28 The Process of Becoming a Follow-Up Champion - Anya Chrisanthon Sep 30 2020

Greg Bray:  [00:00:00]Hello everybody. And welcome back to another exciting episode of the Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast. I'm Greg Bray with Blue Tangerine 

Kevin Weitzel: and I'm Kevin Weitzel with Outhouse. 

Greg Bray: And today we're excited to be joined by Anya Chrisanthon. She is the host of the new construction marketing podcast and the creator of the new construction marketing Academy.

And we're going to learn more about both of those I'm sure, but welcome on you. Thanks for joining us. 

Anya Chrisanthon: Thank you so much for having me, Greg and Kevin. I'm excited to be here. 

Greg Bray: Well, we're really [00:01:00] appreciative of your time today. And, you know, for those who haven't met you yet, why don't you give us that short introduction of who you are and kind of some of the things you've been doing?

Anya Chrisanthon: Sure. So I then in new home sales, since 2013, And I've always worked for. Um, so when I started, I worked for a big national builder and, you know, one of the things that I was impressed with was their training. So from get-go, I got excellent training. And so when I started selling homes, I, Excel did that.

And then as time went on, I got interested more so in the marketing side of things and I was really spending a lot of my own money on education, learning how to better market homes and listening to a lot of podcasts. And so on my long commute to the model home, I would always listen to podcasts. And one day I said, well, let me see if there's a new construction marketing podcast where I can learn about.

Marketing and selling your construction. And [00:02:00] of course at that time there was nothing. And so that's how the idea came into my mind that, well, there's nothing, let me start it. And so that's how new construction marketing podcast came to be. And now I teach new home sales professionals, how to better sell and market their homes using technology so that you're sort of working harder or working smarter.

Greg Bray: Awesome. Awesome. Well, that's, that's, that's always amazing to me when somebody just sees something that's not there and decides to go make it, you know, like, Hey, I can't find what I'm looking for. So I'm going to make one, so great job. 

Anya Chrisanthon: Great job. Thank you. 

Kevin Weitzel: That's the business side of you, but let's find out just a little bit deeper, darker secret in the obvious personal life.

This is a little factoid. Something that nobody knows about you are like, you know, we had Quint on Quint Lears and that guy can juggle and play the piano and trumpet and everything else. What's something that's special about you? Like I know you'd like to travel. I know you're crazy educated. 

Anya Chrisanthon: Well, thank you.

I [00:03:00] do love to travel and you know, one thing that people don't know about me is that I'm actually a crazy introvert. Yeah. People are always surprised to hear that about me. And I've been secretly enjoying this whole quarantine situation a little too much. So, yeah, most of my friends say, well, how can you be, uh, how can you, it'll be an introvert?

You know, you're so great with people. You have a podcast and you're speaking on stages and this and that, but I think people confuse being outgoing and socially not awkward as a, you know, me being an extrovert, but it really it's where your energy comes from. So after being on stage, interacting with people, I just have to go to a dark spot and just be by myself. So, yeah, I've definitely very much enjoyed this quarantine. Um, we also had an addition to our family, a baby girl, she's almost five months now.

So she was definitely the definition of a quarantine baby. And so, we really couldn't have [00:04:00] picked a better time to be together with the family and enjoy our little world. 

Greg Bray: Yeah, that takes a paternity leave to a whole nother level when you don't have to go anywhere anyway. So that's great. Congratulations on the baby.

Anya Chrisanthon: Thank you. I appreciate it. 

Kevin Weitzel: Now you also have a rather noticeable accent, obviously. Uh, how many languages do you speak? 

Anya Chrisanthon: So I just speak two languages. So when I was 13 years old, my parents decided to make her move from Russia to the United States. And so I think I missed that one year caught off time where some of my friends who moved the year-earlier have no accent and I just managed to hold onto my accent.

So we say, you know, I'm screwed because I can't be a Russian spy or an American spy. 

Kevin Weitzel: Spy work is out. 

Anya Chrisanthon: Yeah. That's out for me. So 

Greg Bray: I say there's a whole nother podcast and that story somewhere I'm sure. So, so awesome. So how did you end up in new home sales? You mentioned working for a large builder, but what kind of [00:05:00] got you interested in that originally?

Anya Chrisanthon: So it was right around the time when I had my twin boys, um, in 2011, they were, you know, preemies and, that whole experience of motherhood. I worked in finance at that time. And so part of my job before they were born was to travel all over the United States. And educate people about their retirement savings.

