Dennis O'Neil - Speaker & Author on Internet Sales, Marketing, and Social Media for Home Builders » General

The Sales & Marketing Pulse 2012 Report and Video

dennisoneil — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:40:34 +0000

In early January, Jeff Shore and I began an ambitious project to survey nearly 300 new home sales and marketing leaders about what’s hot, what’s not, and what’s really happening in the marketplace. This in-depth survey asked leaders specific questions about topics including negotiating frequency, salesperson turnover, social media use, and online leads.

Because of the comprehensive survey and participation, we were able to do much more than just share the results. The responses told several clear stories about what leaders are experiencing, exposing key opportunities for 2012. We presented these results during the International Builders Show in Orlando to a sold out crowd and rave reviews.

Visit the Sales & Marketing Pulse website to download the 48 page report and watch the full video of the event.

I’ve written about the importance of mobile websites for builders a number of times, and the Pulse 2012 report provided some interesting insight into the topic. We included the popular Builder Web Apps infographic detailing the average home builder website statisitcs in the report and you’ll see the infographic demonstrates a clear trend upwards on the percentage of users accessing home builder websites from a mobile device; up 121% in 2011.

To get more insight about what this infographic means, click here to visit the Sales & Marketing Pulse 2012 website to get your copy of the report and watch nearly an hour of video content about the results.

Home Builder Website Performance Statistics

Coming up for Air

dennisoneil — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:49:53 +0000

I’ve spent the last 4 months solid working without a break or a breath. We’ve been launching some great new websites for builders, creating new features that no one’s ever seen, and we’re in the middle of a few additional projects that are really going to empower builders of all sizes to take control of their sales and marketing. I am beyond excited about what 2012 will be, and can’t wait to share more about these new projects.

As a result of the hard and fast pace, I’m looking forward to coming up for air – raising my head and taking a fresh look around. We’ve been so busy getting things done, its time to check in on how everything else is going. I’m going to enjoy the next few months, filled with product announcements and fresh perspective.

Kicking off the year at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Builder Web Apps is sponsoring a presentation from the one and only new home sales trainer Jeff Shore. Jeff will be presenting and discussing the results of the Sales & Marketing Pulse 2012, a nationwide survey of sales and marketing managers on what’s hot, what’s not, and what’s really happening inside the sales offices. We’ve had hundreds of responses to the survey, collecting the details on everything from co-op percentages to social media. The preliminary review shows some trends that will surprise you.

If you’ll be in Orlando for the Builders Show, I invite you to be our guest on Wednesday afternoon, February 8th. The event is free. Full details and registration info can be found here. Seriously… When else are you going to see Jeff Shore for free?

Trying to Stand Out? Drop the Stock Photo Habit

dennisoneil — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:23:49 +0000

The first goal of any marketing effort is to gain someone’s attention. We can argue about whether or not this means the goal is to interupt someone, but no matter the direction, the goal is always to do something unique enough to get noticed, and then be heard. Let me be clear – stock photography is the OPPOSITE OF UNIQUE. Businesses’ new found addiction to stock photography has created a wad of sameness that spreads mediocrity all over your message.

NOT Standing Out

A little more than 10 or so years ago, options for inexpensive stock photos were minimal. One of the only choices was to buy big multi-CD collections of photos and clip art; and I was the proud owner of more than one set. The outlets for high quality stock photography were expensive and exclusive; often costing hundreds of dollars for a single photo and being accessible only through ad and creative agencies. These expensive and exclusive options still exist, but are still just as impractical for everyday use. So what’s a do-it-yourselfer to do?

Along comes the Internet and blasts a gaping hole in that business model with websites like iStockPhoto.com. iStockPhoto made stock photography cheap, often $1-2 a photo, and available to everyone, and available instantly. Do it yourself designers and flyer makers rejoiced.

So what’s the problem? EVERYONE uses stock photography. The ubiquity of stock photography has empowered us all to look exactly alike. The photos on sites like iStockPhoto are generic, as they want to appeal to a wide range of buyer. This means that LOTS of people buy the popular ones. This means that your customer, consciously or not, recognizies that photo on your website as the same one it saw on the PTA flyer in their mailbox.

Here are some signs your stock photography is too generic:

Operators are Standing By

Random Guy Drawing on Glass

Marshmallow People

Cloud House

I’ve seen these photos on blog posts, websites, in emails, or flyers, brochures, and EVEN ON BOOK COVERS. The last thing you want is for your brand to be associated with an image that can be hijacked by anyone else willing to spend $1.95. I’m guilty of this myself. While I did do some modifications, I used stock photos for my first book cover — not good.

So how do you avoid this?

