Creating Urgency in a Non-Urgent Market

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BuilderRadio interviews sales and marketing coach, Charlie Roter

“It’s a challenging market out there; it’s a buyer’s market.  And if you aren’t doing your absolute best to create some urgency, people aren’t going to rush to make a decision,” remarks Charlie Roter about the state of the real estate and new home markets today.

Certainly builders and salespeople are feeling a sense of urgency. We know this is a phenomenally good time to buy or build a new home.  We’ve got to get this message across to fearful buyers now, before the window of opportunity begins to close.

The big question, the one that Charlie gets asked a lot, is “How?”  At a time when consumers seem paralyzed with fear of making a major purchase, and “For Sale” signs litter every street in every development in the country, how can we convince new home shoppers that they must act now?

Roter returns with his own question to get us thinking:   “When do you think urgency starts?”  Listen to the audio recording to hear Charlie Roter answer both those questions.

Are you displaying a ‘Ready For Business’ attitude?
Roter is convinced that urgency begins before your prospects ever walk through your door.  “Take a step back and think about your model, your entry, your landscaping and the things that are happening outside of the model,” he says.  “What kind of message are we sending to the buyer if our flags are torn and tattered, our landscaping is does’t look its best, or it just doesn’t feel like there’s any activity?   There has got to be a reason for me to want to get out of my car and walk into the model.”

That same principle applies to our marketing, particularly our website.  “We all know that people are looking at your website before they come out.  What is your website doing to create some kind of urgency; to get people to come out and take a look at what you have to offer?”

Embedded Suggestions
“There are two ways to create urgency,” Roter points out.  “Fear of loss, and anticipation of gain.”  What we say and how we say it can help give buyers compelling reasons for taking action – either to realize something of value, or to keep from losing something worthwhile.  We can find those buying triggers and focus on them using what Roter calls “embedded suggestions.”

Here’s an example he shares of a phrase he teaches that uses embedded suggestions:

When you walk through this home you will notice the attention to detail and quality that is evident here that is not evident in other new homes.

The embedded suggestions here are “When you walk” and “you will notice.”  He explains, “You’re trying to get them to notice the unique things that you have in your homes, and then start looking for those things in competitor’s homes.”

Another example:

When you tour the models, you will feel peace of mind and take comfort in knowing that we have taken care of the little things that are so important to most homeowners.

“What I’m doing here is embedding the suggestion that when you walk the models you’re going to feel something different than what you’re going to feel with another builder,” he continues.   “You want to create that feeling – that sense, because we make decisions based on our senses.  The more senses that we affect, the more we’re going to motivate them to want to act and make a decision.”

Roter shares two more nice examples in the audio interview, and then points out that salespeople should rewrite and reword his examples into your own words.  “Use your own personality and style,” he recommends.  “If it’s not comfortable for you, it won’t be comfortable for the buyer.  It’s not going to work.  The key words are “when you tour, you will feel” or “you will notice,” and then you just fill in the blanks with whatever you’d like them to know that is going to be unique to you.”

Motivating Procrastinators
“Eliminate the confusion, keep it simple, and make it fun,”advises Roter.  “We do this so often that we sometimes forget to plug in our personality and have fun.  Even when we’re taking someone out to an inventory home, we should bring along blueprints, tape measures, and hard hats for the kids just to make it exciting and memorable for the buyer.”

The key here is to get buyers excited, to get them involved, and to let them start making memories in your home.  When they’ve visited three other model homes that all start to blur together, you want yours to stand out as the one that they liked “felt comfortable and involved in,” and remember.

“Then, if they’re still having trouble making a decision,” Roter continues, “you have to make sure that the value outweighs the price.”  We do that by making sure that we are, first of all, the right match for the buyer – the right community, amenities, location, financing package and plans; and then that we are, in fact, the right builder to meet their expectations.

Create an Experience.
“People will make a decision if they are excited about what you have to offer.  It’s the experience.  Because there’s so much to choose from, they’re looking to eliminate options so they can simplify the process.  The more we focus on the experience, “the more we can build value, the more motivated they are going to be to make a decision.”

The experience we help create can be a powerful tool in overcoming fear in the current market, and will give them yet another thing by which to compare you with other builders.  “People are going to compare,” says Roter.  “They’re going to compare, evaluate, eliminate, and ask questions, and we don’t need to be afraid of the fact that they are going to eliminate.  Our responsibility is to keep from getting eliminated, and it’s through the experience that that happens.”

Document why to buy now.
Those of us in the industry know that this is the best time in most buyer’s lifetime to buy a new home.  But, we can’t take it for granted that they know that.  Roter suggests we compile proof to present to them.   “There are plenty of examples out there as to why today is the right time to buy. We need to take the time to gather that information.   People like documentation.   If it’s written, they have a tendency to believe it, especially if it is from a 3rd-party.  I’ve seen salespeople have this information on a bulletin board.   Then, when the moment is right and it makes sense, they transition over to that information and use it when it’s appropriate.”

Your ‘Urgency Checklist’
Here’s Charlie Roter’s rundown on how to make sure we’re conveying a sense of urgency throughout the sales process:

• Create the one-of-a-kind home and home site.   Be unique and memorable.
• Create the value.  Understand what is important to buyers and focus on those things.
• Create the whole package – home, home site, location, amenities, financing, etc.
• Eliminate the confusion – have fun and simplify the process.
• Create a success story.  “Everyone has a success story,” says Roter.   Maybe you haven’t sold a home an a week or two, but have you closed on one?  If you can say, ‘Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, we’ve had two families move into our community this past week,’ that’s a success story.”
• Be a solution provider.  Help your prospects to be able to buy.
• Examine your presentation.   Show enthusiasm!

Roter sums it all up this way: “When you get somebody excited about making the decision, the urgency will be there.”