So I would do presentations on how to save money, how much you need to save in order for you to retire comfortably. Absolutely love my job. That's where my love for travel comes. I think in the two-year span. I visited 48 different States. So I've been all over the place and absolutely loved traveling. So then the boys came along and of course, I couldn't travel anymore.

So I had to take a cubicle job. And so every day I would drive to the office, sit in that traffic that I was not used to. And just think to myself, [00:06:00] like, what am I doing? You know, I paid this, I am not meant for the office work. And I, you know, I cannot be sitting in a cubicle all day long. And especially when you become a mother, you realize how to coordinate that work.

Not work balanced necessarily, but to enjoy what you're doing, because it takes so much time away from your children that if it's going to take me away from it, I better love it. So I was complaining to a friend of mine who happened to be new home sales. And she said, Hey, you know what, you'd love working for a builder.

You should totally switch. And so that's what happened I decided, Hey, let me give it a shot. You know, I liked that part of being my own boss, sitting in a beautiful model home and seeing people face to face like I was used to before, instead of on the phone. And so when we decided to make a leap and never looked back since.

Greg Bray: Awesome. Awesome. No, that's terrific. Well, I know Anya, as we have seen some of the content that you've put out and listen to some of the, [00:07:00] the talks you've given one of your, I don't know if it's your only hot button topic, but it's, it's certainly one that I heard resonate a lot. It has to do with helping salespeople improve their followup.

and, and I think that's an area that, that you're really passionate about and something that we wanted to try and tap into today a little bit and kind of get some ideas and pick your brain a little bit on, on that topic. So, so what is it that has gotten you so interested in follow up in general? And why is that something that it seems like a lot of people don't do a very good job of?

Anya Chrisanthon: Absolutely. So, if you take a look at some of the statistics follow up, we know that only about 40% of salespeople actually follow up with the prospect. we know that 25% of salespeople make second contacts and then they stop. 12 people, 12% of salespeople only make three contacts and they stop. And only 10% of salespeople make more than three [00:08:00] contacts.

Now on the flip side of that, if you look at sales, we know that only 2% of all sales are actually meet on a first contact. 3% of sales are made on a second contact. 5% of sales are made on the third contact. 10% of sales are made on the fourth contact. And 80% of all sales are made between the seventh and 12th contact.

So you look at the statistics and what people are doing. You'll notice very quickly that it doesn't add up. Right? So it this means that most people are not following up. They're not doing the work. because, because we're so busy as salespeople, right. We, it's easy to reach for the low hanging fruit that the person that comes in and says, Hey, I'm ready to go.

Yay. I'm ready to go to, so that's 2% of your sales right there. Um, and so when I worked for a large national builder, I knew that it was really important for me to follow up. I spend a lot of time educating [00:09:00] myself through online courses, reading sales books, to get that really the sales success leads and follow up.

you know, I think it's a sales profession is a two-part. You have to be really great with people and be able to ask great questions. But the second part is that persistence. And I think the persistence part is where a lot of salespeople are just not good at. So 

Greg Bray: follow up question to that. What are your thoughts on, automation number one and a followup to that is how do you keep them personal?

Anya Chrisanthon: Sure. So, great question, Kevin. I truly believe that it is impossible. So to make 12 plus contacts with every single person without using automation. I mean, if you think about it, if we just do some simple numbers, say I sit in a model home for a daughter and I see let's say 10 people a week. [00:10:00] Okay. 10 people a week, times 12, follow up.

That's how many. 120 that's in one week, right times four weeks. That's 480 times, 12 months. I can't even do that number. 

Greg Bray: I'm going to say you lost me on the first one. I can't do math in my head anymore. So keep going, 

Anya Chrisanthon: sorry. So if you just look at the simple numbers, right. If we know that, okay. Seven to 12 followups is what I need to do in order to capture 80% of sales.

I mean, I still be besides followup. I have a ton of other stuff to do. So that's one of the misconceptions I think most people think, Oh, what are you doing in the model home? You're just sitting around, waiting for the next person to walk in. Right. But I got my prospecting that marketing. I've got to make sure that my backlog, my customers are happy.

There's always an emergency something's always happening. So I think it's very easy to push follow up to the back burner because let's face it. [00:11:00] Nobody likes to follow up. So, because nobody likes to follow up and we need to do so much of it. You have to have automation. And so that's where a great CRM system is a must a CRM system that will allow you to automate your follow up now.

