How to: Make Your Digital Signage Project a Success

Daniel Waldron hit the ball out of the park in a recent Digital Signage Today article: your digital signage success hinges on creating a unique user experience for your customers.

Staying Consistent with Your Customer's Journey!

Making a Unique User Experience

What's needed to make your customer-facing digital solution noteworthy, unique, worth the investment?

Take a Look at the Basics

Waldron suggests there are several key pieces of advice:

• Ask: is your digital solution attractive?  That seems fairly basic but.. you'd be surprised! Is the actual hardware visually appealing? Too often, in the interest of perceived cost savings, you'll see monitors that are too small for the setting -- or have been touched too many times without cleaning. Stay on top of details! And, of course, make sure you're taking advantage of high quality visuals and high-res monitors.
• Incorporate Social Media into the digital experience. Have you seen the Digital Information World statistic: 71% of consumers refer to social media for purchasing decisions? Linking digital signage to social media, Waldron suggests, creates trust -- as social media recommendations carry positive weight and show you're committed to engaging with your customers. 
• Stay Customer Centric. Don't try to do everything, in other words! If you're a homebuilder, for example, stay consistent with your customer's journey: they're at your sales office because they want to make a lifestyle change. Show them your homes, let them try on various options, help them find out about life essentials in this new neighborhood (where are the local schools; how about shopping?) -- and make it easy to do! Add some fun, where possible!

Keep Your Salespeople Involved

Take a look at CPS' interactive touchscreen SalesTouch system designed for Cornerstone Communities' Aventine sales center. Wouldn't you agree it is visually attractive? And, consistent with prospective home shopper's life journeys?

Although most interactive presentation systems are designed for self-service, it is critical that your sales team is knowledgeable about their operation -- and proactive in getting home shoppers engaged. Bob Musa, in his Creating Customers book, notes that the sales process has always included making the customer aware of the product, creating interest in the product and creating intent in the purchase.  Today, home shoppers want to be educated about how your product will meet their lifestyle needs -- both system and sales agent are actively involved in that process!

Memorial Day 2015: Honor and Remember

Memorial Day has been set aside as a day for all of us to remember the sacrifices made for our country by our military and to honor their memories.

Korean War Memorial -- Washington DC

Traditionally, here at CPS, we recognize and thank members of the CPS family who have served our country:

Bob Strickland, US Air Force

Bob's father, Robert Musa (US Marines, retired)
Chris and Dave's father, Michael Lott (US Navy, retired)
Michele's father, Robert DuBois (US Air Force)
Michelle's husband, Jerry Stone (US Navy)
Sean's father, Chris Miyazaki (US Air Force, retired)
Troy's brother, John (US Air Force)
Zoe's father, Charles Miller and brother, Wilson Miller (US Army)

Have you read that 50% of today's high school-age youth aren't aware of World War II?

We suggest taking the time to encourage friends and family to remember -- with a bbq, picnic, visit to a memorial park or concert, joining a parade or race.  Here in Sacramento, some of us will be joining family members at the Aerojet Wounded Veteran Run  to honor and remember family and community members. Join us -- or participate in your community!!

Veterans Day 2012: Join the Parade of Thanks!

Everyone loves a parade and what better reason to celebrate than thanking our military veterans for their service?

Sit back and enjoy these Veterans Day 2012 Parade photos from one small town here in the Sacramento region: join the youth organizations, adult service clubs, school bands, and residents as they honor veterans for their service.

Cub Scouts Remind Us

The Sikh Community

Girl Scouts Say Thanks!

 

And, all of us here at CPS remember and thank family members for their service:

Bob's father, Robert Musa Sr, US Marine Corps (retired)
Chris' father, Michael Lott, US Navy (retired)
Michelle's husband, Jerry Stone, US Navy
Sean's father, Chris Miyazaki, US Air Force (retired)
Troy's brother, John, serving today in the US Army
Zoe's father, Charles Miller, US Army and brother, Wilson Miller, US Army

Bob Strickland, one of CPS' founders, US Air Force.

Memorial Day: We Remember

This weekend we pause to remember those who died in service to our country.

We remember those who gave their "last full measure of devotion" in wars long ago and in wars we are still fighting.

We will never forget their sacrifice.

And, we pay tribute to all those who have served our country. Within our CPS community, we remember and thank family members for their service:

Bob's father, Robert Musa (US Marines, retired);
Chris' father, Michael Lott (US Navy, retired);
Sean's father, Glenn Miyazaki (US Air Force, retired);
Troy's brother, John (serving today in the US Air Force in Alaska);
Zoe's father and brother, Charles and Wilson Miller (US Army).

Bob Strickland, one of CPS' founders, spent many a cold day in Alaska with the US Air Force!