1) If you must buy from iStockPhoto, avoid the the images with the “flames” over top of them. This means they’re top sellers and its a guarantee that you’ll see the images elsewhere.

2) If you buy an image from iStockPhoto, avoid using it in its original form. While this can involve some image editing, consider removing the color, editing out a background, or using just a piece of the image. This reduces the likelihood that someone else will be using the image in the same way you are.

3) For blog posts, use the advanced search function on Flickr to find photos with a Creative Commons license allowing them to be used commercially (the check boxes can be found at the bottom of the search page). At the the time of this writing, just over 39 million photos were available. Most will require you provide credit to the photographer, but some will not. While these photos could just as easily be used by others, its a less common approach by far, reducing the chances you’ll be identified with someone else.

4) Consider taking your own photos. You could get all fancy with a photographer, models, etc if you’re working on a brochure. If you’re just working on a blog post, though, you could also just use your phone and take a photo of you pen, or your keyboard, or your Christmas tree.

Just remember that if your goal involves defining who you are, blue-hot stock photography says you’re just like everyone else willing to spend $2 on a photo. That’s not very unique. Spend a little time and chose your imagery wisely. It says a lot more about you than you think.

A Full Day of Brain-Food – TEDx Mid-Atlantic

dennisoneil — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:19:09 +0000

A couple weeks ago, I was able to attend TEDx Mid-Atlantic. For those of you not familiar with TED events, the slogan for the ‘brand’ is “Ideas worth spreading.” In a nutshell, the event is a series of short lectures on various topics, by multiple speakers; all with the purpose of inspiring new ideas and innovation. This locally grown TEDx event hosted by Dave Troy was completely free, and worth a whole lot more.

I was inspired by a number of the speakers there, but wanted to pick just a couple of them to share.

Sandy Wiggins, the former chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, gave poetic and profound meaning to building green. Unfortunately, his talk is not available on YouTube, most likely because there were some pretty big A/V blunders during his time on stage; none of them were Sandy’s fault and he handled all of them with unbelievable grace. Thankfully (at the very least), I scribbled down his final statement… “Sustainability is preserving humanity’s ability to participate in the dance of creation.”

The other speaker I wanted to share was Tony Geraci from Baltimore City Schools whose efforts to bring whole local foods, and a respect for what we eat, into the school system is making an impact. Tony has awesome stage presence and is an enjoyable speaker. His talk is well worth the watch. You can find it below:

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Thanks so much to Dave Troy, all of the speakers, volunteers, and sponsors for a fantastic brain-food filled event.

Lessons from Mr. Miyagi

dennisoneil — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:43:59 +0000

Ever read a blog post or article only to be left unclear about the message at the end? I follow a good number of company/corporate blogs; not because I love all of them, but because I like to see how businesses are using them, and look for what I think are successful implementations. A consistent flaw in many of these blogs is this general lack of a message, or a message that’s so generic it’s almost like the blog is saying nothing at all.

I understand why a lot of corporate blogs are written this way. There’s a fear that if the company says something too direct, or potentially objectionable by a customer, the company could alienate said customer. The flaw with this type of thinking is that in this effort to be all things to all people (which is an impossible goal for anyone, let alone a business), the post says nothing – making it unremarkable and ineffective.

Most of you have seen The Karate Kid with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. At the point in the movie where Daniel is about to begin his training, Mr. Miyagi shares some good advice. He says in his rough English,

“Walk on road. Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later, get squish just like grape.”

What Mr. Miyagi was trying to communicate here is that you can’t walk along the center undecided. If you want to make something happen, and not get squished, you need to make a decision, pick a side, and make a statement.

Balance has its place, but an abundance of balance can also stop something from moving. You want blog posts to move and inspire, and that can’t be done with generic messages. It’s okay to say something that’s not all that popular. Most blog writers are looking for more subscribers, attention, and comments. Posts that make a statement will make all those things happen. So, throw things off balance a little. Pick a side. Say something.

Agree/Disagree? Feel free to “make a statement” below.

Starting Fresh

dennisoneil — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 04:01:59 +0000

I began to get the feeling that my online activities were getting a bit too fragmented. I’ve got wonderful new marketing partners over at Escapade ONeil Media Group, and I’m in great company over at New Home Know-how, but I felt I needed a home base – so here I am.

Here I’ll be writing , and sometimes venting, about technology and how I see it impacting buyer behavior. A lot, but not all, will be centered around my experiences in homebuilding and real estate. This is also the best place for people to find me if they’re looking for a speaker or a trainer, as I’ve been speaking often as of late, and find myself enjoying it tremendously.

If you’ve found my writing helpful or thought provoking in the past, please subscribe. I look forward to good and productive conversation.