In the last few months, the role of the online sales professional has changed drastically. You’ve gone from managing too many leads to having lower lead and inbound call volume. Now you’re even hearing objections when you ask for the appointment! It happened so quickly that we’ve almost forgotten what to do. And some of us have never seen this type of market.

 

Some of us feel like we’re not contributing the way we used to, but keep in mind what Mike Lyon says:

 

 

Whether that means rolling out the red carpet for new leads or reaching out to leads who have been in the database for a while, we want to do everything we can with the leads we have in front of us.

 

Let’s take a look at five crucial things you can implement today that can help you successfully adjust to the changes in your role.

 

1. Mindset Shift

2. Personalization

3. Prospecting

4. Handoff

5. Building Trust and Overcoming the Objection

 

 

I’ve seen a lot of worry and negative outlooks with the new shifts in the market. In South Carolina, we call that stinkin’ thinkin’, and we need to retrain our brains to have a positive viewpoint. You may need to step back and get your head in the right place. We can still do a lot to contribute to the bottom line.

 

Start by having an attitude of gratitude. We can be thankful that we now have the extra bandwidth to get back to the process. The job looks a little different than it did before, but you have the skills to do it. Just make sure you’re focusing on the most important things - speed, process, persistence, and messaging.

 

 

When we were bombarded with leads, we couldn’t personalize everything, and we were forced to automate when necessary. While automation is great, personalization will always win.

 

Specifically in the first week of follow-up, make sure you’re addressing the customer’s specific concerns and questions in emails, voicemails, and calls. Get back to your personalized video emails. Buyer confidence is low right now, but personalization can help you connect with the customer. Provide the guidance they need to help them feel comfortable with your company. Build that connection and help them feel they’re getting the attention they deserve.

 

 

Prospecting is a crucial way online sales professionals can add value right now. And it isn’t just about setting appointments. It’s also about cleaning up the database of prospective buyers so that when the cyclical market comes back around, you’re ready.

 

Be sure you’re using your time strategically by following a good process for your prospecting.

 

-   Segment your leads by where they are in the buying process by date (older than 45 days) and by rating (non-responsive, responsive, coming soon, realtors, etc.)

-   Create targeted personal email templates. Keep them short at five sentences or less with a punchy subject and include a clear call to action.

-   Press send and be ready for responses.

-   Double back and resend unopened emails with a new subject line.

-   Hit the phones. Think about the best way to pull your call list, using things like open and click-thru reports to help you.

 

And don’t ignore the importance of messaging in your emails. Make sure emails:

 

·  Focus on experience

·  Build and earn trust

·  Include a clear call to action

·  Come from a human

·  Stay timely, targeted, and valuable

 

 

It’s time to brush up on that handoff process and lower the threat level for customers who’ve set an appointment. Our recent secret shops have shown that as an industry, there is room for improvement in our handoff process, specifically in the areas of following up after missed appointments and communication from the onsite sales agent.

 

Help customers feel comfortable by using all your tools to introduce them to the sales agent and work together with your team to make sure it’s the smoothest experience possible.

 

 

Building trust is even more difficult today, and we haven’t had to practice our skills in this area for a while. We need to get back to asking the right question and progressing phone calls and interactions in a way that builds trust and provides value. We must meet customers where they are by learning their wants, needs, and dissatisfactions.

 

We now have new and different objections to overcome. It’s no longer only the basic “just looking” objections of last year. Now, we’re faced with objections concerning interest rates, price increases, and build times.  But we can provide customers the reassurance they need that they’re taking the proper steps.

 

If you stay focused on having a positive mindset, personalizing follow-up, prospecting, executing a great handoff process, building trust, and overcoming objections, you’ll be able to make the most of the leads you have to work with and contribute in a crucial way to your organization. Builders and customers need you now more than ever!