At the 2013 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, I had the pleasure of presenting the results of our annual Sales & Marketing Pulse report with our partners, Shore Consulting. Jeff Shore and I presented the results to the crowd in Sales Central with standing room only. If you missed us at IBS, you’ve got [...]
The relationship the Internet has with the salesperson is a fascinating one. Some salespeople choose to ignore technology. Some fear it. Some choose to fight it. And some choose to work with it. Over the last 15 years, I’ve witnessed first hand the changing role of the traditional salesperson; How the Internet has impacted salespeople like robots impacted the [...]
I recognize the ever growing popularity of the Online Sales Counselor role. I first saw it nearly ten years ago, and it continues with a slow and steady climb. It has always been my feeling, albeit unpopular, that the Online Sales Counselor role is a short-term solution at best, and at worst, a dependency drug [...]
I was recently invited to write for Sales & Marketing Ideas magazine, published by the Sales & Marketing Council of the National Association of Home Builders. My contribution discusses how to convert social media friends and followers into sales prospects. I’m honored to contribute, and especially honored to have my contribution featured on the cover. You can read my article by [...]
Consider the the roots of the phrase “social media.” “Media” refers to a written, visual, or audible element. “Social” refers to the nature of the media itself and the method in which others can interact with it. “Social” means that the media both invites conversation, and in the best cases, evokes conversation and supports continued [...]
Consider the phrase, “social media.” The “media” part refers to the content, the social content – the conversation. Sales is conversation with a purpose. I recently had the pleasure of spending some time with Matthew Shadbolt of The Corcoran Group after coaxing him to Baltimore to speak at SMC SalesCamp. Those of you that know, [...]
Here are five of my favorite uses of video for Real Estate and new home marketing. They’re not all my favorite for the same reason, and they’re not all fit for every purpose. Some have a unique twist, some are just a better way to do a tour, and the last couple have shock value [...]
It’s no secret the impact that Facebook is having on consumer behavior. In fact, in recent months, Facebook has risen into the top 5 referring sources of traffic for some of our clients’ websites. Despite this impact, many builders are still somewhat skeptical of Facebook’s role in the buying process, and I can sort of [...]
Generally speaking, most builders, salespeople, and real estate brokers I speak with agree that the last thing the Internet needs is another home search directory. Each time a new directory is introduced, it creates a new burden for the builder (focus, monitoring, plus a new SEO competitor). Ask a consumer if the Internet needs another [...]
Testimonials rely on the concept of “social proof”; the idea that we look to others to help determine how we should behave. For this reason, testimonials are a powerful component of advertising. As with most things, overuse and abuse has diminished the effectiveness of the typical testimonial. Something more authentic is the only way to [...]
