking, "Oh, customization; tried that.  Definitely added time to our schedule and very tough to keep track of all the selections, changes, re-selections. Not sure they're even profitable."

But...customization is a key selling advantage for new homes.  How can a builder's current process be better managed to effectively offer something that home shoppers really like?

Previous Blogs mentioned the need for simplification (isn't that the opposite of customization?) and process analysis.  Scott Sedum's 25 Essential Scheduling Practices article in ProBuilder offers several steps to consider:

(1) Provide only the number of options customers will pay for and can be kept 100% current - revisit annually.  Do you know how many times each option is selected ?  If every sale has a particular option, wouldn't it improve operations to make it a standard feature?

Ask accounting to provide an "options ordered" list and review with sales.  It's a great selling advantage to have an extensive list; take the time to analyze that all your costs are included and the scope isn't so extensive to unduly burden the team refreshing the list at the beginning of each year.

(2) Coordinate cut-off dates with sales for option selections and changes -- and help manage everyone's expectations. Sedum mentions, "It takes skilled salespeople, a focused management team and a company-wide commitment to maintain this discipline." Not maintaining such an approach impacts schedules and costs and can create negatives in homebuyer perceptions, as well.  No one wants to hear the neighbor was able to add the granite countertop after cutoff when they couldn't!

We'll suggest a third:

(3) Take advantage of technology so your team knows when options are added or deleted -- and can easily browse all appropriate documentation including drawings.  CPS' FieldCollaborate offers scheduling software tools as well as provides field managers anywhere/anytime data access necessary to keep up with options activity.  They're able to see, in real time, what has been ordered on Lot 12 -- and when.  It's possible to view drawings, as well, so your field managers can review accuracy both before and after construction.  All from their smartphone and tablet!

Customization is a powerful selling advantage; make sure that your operations are nimble enough to manage the necessary processes.