New Homes Marketing Ideas: Highlighting Aging-in-Place Elements for 55+ Buyers

We noted, in a recent Solutions Blog, that today's home buying population includes three distinct demographics: Millennials, Gen X'ers and Baby Boomers.

And, we talked about the challenge for today's sales and marketing professionals: how to incorporate the shifts in economics, demographics and technologies into a meaningful sales office experience.

SalesTouch puts technology to work to suggest new life patterns!

Today's 55+ Boomer buyer is particularly interested in considering how their new home will offer quality aging-in-place.

In a sense, builders are evaluating and incorporating ways that design elements can change the pattern of life for homeowners -- thus helping homeowners live in their home longer.

What sort of design elements should be considered? Bonnie Lewis, founder of 55+ TLC Interior Design, LLC, notes in a recent 50plusbuilder article, "Key elements include creating open space..." She goes on to mention the importance of finishes, counters/countertops and overall planning for wider entries and more spacious rooms.

Lewis also mentions that furniture is a key element (both planning and type). 

Why not incorporate the importance of considering these design elements into your sales/marketing process with an interactive touchscreen system.  CPS' SalesTouch allows home shoppers to explore available floor plans, encourages them to evaluate structural choices (maybe the den option with double doors?) and try out new furniture configuration ideas with drag 'n drop furniture selection and placement.

Put technology to work and offer the sort of meaningful sales office experience your Boomer buyers want as part of their homebuying process!

Adding Proactive To Retail Customer Service

How do you reach out to your customers to engage, interact, solicit opinions, gather information? Many of you might say email or email-based surveys; but...have you considered digital solutions at your location?

Active Listening at Whole Foods: An Opportunity for Conversation!

The days of the old, wooden suggestion box or tired-looking cork boards with faded and tattered flyers and weary, crumpled suggestion forms are long gone.

Today's digital solutions aren't just passively collecting information but have expanded to become customer experience zones displaying store specials, video and, even, websites. They offer a proactive engagement opportunity!

After all, the customer is at your location -- why not reach out and practice active listening?

Chris Lott, a CPS developer specializing in interactive experiences, says, "Take a look at the CPS Customer Comment Board where customers are empowered, given a platform to ask questions and provide feedback.  We've found they also offer ideas for new products, initiatives and improvements -- because they are being asked in the midst of their shopping experience!"

Lott goes on, "Most agree that customer service shouldn't focus only on 'putting out fires.' It's about developing relationships from the first point of contact." An on-site Board starts the conversation and encourages customers to engage with the brand and each other.

Where might such a Comment Board reside? Anywhere your customers interact with your brand, services and products!  Proactive interaction shows you support your customers and reduces the number of fires long-term. Here's your chance to create opportunities for conversation!

Yes! 55+ Home Shoppers Value Engaging with Interactives

Today's home buying population includes three distinct demographics: Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers.

Every home shopper is looking for information!

Regardless of age, geography or economic status, home shoppers are empowered by an unprecented level of access to choice and information.

The challenge for today's sales and marketing professionals is to incorporate the shifts in economics, demographics and technologies into a meaningful sales office experience.

Zoe Miller, a principal at Computer Presentation Systems, says, "People ask us whether interactive touchscreen technology -- so  relevant for Gen Xers and Millennials -- would be used by Baby Boomers. We've found that Boomer home shoppers find CPS' SalesTouch to be an important part of their home shopping experience. They really appreciate the interactive floorplans with room options as well as drag 'n drop furniture placement as they are trying out new housing possibilities."

After all, it's not your father's (or mother's) sales office any longer! Home shoppers value a home shopping sales experience that allows them to dream and "make it their own." Boomers are the fastest growing segment on Facebook. Miller notes, "Regardless of age, home shoppers want information! Providing them with the ability to virtually walk the neighborhood and discover nearby shopping, dining and recreation -- and to explore community amenities -- answers their questions and moves them along in their decision-making."

Interested in finding out more about effective technology for 55+ home shoppers? CPS will be at IBS Orlando -- Booth W5583 in nextBUILD. Or, we'd love to hear from you via info@cpsusa.com!

How to: Kick-up Your Holiday New Homes Selling Season!

The Thanksgiving-to-New Year holiday season is here -- and home builders may see a slow down in sales office traffic and sales activity during this period due to the holidays, weather, competing activities and the like.

Weather doesn't need to be an objection!

But...it doesn't have to be so!

While some home shoppers might drop out during the holidays, BuilderOnLine suggests that many shoppers find the season a good time to kick up their buying process.

Why? Take a look at the reasons and see how you can turn potential negatives into traffic and sales:

• Yes; it's the holidays! It might seem counter-intuitive but...time away from work can mean time home shopping.  Take advantage of people visiting during the week and build on the season: add cookies, hot chocolate or even a special holiday options/upgrades program to encourage visits.
• Frightful outside? Yes, it's true: the weather in Minnesota can be chilly during December but...it really isn't that bad in many other states (and, might even be better than mid-summer in some locations!). Turn to the holidays and your locale for inspiration.  Hot apple cider makes any house seem like home! 
• Are decorations necessary? You really don't have to take on a specific holiday or tradition; add some family-style photos (or adventure vacation shots depending on your demographic!) and festive bowls of lemons, limes and oranges for fragrance and atmosphere.  A fresh, new look and feel is contagious!
• Doesn't 2018 means change? While some might be concerned about changes in 2018, others are energized.  Be prepared to talk about mortgage details, up ticks in home sales volume and any/every thing that's happening in your new community.  You can be the catalyst for thinking 2018 means exciting new adventures!

