Notes from the Making Customers Session at Chateau Interiors August 2, 2010.

2. You can’t hide these 2

3.  Our buyers feel what we feel
Manage their attitude
 They believe what we believe
Always do what is best for them
 They do what we expect
Expect them to participate

4.  What do consumers think of salespeople?
 What do consumers think salespeople care about?
 What is a salesperson’s unwritten goal or dominant thought every day on their
way to work?
 Are consumers wrong about salespeople?
 When the Sales Manager asks a salesperson “How are you doing?”,
what are they really asking?
 What do salespeople think of homebuyers?
Don’t you think it’s time to change this relationship?

5. It’s all about us and what we do. (poor and selfish)
It’s all about their experience, making them happy while they go
through the process. (better-but incomplete and short-sighted)
It’s all about the Customer; their choices, their lifestyle and their finished
home. (best long-term result possible!)
Where Is Your Focus?

6. Actions
Attitudes
Intentions

7.  has taught us our job is to sell the next person we talk to
 has taught us to tell the prospect what we think they want to hear
 has created mistrust between salespeople and buyers
 has taught us to count sales as signatures and deposits, not loyal customers
 has taught us we learn to sell by closing early and often
If you look like a salesperson, talk like a salesperson and act like a
salesperson, you don’t care about the buyer, only your commission!

8.  finds the next person who wants what we have
 focuses on the end result (the finished home)
 invites the customer to participate in their own satisfaction
 always does what’s best for the customer
 changes the way we look at the selling conversation (from pleasing to serving)
 improves our listening skills
 takes responsibility for what the customer understands
 tells the customer what to expect in all circumstances

9. Definition - Telling customers what they need to know
instead of what they want to hear
Pleasing…
 is our reaction to avoid conflict and be liked
 is what we do to get something for ourselves, and often
backfires and sabotages the end result we really want
 may resolve the issue of the moment, but creates larger
issues for the future
Serving…
 focuses on doing what’s best for the customer
 is what we do when we care about the customer
Professionals develop equal parts courage and consideration

10. Goal – an order, contract, Goal – lots of orders, longer term,
commission do what’s best for them
It’s about me… It’s about them…
 My product …asking the right questions…
 My product knowledge  their wants & needs
 My presentation  their budget
 My commission  their concerns
 ‘My deal’  their lifestyle
About the numbers…  their reasons for buying
 how many calls It’s about listening…
 how many appointments  based on their answers, do I have a
 how many presentations product or service they can benefit
 how many proposals from?
 how many contracts  Conversational
 Relationship building
“Keep the funnel full”  Long term selfishness!

11.  Why should I buy from you? I’m an experienced
professional
Best Product
Great reputation
Excellent We Build
Customer Service Quality
Lots of options!
Knowledgeable
We do what we say
I care about you
Value for the
dollar

12.  allows you to discover what the customer wants and needs
 allows for open ended questions and dialogue
 creates listening actively
 responds appropriately
HELPS YOU DISCOVER WHAT IS ON THE ‘BUYER’S LIST’

13.  Customers don’t want to be sold – they want help.
(First aligned intention)
 Change your intentions (or unwritten goal) to gain respect and trust
Your intention should always be to do what’s best for the customer
Doing what’s best is not always what they want at that moment
but what we know is best for them
 Focusing on the customers ownership experience will help you do what’s best
for them
Stop Selling and Start

14.  We aren’t responsible for what we tell the customer
 We aren’t responsible for what the customer hears
 We aren’t responsible for what the customer signs
 We are responsible for what the customer

15. The Process…
 When you are at work who do you talk to the most?
 When you talk to a co-worker who do you talk about?
 Which customer gets most of your energy and time?
 Who creates the Company's policies and disclaimers?
 By default who manages what we believe or our attitude?
Key Questions…
 As a result, is our attitude ‘customer first’ or defensive?
 Does this create a positive environment to make a customer?

16. The Results…
If non-compliant buyers manage your attitude:
 You will treat everyone like a non-compliant
 You will create more non-compliant buyers

17. 1’s, 2’s 4’s, 5’s 7’s, 8’s
& 3’s & 6’s & 9’s 10’s

18.  1 - 3’s are easy, friendly and give you no trouble
Temptation is to make exceptions because they are so nice!
 4 - 6’s take work, they are more resistant and not quite as cooperative
Temptation is to turn them into a 7, 8 or 9 if you are not patient!
 7 - 9’s are tough and resistant, and they will challenge and test you
Temptation is to weaken and give in, moving them to a 10
 You can make customers of 1 - 9
 Only 1 in 10 buyers is a 10
 10’s can’t be satisfied by pleasing – have the courage to say “No!”
Don’t make exceptions!

19.  Someone who won’t let you do what’s best for them
 They challenge everything
 It’s not about their attitude, at first
 You can never make a non-compliant happy by pleasing them
 They take more of your time
 Profits suffer
 We need to draw the line and create boundaries – just say “No!”
If you have more than 1 ’10’ out of 10, it might be you!
Don’t adjust your selling style to the lowest common denominator

20.  Almost all exceptions (83%) made for buyers turn into
customer service complaints, issues, problems and litigation
 We make exceptions to please, not serve
 We make exceptions for us, not them
 We make exceptions because we are making sales and not
customers
 This can only be changed with a new attitude…
What you feel, believe and expect!

