Maximising Sales in a Cooling Market: Recommendations from Mystery Shopping Insights
We recently facilitated a mystery shopping activity in one of Melbourne’s growth corridors, where the digital and in-person customer experience was assessed at a number of land developments. Overall, the mystery shopping review found that there is:
No clear structure on how to handle new enquiry.
Booking an appointment is not a priority.
The Sales Centre arrival experience is underwhelming.
No personalisation of the shopper experience even though information has been provided to assist this.
The presentation standards are inconsistent.
A disconnect between marketing activity and sales reactions.
A lack of follow-up.
As market conditions have changed from hot to not, sales and project teams must adapt their strategies and approaches to suit the shifting dynamics.
If you’re looking for opportunities to enhance your sales results through improving your customer experience, here are our top recommendations:
Booking an Appointment must be a KPI
It needs to be easy for customers to book an appointment with a Sales Consultant. Booking appointments allows the Sales Team to further qualify leads, build relationships, understand customer needs, demonstrate value, overcome objections, and ultimately close the sale more effectively. It is a critical step in the sales process that significantly increases the chances of success.
Recommendations
Include a ‘book an appointment’ button on enquiry pages and in email correspondence. This should link to booking software where the prospect can choose a date and time. This reduces the need for back-and-forth emails. You should be able to choose a consultant, just like you can choose a hairdresser (ie Senior Stylist, Junior etc).
Sales Consultants can send an email or text with a link to a booking page like Calendly.
The conversion from lead to appointment must be a KPI.
Setting up the Appointment for Success
At the start of each day, the team members responsible for greeting customers (whether that’s members of an admin or Sales Team) should print out a list of appointments so they can act appropriately when customers arrive. This team (anyone who greets a customer) must be trained to do simple things like:
Provide a warm greeting.
Introduce themselves.
Confirm prospect details and appointment.
Provide assistance.
Ask prospect to complete enquiry information.
Explain the next steps.
Direct the prospect to the waiting area and inform them of any amenities available, such as refreshments or brochures.
Alert the Sales Consultant to who is waiting.
On most occasions, the Sales Team will have some information on the prospect such as buyer type, what they are looking for and timeframe to purchase. It’s crucial that this information has been read by the Sales Consultant in preparation for the appointment.
Recommendations
Ensure your ‘Welcome Team’ are trained in how to deliver the best arrival experience for customers.
Sales Consultants should send a text 24 hours prior: “I am looking forward to meeting you tomorrow at 10am.”
The Sales Consultant must read their profile prior to the appointment in order to tailor the conversation to their needs.
Tailored Conversations
Crafting a tailored sales conversation is now required when sales are hard to come by and customers are nervous about a range of things including building costs, interest rates and the cost of living.
If you’re collecting data from prospects, this information should be reviewed before a meeting. The Sales Consultant needs to take the time to find out who they are meeting, what information they have already provided then welcome them by name, ask relevant questions, provide value through insights relevant to their situation, offer solutions and most importantly, drive the conversation.
Every prospect is unique, so your Sales Team need to be flexible and adaptable in their approach. Remember, not everyone is familiar with property jargon and other brand names (like builders). It’s also important for Sales Consultants to check in with prospects during the presentation to see if they are keeping up with what is being said.
Developing a sales script where all Sales Consultants agree what points need to be covered during the appointment can help to ensure customers receive all the information they require, with the right amount of urgency.
Recommendations
The Sales Manager should spend time on the sales floor, answering enquiries and following up to see where the gaps are.
The Sales Team should take the time to review the customers’ notes before a call or meeting.
Go back to basics and develop a sales script.
Take control of the conversation and ask open-ended questions.
Don’t immediately dive into a product solution.
Follow-up
Sales follow-up is a crucial part of nurturing leads and closing deals. Developing a plan for follow-up with clear expectations is the ideal way to ensure customers are given the best experience after their initial enquiry and also after their appointment with a Sales Consultant. It is also essential for maintaining transparency, consistency and guiding the next steps.
Recommendations for Following Up New Enquiries
If a follow-up call is made, leave a clear message.
Follow this up with a text message and/or email advising who was calling and provide options to get in touch.
Recommendations for Following Up Post Appointment
Between marketing and sales, agree the follow-up steps and timing so that marketing automation does not ‘trip over’ the personalised sales email.
During the conversation, establish mutually agreed-upon next steps. This could include scheduling a follow-up call, sending additional information, or taking them on a tour of a home or the project.
At the end of a meeting, explain how your follow-up process works: personal email (with, say, product recommendations), phone call, text message about releases, project newsletter emails with project updates, release emails etc.
Be specific about when the prospect can expect to hear from you or receive the next communications. Setting clear timelines helps manage expectations. But don’t say you will do something if you cannot keep that commitment.
Ask the prospect how they prefer to be contacted for follow-up. Some may prefer email, while others might prefer a phone call or a follow-up meeting.
After the call or meeting, send a follow-up email summarising the key points discussed, including the agreed-upon next steps and timeline. This serves as a written record and reinforces the expectations set during the call.
If there are any delays or changes to the follow-up plan, communicate them promptly to the prospect. Proactively addressing any deviations from the original plan demonstrates reliability and professionalism.
While it’s important to set expectations, be flexible and accommodating to the prospect’s needs and preferences. Adapt your follow-up approach as necessary to ensure a positive experience for the prospect.
Email Nurture vs Sales Team Personalised Emails
If you have a lead nurture structure set up, is it fully understood and complemented by the Sales Team?
The personalised emails your Sales Team send must match the level of professionalism that your project nurture emails set, yet still maintain a personal touch.
The emails sent from your Sales Team should be used to:
Confirm appointments.
Send relevant information.
Thank you for an appointment.
Supplying agreed information.
Recommendations
Ensure all emails are spell checked.
Emails should not contain information that that is not relevant to the purchaser i.e. refrain from sending all available stock, especially that outside their budget.
Each prospect who has attended an appointment should receive a follow-up email, confirming what was discussed and outlining the next steps.
Educate first, sell second
Does your website feature an education page, where someone new to your project, or the homebuying/building journey can go and be educated on your value proposition?
If not, you need one.
Fill it with guides, checklists, case studies, testimonials and video tutorials. Profile the Sales Team and provide a peak at the team behind the project.
Another way to engage prospects is to hold seminars at your Sales Centre. Invite builders, mortgage brokers, interior designers etc to share their knowledge in a relaxed setting.
Recommendations
Create valuable content the educates your prospects. House it on your website and let the Sales Team use it as additional ways to help move a prospect through the funnel.
Conduct some educational events.