Personalization: Reframing the Home Purchase Decision-Making Process

Builder Radio offers a great set of resources for new home sales/marketing professionals ranging from Podcasts to Webinars to an audio/visual library...all oriented towards "Helping Builders Sell More Homes."  We suggest dropping by http://www.builderradio.com/ and taking a look at what is offered.

Let your buyers take the floorplan and...make it their own!

Recently, Jane Meagher with Success Strategies participated in a Builder Radio Podcast titled, Making Personalization Part of the Sales Process.  She highlighted a key sales concept: today's consumer likes to have control over purchases and that desire offers homebuilders a unique advantage compared to used, foreclosed and spec homes: the ability to personalize the purchase.

Jane suggests that salespeople ask probing questions designed to get prospective buyers to "dream the dream" and talk about their preferred lifestyle.  This process allows the buyer to reframe their decision-making process and, she says, drives the buyer to ask, "Why settle? Maybe I can get what I want, even if it costs a little more."

That question allows the builder to differentiate the new home from other homesfor sale-- since their purchase must be considered "as is."  Sure, after the purchase the buyer can tear up the carpet, add granite but..not today.

And, here's where an interactive touchscreen system can be an effective sales tool, as well.  Buyers can mix and match structural options, see the results and print out their uniquely designed floorplan.  No more standard brochures with arrows, lines and cross-outs! They can add/remove furniture and mark-up the floorplan, as well.  Change the wall between kitchen and family room to a pony wall; mark-up the kitchen to add a center island, make the base floorplan their home.

Robert Musa talks more about the value of interactive touchscreens in the sales process in his book, Creating Customers with Interactive Digital Signage.  It's available through BuilderRadio.

Closing the Sale: It's about the Interview? Really...?

Read several great articles today: Scavenger Hunt by Michelle Glover and How to Become a Master Closer by Grayson Schwepfinger.  Both were courtesy of Builder Radio's website, www.builderradio.com/blog.
 

Tobacco Row: Hot Buttons to initiate the conversation!

 "The key to improving sales," Michelle says, "may rest in the most unexpected place -- small talk" and goes on to suggesst that agents find "clues" about the real reasons for the visit.  Clues are, in essence, the buyer's "Hot Buttons" and those are proven psychological drivers.  "Hot Buttons" can range from prestige to recreation and everything in between.  Once an agent is aware of a prospect's "Hot Button", Glover says, that information can be used to focus the sales presentation. 

Sports caps and t-shirts lead to how the 4th and 5th bedroom have a loft option...great for the big screen, video games and parties.  Someone else's "Hot Button" might result in describing a bonus room in lieu of the 2 bedrooms..complete with a ballet barre and special floor.  In other words, product doesn't have to be described the same way...to every prospect.

Grayson suggests prospects don't purchase because they've been shown the "wrong home" and the biggest reason for showing a wrong home is a "poorly executed interview step."  He goes on to describe a 4-step information process focused on what the prospect wants and needs. Gathering the information...the "correct" information is critical to improving one's closing ratio!

We suggest there's technology available to assist (and that's a critical italic!) the agent in determing the "Hot Buttons" or needs/wants -- and an interactive touchscreen system drives that tool.  A well-designed system isn't just a pretty face -- it's a tool to facilitate interaction and engage your prospect in conversation.  And..we have always provided "hot spots" to initiate conversation.  Explore the community amenities, neighborhood activities...what looks interesting?

And, that's just the beginning.  Bob Musa suggests in his book, Creating Customers, that touchscreens are excellent conveyors of value-added information. Maybe not everyone is interested but..you can be fairly certain that the prospect touching your "behind the walls" story is wants information about your construction methods and energy savings.  You're able to allow the prospect to browse community information and...then initiate the conversation based upon their selections.

Once that conversation gets started, agents have the information to focus the sales presentation!

Interested in the full articles mentioned:  Check out www.builderradio.com/blog.

Memorial Day: A Day Close to Our Hearts

Korean War Veterans Memorial: Washington, DC

Today we pause to remember those who died in service to our country.

We remember those who gave their "last full measure of devotion" in wars long ago and in wars we are still fighting. 

We will never forget their sacrifice.

And, we pay tribute to all those who have served our country.  Within our CPS community, we remember and thank family members for their service:

Bob's father, Robert Musa (US Marines, retired);
Chris' father, Michael Lott (US Navy, retired);
Sean's father, Glenn Miyazaki (US Air Force, retired);
Troy's brother, John (serving today in the US Air Force in Alaska);
Zoe's father and brother, Charles and Wilson Miller (US Army). 

Bob Strickland, one of CPS' founders, spent many a cold day in Alaska with the US Air Force!