Great question, Kevin, how do you make it? Um, personable, because obviously. We all see those emails that come through and we know they're generic emails. that's where you have to put some work and in front of it and really make sure that you know, your customer really well. So, that's where you have to use segmentation with your prospects.

So say you work for a townhome community, but you may have. First-time buyers, as well as sizers who are attracted to your community for different purposes, maybe you have some other type of things. So I think step one is you gotta identify, you know, who's that customer that I have, who [00:12:00] is my audience that I'm going to be talking to and to figure out what's important for them.

How do I speak to them using their language so that when I have a downsizer come in, I'm not just going to put them in this generic followup? Teaching them, Hey, what it takes to save money for a down payment or, you know, how scary it is to buy a house. And these are the steps because it's probably not relevant to them because they've gone through that process before they're likely downsizing.

So there's going to be issues that are going to be non-relevant to them now for the first time buyer that may be appropriate. So that's where I want to make sure I am segmenting my list. And I have a different type of followup for a different type of customer, and I'm speaking their language and addressing things that are really important to them.

Greg Bray: There's a, and there's a lot of work that goes into creating those plans. You know, this isn't just a five minute buy some software and, you know, set some things up and start sending emails. where do you even begin with kind of [00:13:00] figuring that out? 

Anya Chrisanthon: You're absolutely right, Greg. So there's going to be some time that you'll have to invest in the front end in order to set this up again, it doesn't take a ton of time because if you think about it, I'm writing the same emails over and over again.

Right? So next time I have a customer that I interact with and they leave and I'm going to send a follow-up email. Instead of just hit send, why not hit save and put it as step one in my followup to similar customers. So you can start with that and step two. Okay. With what kind of email I'm going to send to this customer again, instead of just hit, send, save that email, and put that into your followup program so you can build out very gradually, you know, just start with, as you normally would be working.

You know, put a little bit more effort into writing that email and actually save it as a template or save it as the next step and a followup so that you [00:14:00] can build that out. And then eventually I would love to see those emails being substituted by video emails so that they see your face and speaking with your customer as a human being and a.

You know, not just using texts, because again, if you look at texts, emails versus video emails, there's a big difference in open rates as well as response rates. And ultimately we just, we don't want to just follow up for sake of followup. We want to follow up so that we get to the next stage and that's responding and interacting with your question.

Greg Bray: No, that's, that's awesome. 

I want to go back just for a second to those numbers. You threw out a minute ago. If I heard you correctly, you said something like. Only 25% make more than two followups. Is it, was that correct? And then you said 80% of sales are made after, was it five 

Anya Chrisanthon: typically like seven to 12 followers.

Greg Bray: Seven to 12. Okay. So, so [00:15:00] 75% are never making more than two, and 80% of the sales are happening after that. So, so it's really 20, 25% of the salespeople doing 80% of the sales because they're actually doing the followup. Is that a fair analysis of those numbers. Again, I'm doing math in my head, so this is dangerous, but, 

Anya Chrisanthon: say yes, absolutely.

It's that's why you have the sales rock stars. And if you talk to those sales rock stars you'll know that follow up is going to be very important for them that follow up is not something that they sometimes do follow up with something that they consistently do. 

Greg Bray: Awesome.

Anya Chrisanthon:  Follow up is what really going to take you to that, to that next level.

 Greg Bray:  So let's just take a moment and talk about the upcoming 2020 home builder digital marketing summit virtual series. It's going to be starting on October 29th. 

Kevin Weitzel: And if you don't want to be a knuckle dragon mouth breather like myself, then you better register now. 

Greg Bray: That's right. I think it doesn't matter if you're an [00:16:00] experienced chief marketing officer, or if you're brand new to the home building industry, we are giving you a chance to take your marketing and sales to the next level, by learning from the top home building digital marketing experts. 

Kevin Weitzel: You're going to be able to do more and sell more homes by learning from the industry's best. And when we say the industry's best, we mean it. We're talking Jimmy Diffee, Angela McKay, Bassam Salem, Spencer Powell, Dana Kovach, Chris Hartley,  Eric Martinez, Stuart Platt,  Greg Bray, a builder panel. And of course myself, Kevin Weitzel. 

Greg Bray: It's truly a star-studded lineup, Kevin.

And for that, tell him how much it's going to cost. 

Kevin Weitzel: $15,000. Now we're just kidding. It's only actually going to be nothing it's free. So get your whole team together buildermarketingsummit.com. It's all virtual. So you can learn from your home, your office, or your home office. 

