In our third-quarter analysis, we’ve highlighted findings that will help your program remain well-positioned for success in the competitive new home market.

We also include some new metrics this quarter (think prospecting!) and outline tips for success in Q4 that will allow your online sales team to continue to excel in a challenging market and drive significant sales for the company. 

Key Takeaways:

• Overall online sales contribution to total company sales came in strong at 52% in Q3! While we saw a 14% decrease in lead volume from Q2, the consistency in the numbers tells us a couple of things: Lead quality across our builders is strong, and prospecting efforts are working.  

• In Q3 of 2024, the lead-to-appointment conversion rate had a slight decrease to 37%. We attribute this change to more customers doing research with some hesitancy to take the next step and visit in person. In order to overcome this, Online Sales Specialists have to brush up on their phone skills and work on the pivot to encourage buyers to "come take a tour" while they're "just looking." This is an area of opportunity for Online Sales Specialists. 

• With a huge focus on prospecting this year, we began tracking the results this quarter of the percentage of appointments that were coming from aged leads, meaning those leads that registered more than 45 days before converting to an appointment. We found that an average of 19% of online sales appointments are coming from these aged leads. This is another bright spot in the benchmarks for online sales! 

• The appointment-to-sale conversion had a slight dip, coming in at 20%. This conversion rate normalized after an influx of leads from Q1 that resulted in an inflated conversion of appointment-to-sale in Q2. We are also noticing a longer buying cycle from lead to appointment to sale. 

• When we break out the top-performing established online sales teams, we see impressive metrics yet again: 
  
        - 47% lead-to-appointment conversion rate 
        - 21% appointment-to-sale conversion rate 
        - 58% contribution to total company sales 

Tips for Success in Q4

To maintain a strong performance in the coming quarter, focus on: 

• Call Evaluation: Regularly review your calls to identify areas for improvement. 
• Role Playing: Practice asking for appointments and overcoming objectives with a colleague. 
• Script Mastery: Refamiliarize yourself with our "New vs. Used" scripts. 

By following these tips, your online sales team can continue to excel in a challenging market and drive significant sales for the company.