Now is the time to put your CRM system to the test, as well!  Send out a holiday appetizer invite to your co-op agents, zero in on those prospects interested in schools (those aren't changing!), deck your halls and encourage last summer's prospects to drop in on a (otherwise slow) Sunday for cookies and hot chocolate.

Need help finding a CRM system that can assist you in these efforts?  We're happy to show you how CPS CRM will make your holidays bright!

Builders: Get Added Value from Your Buyer Surveys

Rating our experiences... that's a concept that has started-up brand new companies and entered almost everyone's life in the last 10 years.  There used to be pen-and-paper questionnaires.  Today, we have Yelp, TripAdvisor, Amazon, Survey Monkey ... even primary care physicians are asking for feedback!

 Get Proactive: Engage buyers mid-stream with surveys

Traditionally, many homebuilders took advantage of post-closing surveys.  Pen-and-paper has migrated to web-based. Some builders utilize results to evaluate sales agents and construction managers.

We'd like to suggest surveys be a part of your ongoing communications process.

Doesn't it seem a bit abrupt to ask "How did we do?" out of the blue for such a major event as a home purchase -- although it can make sense for a dinner out or hotel stay.  There have probably been many "great job" and "could have been better" events from the first sales office visit through closing. 

Finding those mid-stream results -- and managing around them -- not only engages your buyer and enhances the customer experience but allows the builder to manage people and process on a more timely basis.

Earlier CPS Solutions blogs talked about initiating and maintaining the communications process during the construction process.  Keeping your buyers informed; providing stage-of-construction photos -- CPS' FieldCollaborate offers a Buyer Portal just for that reason.  Why not schedule a survey after the first Construction meeting?

Now, your buyers are involved in the feedback process and engaged to the level needed to provide meaningful feedback.  It's no longer a perfunctory "How Did We Do?" at closing; you've initiated full-scale dialogue. And, that's the type of communication that will generate referrals!

Find out how we can help you integrate SurveyMonkey into CPS' construction and warranty software!

We're All in the Customer Service Business!

Not that long ago, many organizations didn't necessarily think they were in the customer service business. Doctors, for example.  They treated illness, set bones and the like. Home builders, possibly.  Their business: homebuilding.

Get Proactive! Offer 24/7 communication channels

Today, with the advent of social media and culture changes, interaction with customers needs to be top of every organization's mind. Whether its Twitter, Facebook or an organization's own web page, customers have plenty of opportunities to speak their mind about product, service, followup... just about everything!

And, satisfying expectations for "good service" has expanded, as well.  It used to be a "thank you" card was considered thoughtful and enough.

Today, a continued conversation needs to accompany a homebuyer from purchase to closing and throughout the warranty period. BuilderIQ notes that buyers "start to regret" the purchase when they don't hear from their builder during the post-sale process. That's a fairly radical thought!

One solution: get proactive! Setup processes and systems that enable your buyers (and homeowners) to engage with you in a consistent, straightforward manner. Timing is everything: when an item is top of mind, people want to be able to communicate!  And, communication doesn't have to mean conversation.

Take a look at CPS' FieldCollaborate and WarrantyWatcher Portals as examples of proactive and effective customer service. Are you a homebuyer that doesn't live in the immediate area but is interested in seeing the latest stage of construction images? How about a schedule summary or a list of selected options? It's all there -- available via desktop, phone, tablet!

Maybe you're a homeowner with a disturbing leak, leak, leak in the master bathroom shower. No need to wait until 8am, Monday to contact your builder's customer service department. Log-on Sunday night and submit your warranty request -- and then check status on Monday when the office opens.

And, remember: the primary driver of new home buyer referrals is a homebuyer satisfied with their builder's communication process!

What's In Your Tool Belt to Help Build-in Quality?

Interesting MultiFamily Executive article highlighting the growing demand for new housing and resultant labor constraint issues. The demand for labor has emerged as an issue for both single- and multi-family builders, nationwide.

FieldCollaborate
Quality Inspection Checklist

Do you know the last time builders reported such widespread labor shortages was just before 2001?

The demand for labor has forced the use of "B" and "C" quality trades, which will result in more issues and increases the demand for more oversight. Without a well-qualified and experienced labor force, builders are facing increasing quality issues. Field Managers were already being asked to produce more; how best to produce more with better quality?

Technology should be top-of-mind as a way to consistently survey, assess and respond to quality issues. And, mobile technology allows Field Managers to work directly from the job site -- yet remain in contact with vendors and the corporate office.

Quality issues can be observed and reported for followup as punch items and builders are able to create Quality Inspection templates aimed at catching issues as early and consistently as possible.

One big gain with mobile in the quality world is real-time reporting. Take a look at CPS' FieldCollaborate. Field Managers are able to record a quality issue, automatically email the vendor, post the issue to the Portal (including pictures) for vendor review and then close the ticket when resolved. All from their truck or construction trailer.

And, there's also the ability to analyze data over time -- in real time. Are today's problems consistent with issues last week or last month? Is this vendor consistently late or slow to complete tasks? All of that information is available on the mobile device while dealing with today's quality issue.

FieldCollaborate also provides scheduling, punch and safety tools -- as well as a homebuyer information Portal to keep builders in 24/7 communication with their clients.