Greg Bray: We know you're busy. So we're trying to accommodate your schedule.

The home builder digital marketing summit virtual series will be two hours once a week on Thursdays for 40. 

Kevin Weitzel: It definitely won't wreck your schedule, but you'll [00:17:00] still learn a ton of tricks that you can put into practice right away. 

Greg Bray: So go to buildermarketingsummit.com today and register and

remember it's free and now let's get back to the podcast. 

You know,, I have to confess maybe I shouldn't confess we're in a, we're in a place other people are gonna hear, but I'm not the best at followup in our sales process either. And it's not, we're not selling homes, you know, we're, we're selling marketing services and websites, but, But I, I just wonder if those numbers would apply, would apply to our processes as well,

Anya Chrisanthon: right, no. If you think about it, it's not that I don't want to buy your marketing services or a new home. It's just that I have a life and I'm busy and. Things happen. And so if you just follow up with me once, you know, I may be very interested, but you know, I had to go pick up my kids or do something and it took my mind off of things and twice, and again, I'm busy.

I can't respond. So you want to stay on top of your [00:18:00] customers. Mind so that when they're finally ready to take that step, you're the person that comes to mind because Hey, Greg stayed in touch with me this whole time. He followed up. Maybe didn't happen on the first, second, or third interaction, but he was persistent and.

That persistency shows to me as a customer, that Greg actually cares that Greg actually wants my business. He's the one who stays on top of it, not the other guy. So who am I going to give my business to? I'm going to give it to the guy who cared enough to see this through.

That's a big thing that I'm most. Salespeople have in their heads is they have almost like a fear of followup because they think that they're bothering their prospects. They think like, I don't want to pick up the, pick up the phone or send a text message because I'm just bothering them.

That's a [00:19:00] big mistake on their part because you're not bothering them. As long as you're providing valuable information to your customer. And that's very important. So you don't want to follow up with somebody just to see, Hey, I'm just checking in because just checking in. Yeah. It was a waste of their time and it's a waste of your time.

And if you're wasting their time, They're never going to pick up that phone when they see your name. So when you're following up, the goal here is to provide value to your customer so that every time they're interacting with you, they're getting those golden nuggets there. They're having those aha moments.

Oh, I didn't know it. I had no idea. I didn't realize this is actually really helpful. So they'll want to hear from you. And when you doing that, you're not bothering your customers. You're being a professional and providing value. 

Greg Bray: Well, and I, I appreciate that cause, cause I think that is a real fear that we have.

If we don't want to be annoying. You know we don't, we don't want to be a bother [00:20:00] and I've certainly had people bother me, you know when they're trying to sell me something. and, and it's, it's a, it's a challenge, but that idea of how do we bring value. So I'd like to see if we can connect that idea of bringing value to another thought.

And that is how can the sales team. Use some of the tools and technologies that we have, like on the website, whether that's, you know, a blog article, or whether that's the interactive floor plans or some of these other tools. I see that as an opportunity to bring some of that value in the followup process, by reconnecting them back to that.

Would you agree with that? Or any thoughts on that? 

Anya Chrisanthon: Absolutely. I mean, you know, we. Well, you probably have a gold mine on your website already. Right? The marketing team's probably been putting time writing those, uh, those articles and trying to create that SEO. Right. So now let's use that with our customers.

So a couple of things there, one, if you're like, okay, how do I provide that value? [00:21:00] What do I talk about? I would start with your company's blog, right. Go in and see what blocks have already been written. And you can use those blogs to follow up with your customers, whether you recap that blog in a quick video and send it to them and say, Hey, for more information, check out the blog and link it back to your website because you remember, you always want to take them to the website, whether you do a post on social media and.

Educate your customers about that particular block topic and say, Hey, for more information, please check out my website. So again, you're taking customers back to your website, and hopefully, your website has some tracking device on it, right? The cookies and, and, potentially Facebook tracking so that you can follow up with your customers later on and, show them some additional ads, et cetera.

And we know that most people during quarantine at least are not necessarily visiting you in the model home anymore. Right? [00:22:00] They're online visiting you online, checking out floor plans online, looking at virtual tours online. I think to Zillow, that trend will continue beyond quarantine because people are enjoying doing that.

They actually prefer it. Do you do it online versus doing it in person, at least a good chunk of them? So your sales professional has to embrace the idea of interacting and meeting your customer where they are and that's online. That means you have to make sure that you're not just letting them wander through it by themselves.

