Plenty of builders start their own business confident in their construction expertise, but not in their sales knowledge. Sales is such an important part of running any business, but especially in the new homes industry, where a strong pipeline can be make or break.
As a leading consultative service in sales training, we aim to give builders the tools to sell their homes and effectively manage workflow. Here are just five of our top tips to start improving your technique.
1. Work on building trust
Any successful relationship is built on trust. Therefore, when looking to establish a relationship with potential clients, it’s imperative to start with trust. It’s especially important in the building industry as you’re working with clients for months at a time. Focus on building a connection rather than pushing your business on them, with an emphasis on real conversations over sales talk.
2. Listen
As with any relationship, listening is integral to successful sales. Customers who feel listened to and understood are far more likely to want to work with you, so it’s important you adjust your communication to suit their responses. This can range from the style – do they prefer email over calls? – to the information you’re sending – what have they specifically asked for and can you provide the answer?
3. Do your research
The more you know, the better salesperson you’re likely to be. Read up on how to improve your sales techniques in blogs, listen to sales podcasts and talk to the experts. There are plenty of free resources online that aree easy to find with a simple Google search.
It’s important to stay informed about the industry as well – attending events, subscribing to newsletters and joining industry associations. This will make it easier to answer any questions your clients may have and reduce the potential for delays in communication.
4. Review your meetings
One of the best ways to improve is to review past sales meetings and think about how you could improve and what you could have done differently. If a client had you stumped on a question, make sure you have an answer for your next meeting. If they asked for particular materials you didn’t have, make you have these for your next client. Practice makes perfect!
5. Engage a sales coach
While there’s lots of room to improve your technique by yourself, you may reach an impasse. It’s at this stage that working with a specialist sales coach could make all the difference. They will be able to help you build on your skills and get more sales over the line. However, it’s important to choose wisely – do your research to ensure you’re choosing a high-quality coach who will provide you with practical tools to take your sales technique to the next level.
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Sales is an essential part of owning any business, but especially when working in the new homes industry. Investing your time, money and effort into refining and improving your sales technique will make a huge difference to your bottom line and ongoing business success.
Spectrum Coach works with a number of clients in the new homes industry to improve their sales strategies and management – get in touch to see how we can assist your business today.