Winning is always fun, but it is especially important for residential builders and architects when selling to homeowners. They must win over the homeowner's trust in building one of the most expensive and important purchases of the homeowner's life. Builders and architects often wear many hats that stretch outside of their specialized areas of building and designing. One important hat they must wear is the role of a marketer in order to effectively sell their end product. Learning top tips to master your next homeowner presentation will help ensure a winning result!
A homeowner presentation can be used in several phases of the sales process from an initial meeting with prospect who is choosing a builder, to a homeowner who has selected a builder and is ready to learn more about the building process. Dan Gilbert, Vice President for Homebuilding at SLC Homebuilding, described the type of homeowner presentation his company typically uses saying, 'We treat our homeowner presentation as an orientation. The main purpose of this presentation is to set and agree upon expectations for both parties during the construction process. It's also a great opportunity for the homeowner to ask questions and become comfortable with our construction team.'
One tip Gilbert recommends for making a homeowner presentation standout is by thoroughly researching before presenting. It is important to discuss the latest pain points for homeowners and make sure they are comfortable with how you are proposing to build or design their home. As Gilbert puts it, 'Homeowners choose to build with us because they see us as the experts in the construction field. We do our best to put together a complete package of documents, such as construction plans, interior and exterior selection deadlines, schedules and other important documents. This allows us to provide the customer with any information they might need.'
Lisa Girard expands on the idea of addressing the audience in her Entrepreneur article, Five Strategies for a Winning Sales Presentation, when she encourages presenters to listen before pitching. She says one of the biggest mistakes you can make when giving a sales presentation is starting to talk about your company before learning about your customer. It is important to learn about the customer's needs before speaking about your company so that you address them as your top priority. This tip easily translates to a homeowner presentation. When you listen to the homeowner first, you are more likely to walk away with a sale or retain a prospect than if you ramble on about your services without getting to know their unique needs.
Another tip that is important to follow is creating a presentation that is professional looking and includes all information that homeowners need in a concise format. The less factual information the presentation contains, the less credible it comes off. With this kind of decision, homeowners want to be sure they have a full understanding of what the building or designing process will look like with your company. Girard also notes it is important to put the prep time into the presentation to ensure it not only looks good, but also has a logical flow, and you have practiced to ensure it comes off the way you intended.
To ensure winning results, sometimes you have to step your game up against the competition. Putting a creative and unique touch to your presentation can speak volumes to the homeowner. Gilbert describes the unique feature SLC Homebuilding includes in their presentation of turning project managers into concierges. He says, 'We like to consider our Project Managers as concierges for the construction process. We don't want the homeowner to feel overwhelmed with who to contact, so they get one point of contact at the presentation meeting. Homeowners seem to like having one person to take the reins and help them in the process.'
Girard also believes in the importance of creative touches saying it is essential to liven up your presentation. In a competitive market such as homebuilding, it is vital that homeowners are entertained so that you can maintain their attention throughout the presentation. This can be done through the tone in your voice, relevant stories, or visual accompaniments that may add a quick break from the more standard facts.
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Finally, when it comes to addressing homeowner questions that arise during the presentation, honesty is the best policy. Gilbert shares his advice saying, 'Be honest and don't be afraid to say you don't know. We would rather say 'I don't know, BUT I will do some research and get back to you,' instead of telling the buyer something which isn't correct, we are okay taking a step back and then making sure to follow up via email or phone call.'
In conclusion, below is a summary of the top tips to master your next homeowner presentation:
1. Be prepared by researching and listening to your audience.
2. Ensure your presentation looks professional and practice your speaking points.
3. Add creative elements and touches to your presentation to ensure it stands out.
4. Be honest and transparent with your homebuyers.
Are you ready to win homeowners over with your next presentation? Follow these tips to ensure future victories. Do you have any additional tips for creating a winning presentation? Share with us in the comments below! We would love to share your insight with our readers.
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