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Bring people back to make the sale
A study done by the Association of Sales Executives revealed that 81% of all sales happen on or after the fifth contact. If you’re doing one or two follow-ups imagine all the business you’re losing. Not following up with a prospect is the same as filling up your bathtub without first putting the stopper in the drain! All those prospects your builder paid dearly for simply drain away from you and move onto someone else. This does not have to happen. Commit today to begin using the letter writing ideas included in this newsletter to remain in contact with each prospect until they buy from you or someone else.
I know it’s not easy to follow up; it takes time and discipline. Frank Bettger, who wrote How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling, said “Selling is the easiest job in the world if you work hard at it – but the hardest job if you try to work it easy”. Make a promise to yourself that you will work hard at follow up; if you do sales and income will increase. The reason is simple, most competition does not follow up.
Red Tree Marketing Study
You don’t have to believe me; a study done by Red Tree Marketing provides convincing evidence that a large percentage of salespeople are not following up. At a time when salespeople need to make the most of every prospective buyer who walks through the door, Red Tree’s study of 50 new-home communities in Denver found that only about 50 percent of the sales agents asked if they could follow up, 36 percent actually did it, and only 14 percent sent anything relevant to what the prospects said was important to them.
Even more shocking was this statistic: On 16 percent of the visits, no one even spoke to the shoppers, even though they stood in the sales center or model and clearly demonstrated interest – and even when they were the only visitor in the sales center. In 74 percent of the visits, the shopper was the only person in the sales center; in another 20 percent, there was only one shopper there.
New home selling is a be-back business
According to research studies on the attitudes and actions of new home buyers:
- They typically inspect at least six to ten new communities or other alternatives before deciding upon a purchase.
- They typically narrow their interest to three or four homes, new and used. A good way to identify these homes is to call it the ‘short list’. These are the homes and builders about which they are serious. Clearly an objective is to make your prospects ‘short list’. Once they focus on four or fewer, they’re ready for closing.
- They typically return two to four times to each home under consideration before making a purchase, unless they've had an unusual amount of product exposure or time constricted, as in a relocation move.
- They typically spend four to six hours with a salesperson before the sales agreement is finalized.
It's no wonder the vast majority of sales you make are to buyers who are not completely sold during their first visit. Thus you must develop a sales presentation that motivates them to return. And that’s where follow up makes a big difference between a sale and no sale.
This month’s newsletter continues the customer follow-up discussion I started in May. I review the elements of good letter writing.
To help you get started I’ve written 16 letters that I’ll send you. Included are thank you letters, letters announcing price changes, community openings, new model home opening and many more. All you have to do to make these letters work for you is add builder, community and name. Take advantage of this offer today by making a request to buildingresults@BobHafer.com, include ‘Send follow up letters’ in the subject box.
Send to a friend
Thank you for reading my newsletter. You now have a choice to make - choose to use the ideas included in this newsletter now. My commitment is that you will begin seeing, feeling and hearing results immediately. And do me a favor, choose to forward this newsletter to 5 people who you feel will benefit from the ideas and principles included. My goal is to send this newsletter to at least 1000 people monthly. If you have already made the choice to forward my newsletter, thank you. If you have not, please take the time now to help your friends become more successful. At the bottom of the newsletter you will find a ‘Send to a Friend' button. Just click and follow the easy instructions. Thank you in advance for helping me and your friends achieve their goals. It is appreciated!
Robert E. Hafer Seminars
To learn more about Robert E. Hafer seminars and workshops and purchase Building Results – The Ultimate How-To Guide For New Homes Sales, visit www.BobHafer.com, email Bob at buildingresults@BobHafer.com or call 972-795-5926.
Good Luck and Good Selling!
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Letter writing
A letter is a formal way of communicating between you and your prospects. Because sending emails is so easy, letter writing is quickly becoming a lost art. To differentiate yourself from competition, consider writing personalized letters and thank you notes. If a prospect receives any follow up from your competition, most likely, it will either be by email or phone.
Taking time to send a letter demonstrates that you care. Always keep in mind that you cannot not communicate. Everything you say and do communicates something about you. People buy from people they like. Taking time to write a letter, that includes relevant follow up information, is a perfect way to let prospects know how you feel about them. It also sends the message that you are a professional – and who doesn’t want to work with a professional, especially, when you’re considering a purchase as big as a new home.
There are many different uses for letters and personalized note cards. Letters can be informational, persuasive, motivational, or promotional. In my first article I mentioned 16 letters I’ll send to you. Those letters cover the following subjects:
- Thank you – first visit
- Thank you – second visit
- Compare the difference
- Call to action
- Community selling
- Request for return visit
- Homesites disappearing
- New models
- Mini-survey
- Phone call follow through
- Relocation
- Sales manager – thank you for visiting
- Save money
- Take another look
It’s easy to see that the subject matter is endless. If you have an interest in receiving these letters, send me an email and put ‘Send follow up letters’ in the subject box. My email address is a buildingresults@BobHafer.com.
Elements of a good letter
Business letters should be typed and printed out on standard 8.5 x 11 company stationary. If your sales manager is okay with you being creative go to www.PaperDirect.com. At this site you will find paper and note cards to fit any type follow up you’re considering. And the great thing about PaperDirect, its affordable and easy to use.
The most important element of writing a good letter is the ability to identify and write to your audience. Because you’re writing a letter to someone who buys a home once every 5 to 7 years avoid using industry jargon.
The next element is to make sure your objective is clear and concise. Don’t be vague about your objective; most people will not have the patience to sit there and guess at the meaning of your letter or take time to read a long-winded letter – just get to the point without going into unnecessary details.