21.  Does the customer have expectations?
 When are expectations set?
 If the customer sets their own expectations can we meet or exceed
them?
 Who is primarily responsible for setting customer expectations?
 Expectations need to be set during the new home purchase process
before the homebuyer signs a contract or writes a check.
 Expectations need to be set before the meets with the Design Center,
Loan Officer, Escrow, Construction, Customer Service or anyone else.
They have to be set to be met!

22.  “You’ll find that you will be as happy with your new home as you
participate in the process. Let me explain…”
 “We build personalized homes on a schedule. We can provide you the
quality, luxury and personalization at the best value, or the most
affordable price, but we must stay on schedule to finish on schedule.”
 “Construction is a messy process of managing 40 trades and up to 400
workers to deliver you the finished home you want. You won’t like
everything you see, but I want you to relax knowing we manage that
process well.”

23. Everyone involved Design
with the customer
should surround
them with
reinforcing
words, Ops
attitudes Customer Sales
CS
and actions
that support
the homebuying
decision they made
for their family! Lender

24.  The Sales Agent and the Home Team (Designers, Construction,
Customer Service and Management) are responsible for managing the
customers perception of all the people and their processes involved in
the home buying experience and homebuilding process.
 Each team member is responsible for supporting the other.
 It’s everyone’s ongoing job to constantly redirect how the customer
feels, what the customer believes and what the customer expects.

25.  Customers are more demanding, have more information
available, are more distracted and are more cranky.
 People are more demanding, have more information
available, are more distracted and are more cranky.
 New Home Salespeople, Designers, Lenders, Escrow &
office people are more demanding, have more
information available, are more distracted and are more
cranky.

26.  Do you have a reason for everything you do?
 Some reasons are well thought out
 Some reasons are habit – can’t remember the original
‘why’
 We do things the way we do them because that’s how
they ‘occur’ to us – it’s intuitive
 You see me differently than I see myself

27.  We relate to each from the framework of our own
‘set of facts’
 “This is so obvious!”
 “Why can’t they see it?”
 “Why can’t they understand…(and do it my way)?”
 But everyone has their own ‘set of facts’
 Their way is obvious to them
 They don’t understand why you don’t see it their way

28.  What can we do?
 Slow down, take a deep breath, pause
 Assume the best
 Give them the benefit –
o Don’t judge, attack and blame
o Don’t condemn and criticize
o Don’t become defensive and overreact – making the situation worse
 Realize they have a reason for their action that makes perfect
sense to them – be understanding
 Tell yourself - “If I knew what they knew, I’d probably do the
same thing.”
 Initiate positive communication and language

29.  After buyers purchase they shift their focus to and but
maintain their expectations from the point of purchase!
 While mortgage, escrow, design all have specific jobs to do, their
main goal with the customer is to keep them focused on the goal –
their Finished Home!
 If the buyer stays focused, it will be easier for them to remain
involved in the process
 If the buyer stays involved, they will be much happier and satisfied

30.  Design dollars to budget
 Homebuyers never finish their home before they move in
 Design center appointments
 Cut-off dates
 Special requests
 Pricing
 Time and money
The buyer’s level of satisfaction and happiness is in direct
proportion to their involvement in the process.

31.  3 to 4 appointments per day, per Designer, 2 to 4 hours per appointment.
 Designer expected to see 180 + homebuyers annually… 50 weeks is 875
appointments.
 Focus on the process - final selections, cut-off dates and selling upgrades.
Not homebuyer focused, but builder and design center process focused.
 This model moves homebuyers through the process. But creates
frustrations and low scores for response time, being rushed, not knowing
the products (homes) and feeling sold rather than served by a Designer.
 Overloading the Designers time sabotages their ability to finish the home,
manage the homebuyer’s expectations and satisfy the homebuyers at the
highest level.

32.  Two appointments per day…90-100 homeowners annually 500 appointments!
 Focus on creating a finished design plan for each homeowner.
 Focus on personal attention to each homeowner’s lifestyle and personal
preferences to create a home that reflects their personal style.
 Focus on setting the Homeowner’s expectations and managing their
perceptions.
 Focus on explaining the differences between the Homeowner’ choices and their
expectations.
 Allows each salesperson to work with each homeowner to complete their home
or manage their expectation for what they choose to do before they installation.
Increases customer satisfaction and sales!

33.  It is not about options, upgrades or products
 It is about a finished design plan. It’s about their Finished Home and their
homeownership experience after they move in
 Ask and listen - the Designer gets the customer to express their expectations and
reaffirm or adjust them before they start the design process! Feel, Believe & Expect!
 The Designer then helps the Homebuyer to recognize the value of the finished
designs that express their personal taste and lifestyle
 The Homebuyer’s expectations of each product selected in their design plan are
clarified by the Designer
 Homebuyer’s choices (selections) vs. their expectations

34. 1. Serve, don’t please - always do what’s best for the Homebuyer
2. Practice responsible communication
3. Don’t let non-compliant homebuyers manage your attitude
4. Set expectations before they go to contract
5. Don’t make exceptions - you can’t be all things to all people
6. Homebuyers will be as happy as they participate in the process
7. Keep homebuyers focused on their finished home, not time and money

35. To assist you, not tell you
To help you, not sell you
To care more about what you get
Rather than what’s in it for me
To always do what’s best for you
By Mike Moore