Selling to the Senses

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We speak with Tondra Arrendale, Charlotte’s Web Consulting.

According to the David Power Homes study – 80% of the home buying decisions in the $180’s – $500’s market is made by women.  Women are more in tune with the emotional aspects of the buying process.  So why not use all five senses to ignite more emotions during your on-site presentation?

Tondra Arrendale, MIRM and owner of Charlotte’s Web Consulting, consults with builders to help them strategically determine the most profitable place, product, price, and promotion. Through her discoveries she has noticed that builders are getting further and further away from the emotional aspect of the home buying process.

Tondra helps us visit some new and old ways to use the 5 senses to help gain a competitive edge and ignite more emotions through out the builder presentation.

1.  Smell

Aromas can be very tricky because some smells can offend certain people or trigger unpleasant memories.   And what you like isn’t necessarily what your buyer will like.

Only featured rooms should have the smell of that room to help buyers remember your home’s competitive advantages.

• Kitchen – cookies – No strong smelling lunches.  As we all know a prospect walks through the door the moment we finish cooking our lunch
• Masterbath – bath salts, nothing to strong
• Laundry room – Fabric sheet
• Secondary bedrooms – keep it clean,  The smell of most secondary room smells like children and that isn’t always good.
• Nursery – baby powder
• Outdoor living – burning fireplace
• Study – pencil shavings, leather
• In Law suite – magnolia potpourri (Dillard’s)
• Exterior – fresh cut grass or fragrant flowers,  spray at front door
• Media rooms – Popcorn
• Bathrooms – Sprays remind people of covering unpleasant smells.  Use potpourri instead.

Smoking – Do not smoke during office hours, and if you plan to put prospects in your car, don’t ever smoke in your car.  Non-smokers find the smell of cigarette smoke very offensive and will most likely not return to you or your community.

2. Sight –

Model Homes and Showcase Homes

• Exterior – Keep it clean! Pull weeds; remove cob-webs.  As a sales agent, I always came through the back door and then had to check the front door every morning.
• Front door – if you don’t enter through front door make is part of a checklist that you walk from the parking area to the front door every day.  Check for bugs in lights. Seasonally manicure the model.  Make sure there are NO dead plants, and pull any dead blooms.
• Kitchen – Get rid of things that don’t belong (Folders, notes to superintendant, contract papers, etc.)
• Bathroom – Keep it spotless;  toilet lids DOWN. Put paper only in the bathroom you want them to use.  Same rules apply to showcase homes as models.
• Pictures – Put pictures of people that are your buyer profile in all picture frames.  If it is possible, try to use the same people in all the pictures.
• Interior Merchandising – Have a written buyer profile to give to your interior designer.  If the budget does not allow for a fully furnished model, don’t try to just fill the home.  Vignette it instead.   In today’s financial times, don’t give buyers the impression that your builder has one foot out the door.  This will lead to very low offers.
• Keep the model well lit.  Keeps the blinds open to let in natural light.

Personal appearance  - Dress at the top of your community’s target market.

Internet is part of sight.  Pictures are the first impression.  Use only good quality photography taken in good lighting conditions.

3.  Sound

• Not everyone likes the same type of music you do.
• Play classical music in the background.  It has been proven that classical music puts people in the mood to buy.
• Seasonal musical during the Holidays is fine, but have instrumental versions with no words.

You want prospects to be listening to you not singing along or distracted by advertisements or radio announcers.

4. Taste

Offer refreshments, such as water, sodas, and diet and caffeine-free options.  Also, offer some sort of snacks.  Remember the prospect has most likely looked at multiple houses and is tired. Choose healthy options: nuts, fruit and energy bars are good choices.    Prospects listen better if they are not hungry or thirsty.  This can slow down the prospect and allow you time to demonstrate the home more thoroughly.

5. Touch

• Touch should be a large part of your demonstration.   This gives you an opportunity to discuss the construction of the home.  Have prospects feel pieces of floor decking, PEX, and additional energy efficient features.
• Keep counters clean, everyone loves to touch countertops, especially granite. If prospects get a handful of crumbs from your lunch it doesn’t leave a good impression.
• Nursery – Have the soft baby stuff, for those moving up because of children feeling the soft baby toys reminds them that they NEED to move.
• Take advantage of your best feature, such as solid core doors and levered handles. Have prospects touch these things so they will remember them.
• Use carpet to your advantage.  If you feature plush carpets and padding in your showcase homes, invite buyers to take their shoes off so they will get the full effect of these features.

Selling to the senses is the fastest way to get buyers emotionally involved in your homes.  So, for every great benefit that you offer that sets you apart from your competition, think about ways to illustrate that feature by involving one of the five senses

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Contact Tondra Arrendale at Charlotte’s Web Consulting.

Meet Jerry Rouleu & Scott Stroud at the NAHB International Builder’s Show when we present How to Increase Your Profits Creatively Through Alliance Partnerships!

Date: Tuesday, January 19
Time: 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: North 255

See you there!