Letter writing tips
The following ideas will help you write a good letter and avoid common mistakes:
- Always proofread your letter after writing it, check for sentence structure, grammar, and spelling mistakes. If you need help in this area, ask a friend to proof read for you. Make sure the person you ask to proofread has good letter writing skills.
- Proofread your letter again (and again) after you or someone else has revised it.
- Be concise and keep to the point but don’t leave out any important information.
- Keep your letter short enough so that it fits on one page.
- Make sure you include relevant information about your prospects visit. No one likes to receive form letters. Form letters lack personality - let prospects see, hear and feel your personality.
Writing thank you notes
A simple thank you note shows appreciation, it will make the person you're thanking feel better, and improve your image as a grateful salesperson. Thank you notes can be written on just about anything but writing on something nicer than just plain white paper adds value to your note.
A thank you note that is hand written on a card is more personalized and sincere than a note printed off a computer. Notes should be mailed quickly (I suggest the same night of the visit).
Thank you notes are simple but thoughtful messages that express gratitude. One thing you can never forget is people have many builder choices, fortunately, they chose to visit you. A thank you note demonstrates how much you appreciate the visit and it expresses your desire to be of service in the future.
If possible, include a few words about the visit, those few words demonstrate that you were listening.
Send to a friend
Before reading the last article I have a favor to ask. I want you to send this newsletter to 5 people who you feel will benefit from the ideas and principles included. My goal is to send this newsletter to at least 1000 people monthly. To achieve this goal I need your help. If you have already forwarded my newsletter to 5 friends or colleagues, thanks! If not, at the bottom of the newsletter you will find a ‘Send to a Friend’ button. Just click and follow the easy instructions. Thank you in advance for helping me and your friend achieve their goals. It is appreciated!
Robert E. Hafer Seminars
To learn more about Robert E. Hafer seminars and workshops and purchase Building Results – The Ultimate How-To Guide For New Homes Sales/B>, visit www.BobHafer.com, email Bob at buildingresults@BobHafer.com or call 972-795-5926.
Good Luck and Good Selling!
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Summary – phone, e-mail, letter and note writing
The English novelist Charles Reade wrote, “Sow a thought, and you reap an action; sow an action and you reap a habit”. Begin today to see follow up as something you have control over. You alone decide whether to follow up or not. You alone decide to make a phone call, send an email or write a letter. Begin to take responsibility for your actions. The great thing about taking action is that when you take the first step you learn the journey wasn’t really that difficult and then before you know it a habit is born.
When you meet someone for the first time listen for cues that follow up is required. Everything you need to know about a prospect happens right in front of you. The only thing you need to do is be present in the moment. Learn to quiet your internal dialogue and you’ll be amazed at what you see and hear when you watch and listen.
The following briefly summarizes the three areas of follow up: phone, e-mail and letter writing I reviewed over the past three newsletters. If you would like to discuss follow up, contact me at buildingresults@BobHafer.com or by phone at 972-795-5926. My commitment is to return your e-mail or phone call within 24 hours. And be sure to take advantage of my offer to send you the follow up letters and emails.
First follow up phone call
Your first follow up phone call is made immediately after your customer leaves the model home. This call is designed to set you apart from the competition. Your goal with this call is to thank your customer for visiting the model home and put her on notice that you intend to follow through to determine her buying interest. The phone call is short and to the point. See May’s newsletter for a phone script.
Second follow up phone call
Your second call is your formal phone call. This call is made between 24 and 48 hours following the first visit. Over the years I’ve asked salespeople how long they wait between a prospect’s initial visit and the first phone call. I am constantly amazed because most salespeople wait as long as a week to make a follow through phone call. This is a mistake. The sooner the better - out of sight is out of mind!
How many follow up phone calls should you make?
Several questions that may be in your mind: How many phone calls do I make? Do I continue to make calls until I talk directly to the prospect? Or is there a time when I acknowledge that the customer doesn’t want to talk with me or has made an alternative housing decision? I recommend making three attempts to reach the prospect, leaving voice mail messages each time. Go to May’s newsletter to find a phone message script.
Email follow up checklist
Go to June’s newsletter and you’ll find a suggested checklist. Always keep in mind permission is the key to email follow up. Always ask for permission before sending emails.
Elements of a good letter
The most important element of writing a good letter is the ability to identify and write to your audience. The next element is to make sure your objective is clear and concise. Don’t be vague about your objective – just get to the point without going into unnecessary details.
Final thoughts about follow up
Wayne Dyer in his book The Power of Intentions writes that “When you change the way you look at things; the things you look at change”. This idea effects almost every thing you see – my hope is that you begin to see follow up as your way to achieve unbelievable sales success.
Send to a friend
Thank you for reading my newsletter. You now have a choice to make - choose to use the ideas included in this newsletter now. My promise is that you will begin seeing, feeling and hearing results immediately. And do me a favor, choose to forward this newsletter to 5 people who you feel will benefit from the ideas and principles included. My goal is to send this newsletter to at least 1000 people monthly. If you have already made the choice to forward my newsletter, thank you. If you have not, please take the time now to help your friends become more successful. At the bottom of the newsletter you will find a ‘Send to a Friend' button. Just click and follow the easy instructions. Thank you in advance for helping me and your friends achieve their goals. It is appreciated!
Robert E. Hafer Seminars
To learn more about Robert E. Hafer seminars and workshops and purchase Building Results – The Ultimate How-To Guide For New Homes Sales, visit www.BobHafer.com, email Bob at buildingresults@BobHafer.com or call 972-795-5926.
Good Luck and Good Selling!
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