From Oregon: I do orientations and warranty inspections and I’m trying to come up with a workable way to get accurate details about the buyers I’ll be working with. I tried stopping in at the sales office the day before the appointment but often the sales person I needed to speak to was off. I‘ve used email and phone messages and a simple fact sheet. One sales person told me he didn’t have time for any more paperwork. What are other companies doing to address this?
Sharing background information is referred to as a hand-off. The more smoothly company personnel manage this, the better; quite frankly, the home building industry has yet to master this. (Rest assured that front line professionals coast to coast are nodding their heads in recognition of your dilemma.)
At an orientation I observed I asked the builder’s rep he knew about the home buyers. His response was “Well, they don’t speak much English.” That was all he knew.
Later that same day, at a closing office I asked the question again. “I guess he’s from New York.” The same closing agent complained that she has to fight to get accurate buyer phone numbers so she can reach them to set the closing appointment. And in a design studio —”I heard that they’re mad about a tree—I’m supposed to give them something.”
In each of these scenarios, more details were readily available; what was missing was an efficient system for capturing and distributing those details.
A smooth hand-off is a process by which one person or department conveys background information about the customer to the next person or department that will work with that customer.
The information might be demographic, financial, practical, or emotional. Background information increases understanding and improves preparation.
An effective hand-off procedure generates benefits for the company and for the home buyers. Sharing such information helps reduce customers= need to repeat their story. When company personnel have an opportunity to discuss a situation in an unpressured setting (translation, without having the buyer right in front of them), responses are better thought out and more diplomatically delivered.
Smooth hand-offs begin in the sales office. Buyers volunteer a good bit of information in their conversations with sales people. Details might be related to purchase decision, selections, or concerns the buyers have about the building process.
A thoughtful buyer profile can contribute a standardized set of details. The best means to manage this is on the computer. In any case, stick to the facts, no opinions or predictions. (Remember a judge can require that these details can be shared in a courtroom by way of “electronic discovery”. If you think the customer would be less grouchy if he got more sleep, keep that opinion to yourself.)
Who are these buyers? Where are they from? Do they have children? Pets? Hobbies? An elderly parent living with them? Where do they work? Have they expressed any worries? What has their previous new home experience been? Are they moving up, down, or across? Include a spot for the sales person to note how to pronounce unusual names and make notes regarding language barriers as applicable.
As each staff member works with the customers, more information can be added. Questions or concerns noted, along with how each was resolved. As history accumulates, personnel who will work with the buyers in the future have some insight into each customer’s history, interests, and concerns.
Another opportunity to share insights and information would be the community team meeting if your company holds them. These are typically 30-45 minute meetings at the sales office once a week or perhaps every two weeks. The sales team, super, and as often as possible warranty sit down and review each customer’s status as well as community items. Sometimes selections, mortgage, or closing staff are involved-even if only by phone.
One more point-the incentive to sales people to invest time in the hand-off process is that it enables all staff to care for customers more effectively. That leads to more referrals.
