New Home Sales Training Tips: Creating an Exterior Experience
You’ve met with your prospective buyer(s) and built a rapport. They like you; you like them – you’re off to a solid start. You’ve asked good questions, and based upon what you’ve learned, you are confident that you may just have the right home. You’re excited – you just can’t wait to get them inside and show them how this home solves their problems and needs. Nothing out of the ordinary so far, right?
Let me ask you this; when you show up at the home with your buyer(s), where do you park? Silly question? I don’t believe so, and here’s why.
Roughly one-third of all buyers are exterior buyers – meaning these buyers are really focused on and more interested in what’s happening on the outside of the home, versus inside the home. Perhaps it’s views, streetscapes, landscapes, or lifestyle opportunities. Point is, we need to know what’s important to our buyers and tailor the experience to them.
When we park in the driveway and don’t take the time to walk across the street, we are inadvertently taking away from the experience. Your buyers won’t be able to see the rooflines, the site lines on the sides of the home, how the front yard lays out in front of the house, etc. They’ll miss the opportunity to take it all in.
If you really want to show your buyers you care, start by parking or walking across the street. Be intentional about taking a moment to stand across the street with your buyer(s) and ask them for their initial thoughts on what they see. What’s their first impression? What do they like? Is this a view they can see themselves enjoying for years to come?
Getting your buyer’s feedback and opinion before entering the home will not only provide them with a chance to share their thoughts, but it will also allow you the opportunity to gain an agreement with a small close. We sometimes refer to this as the exterior close, and it sounds something like this, “Is this a place you can see yourself coming home to every day?” If the answer is “Yes”, your buyer(s) will be more inclined to want to like what awaits them on the other side of that front door.
Do a quick self-assessment. Where are you starting your showings? Are you skipping the exterior, or going so quickly that your buyer(s) can’t take it all in? Psychologists say we sell the way we like to buy. This is something we, as sales professionals, need to identify ahead of time. Because if I identify myself more as an interior buyer, and if I get really excited about the glitz and glam of the interior features, I’m going to be more inclined to spend all my time with buyers inside the home. And in a case where the buyer(s) are more exterior driven, we have the potential of robbing them of a great experience if we skip the exterior and jump right into the inside. The good news is, you should be able to learn your buyer’s preferences during discovery.
Showing a home is simply the next step in our sales process, but in many ways, it’s a continuation of the discovery conversation we’ve already started. Ask questions and be prepared to listen intently. Your buyers may reinforce some ideas you’ve already learned during your initial discovery, or they may elicit brand new information.
Get them engaged and imagining how their life will look and feel like in and outside of their new home. And by implementing this simple idea of starting your showings across the street, you may be opening a whole new perspective for your buyers. This is an opportunity to be different and stand out.
They’ll appreciate knowing they are working with a trusted professional who has their best interest in mind, and you’ll be confident in guiding them on a journey to changing their world.
