Carol Smith Presents: Delivering an Experience Worth Repeating

Managing Buyer Expectations & the New Home Process

In today’s competitive environment, securing a sale without overpromising your product, process, or service is challenging. Meeting that challenge requires a forthright system that combines accurate information, diplomacy, and subtle repetition. The front-line personnel who apply this system need appropriate attitudes, skills, and tools to bring realistic expectations to life for customers. This class shows how to develop the tools and practices to achieve these goals.

This class is a thorough start for newcomers to the industry and an excellent review for veterans who want to fine tune their practices and stay in touch with the latest developments.

At the end of this class, successful participants will be able to—

• List ten or more common tools for aligning home buyer expectations.
• Discuss the principles for aligning expectations successfully.
• Demonstrate how effective use of a comprehensive homeowner guide aligns customer expectations
• Explain specialized tools and techniques builders sometimes need for aligning expectations in less common situations.
• List three or more common pitfalls to avoid in aligning home buyer expectations.
• Identify opportunities to exceed expectations.
• Characterize the challenges home builders face with today’s consumer and practices that successfully respond to those challenges.
• Describe the benefits of using written agendas for all routine customer meetings.
• List three categories of topics to consider when developing customer meeting agendas.
• Discuss the benefits of formatting customer meeting agendas consistently.
• Explain the value of meeting showmanship and give examples.
• Provide examples of positive responses to controversial topics.
• Distinguish clearly and in writing the included and selected items displayed in your model homes.
• Communicate realistic product expectations, including appearance, use and care, and warranty coverage on available choices in the selection process.
• Develop a change request form and supporting practices that include accurate information regarding the requested change, pricing, timing, and other company practices.
• Formulate a strategic and educational itinerary to ensure consistent and thorough orientations.
• Illustrate five or more techniques for successful homeowner orientations and confirmation tours.
• Plan how to align home buyer expectations early regarding the confirmed closing date, storage of their belongings prior to closing, and delivery of keys.
• Explain the value of transition services and give examples of them.
• Give examples of how each function can routinely reinforce home buyer expectations regarding warranty and maintenance responsibilities.

About Instructor Carol Smith

Carol Smith is a customer relations expert with 30 years of experience in the home building, customer relations, real estate, and mortgage industries with homeowners and builders alike. A bestselling author of nearly a dozen books focusing on home building, she founded the Association for Customer Relations Professionals and speaks to standing room only audiences at the International Builders’ Show of the National Association of Home Builders, at state and local builders association functions.