I attended PCBC last week and thought you might be interested in some of the current statistics that were discussed.  I know a lot of these statistics will be my focus for training and coaching.

Marketing in 2011-NAHB stats

Where buyers look…

  • 90% internet
  • 40% paper
  • 26% Magazine
  • 8% TV
  • 6% Billboard and signs

Buyer -1st step taken…

  • 47% online
  • 18% Realtor
  • 3% Paper

Marketing budget should be- 1% cost per sale.

Website

Your most important model now is your Website, it should be staffed as your model is staffed and taken as seriously.  The visitors should be responded to in 3 minutes.  The internet Sales Rep should have very specific goals and steps for the online process and hand off to the onsite Agent.  If you are not tracking your web traffic you are guessing and missing an opportunity.

 

ü  When hunting online, 85% of people won’t click past the first page.

ü  The Online sales process is how to get them in the door from the internet.

ü  The Onsite sales process is how to close them once you have them in the door.

ü  Every builder should have both and have specific expectations of both Agents.

ü  Home shoppers-90% Use the internet first.

ü  Online visitors 1%-3% submit requests.

ü  20-25% schedule appointments, with proper follow up criteria.

ü  30-35% of those appointments will write with proper hand off and follow up.

ü  You must closely track your website visits and know what pages they are visiting including finance pages.

ü   You must respond within 3 minutes of the request or you will lose them.

ü  Handoff from online to onsite is critical.  With internet agent following up with onsite agent to make sure appointment shows up, if not call is made and appointment is rescheduled.  Both Agents working in unison for the sale and getting paid on the sale.

Actual Builder Statistics

There were two Builders presented who shared their numbers from the internet. They take their internet, website and internet Agents very seriously.  Here is what they quoted as their internet numbers…Impressive.

 

Numbers from one of them looked something like this.

  • 11,306 Visit Site for Month of May 2011
  • 226        Leads obtained and appointments set
  • 71          Appointments kept
  • 18          Sales Made or 25%

 

Out of 261 communities shopped in 2011…Agents followed up like this

  • 56%       Responded in some way
  • 44%       No email
  • 68%       No call
  • 3%         Send two emails
  • 3%         Made one phone call
  • 48%       Never followed up at all.
  • 10%       Make more than 3 follow up contacts in any way.

 

Out of 10,000 communities shopped in 2010:

  • 89%       Never got a card.
  • 87%       Never issued a close.

 

Follow UP…People buy like this in 2011…

  • 2%         Buy on 1st touch
  • 3%         Buy on 2nd touch
  • 5 %        Buy on 3rd touch
  • 10%       Buy on 4th touch
  • 80%       Buy on the 5th – 12th touch.

 

Follow up is your first customer services test.

If you follow up in five minutes or less you are almost guaranteed that prospects loyalty.

30 minutes pass, odds decrease by 100 times.

 

Moral of the story; If you pay 1% to a marketing budget to drive traffic, then you better figure out how to follow up with that traffic so your money is not wasted. Follow up and making the Sales Agents see the value of the prospect walking through the door is my focus right now. If 80% buy on the 5-12th touch and 89% of Agents never got a card, there is no follow up and no sale.  By the way I will be speaking at the International Builder Show in Orlando in Feb of 2012.  My subject will be 100 ways to maximize the traffic you do have.  I will share that program with you, once I develop it.  I will be loaded with great tips!

Happy Sales…Shirleen.