Few occupations offer the earning potential that you get from selling new homes. Sales are part art, part science… and a lot of hard work.
There are a LOT of things to keep track of — prospects that need follow-up; homebuyers that need constant attention; getting all of the details to the right people so that the home comes in as expected to delight your client, etc.
So it’s no wonder that top-earning salespeople use every tool they can to save time and energy and get more done, i.e., sell more homes and earn more money. And the #1 tool in the successful salesperson’s arsenal is a contact management system.
Using a contact relationship management system (CRM) can make your job a whole lot easier, increasing your productivity by 34% or more. Here are three ways a CRM can help you increase your sales — and your income:
1. Automate Communication
Your phone is ringing less and less and buyers almost exclusively choose to do their research online. They Google and visit directory sites like Houzz, Realtor.com, ManufacturedHomes.com, and ModularHomes.com to find homes, hopefully, your homes. Then, they narrow down the list to just a few companies they want to shop for. When they finally submit a web form to request specific information from you, they expect an immediate response.
Your CRM captures the following information:
- What the prospect is looking for
- What page they were on when they submitted the request
- Their contact information so you can respond
- The time they submitted the form
- Digital data that your marketing team needs in order to optimize spend
Then, based on what the prospect has requested, your CRM can deliver fast, relevant responses from you designed to motivate the prospect to come in and learn more, even when you’re not available to chat. This buys you the time to respond in person when you can and preps the prospect for your call.
This automated process can deliver 3-4 times more visitors onto your lot, visitors that you would otherwise not see.
2. Automate Repetitive Tasks
Think about all the things that need to be done when you do make a sale: The sales manager is notified; the office manager creates a customer file; the accounting department is notified, etc. The process can be detailed but is necessary to keep the project moving forward. Each step costs staff time, time that is taken away from other tasks.
Much of that process can be streamlined by a CRM, which can send out automated notifications to everyone involved, assign tasks to the right people, and notify management if those tasks are not completed in a timely manner. This allows those that need to know to see what has been done, what needs to be done next, and who needs to be notified, keeping the project moving forward with minimal effort.
3. Eliminate Clutter and Lost Opportunities
The typical sales office is decorated with piles of files — files for ongoing projects, new prospects, customers needing warranty work, etc. Of course, you know where every file is in each pile. Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Even if that is true, it means that you are backed up, and not getting to those files promptly is costing your money.
A CRM provides the framework for a fluid, consistent and effective process to ensure the work represented by the piles of files gets done on time, every time. That level of organization alone can increase your efficiency, give you more time to sell, and make life a whole lot easier for your entire team.
What would you do with a 34% raise in income? Let’s find out by scheduling a tour of MhCRM today.