But, Hey, why not set an appointment online, and let's walk your customer through going through that house virtually together so that you can describe to them, you know, what's different about this house versus your competitors. How can you use that space? And you'd basically use the same exact techniques that you would when you're in person asking a lot of questions so that you can learn [00:23:00] about your customer so that you can position the best person possible for their needs.

Greg Bray: So on your at IBS, uh, back last, January, I believe he did a presentation about sales versus marketing and whose job it was or part and part of that. And, and I see, okay, we're talking about. Salespeople trying to use tools, but marketing is kind of responsible for creating some of those tools to make available.

When there's a disconnect there where, where marketing doesn't know that sales will use these or sales doesn't know that they're even there to use. How do we bridge that gap? Any thoughts, on how we get those two sides talking better? 

Anya Chrisanthon: Absolutely. So that's been the lifelong struggle right there.

How do we get the salespeople and the marketing people talking? Because oftentimes, especially for large builders, They are completely separate entities. You have your marketing department, you have your sales department and they don't connect with each other. They don't talk. So [00:24:00] salespeople don't necessarily know what tools are available to them.

And marketing people are creating, eating something that they have no idea via house salespeople are going to use it, whether they're going to use it. And if they're even building it for the right person, So my biggest thing is making sure, sure. If you have separate sales and marketing department, that you have them talking to each other, so that could be as easy as the marketing person attending your weekly sales meetings and telling your salespeople, Hey one, we have this, we have that.

We have this. So that when you're having those conversations online, you have those resources available to you and Oh, by the way, what trends are you guys seeing when you're having discussions with your customers so that we can address that in create specific marketing for that? So they have to talk to each other.

And I think one of the trends that are emerging from this sort of quarantine situation and is [00:25:00] that I think we're going to see. And then your salesperson of the future is going to be kind of that hybrid of the marketing person, the technology person, and the salesperson.

Kevin Weitzel: I actually, 100% agree with that because I think that. A lot of salespeople think it's, I just want to go in. I want to do my job. I want to enter, I don't even want to enter my stuff in the CRM, although they should be required to, or be fired. but I have a very harsh opinion on that, by the way. Um, But what it really comes down to is understanding those different departments and how you can actually leverage them to your advantage.

You need to understand what marketing programs are going out as a sales professional, so you can participate with them and not look like an idiot. When somebody comes in and says, Hey, I'm here for the free coffee mug to come to where the home, I dunno, filters do that, but you get the GS. 

So it drives me nuts when sales don't understand what marketing is doing and marketing doesn't tell sales what they're doing. They just run out with a new program, [00:26:00] by the way, here's this new program, at least let me know what's going on. Right. 

Anya Chrisanthon: Absolutely. And to address your point about UCRM or be fired. So I agree with you, but to the flip side of that voters have to use a CRM system. That's not this ancient CRM system that is slow.

That is slowing me down because as a sales professional, I already am literally juggling. Know plates in the air, 12 plates in the air. The last thing I want is to do something that is going to slow me down. That's going to require me to do a lot of manual input. So I'm a strong advocate for using iPads for registration, that registration goes straight to my CRM system so that I don't have to deal with it.

Oh, I can't even understand their handwriting. And then transferring that into my CRM system. No, no, no, no, no. You have them fill it out on a mini iPad, and then you walk with them through the model home. You can bring that iPad with you [00:27:00] and you can enter notes directly into your CRM about that prospect so that you don't have to do all this extra work or when something, but he sends you an email and it's a new prospect that email should automatically be registered in yours or CRM system.

So that all you do is you click on it, you know, out of properly populates with their name potentially, or you can add their name, quick notes done. So none of that manual labor, because if that's what you have to do as a salesperson, it's not going to happen. 

Kevin Weitzel: I actually, I actually agree with that too, because when it comes down to CRMs, I come from the autumn automobile and, and, you know, they've been using a CRM, robust serums that are almost invasive for decades.

And the, one of the biggest mistakes I see home builders make when it comes to using a CRM or implementing a CRM is thinking that a construction management tool or that a, an ERP is something that you should use a CRM. It's not. They are, those are just bandaids. Those don't, [00:28:00] those don't do even half the horsepower of what a professional salesperson in the home building industry needs.

You know, there's plenty of quality products out there, you know, not to give any sales pitches for anybody else, but if you've got last, so you've got top builders solution, you know, you've got so many different quality CRMs that are out there that it just doesn't make any sense when they're utilizing these construction tools instead.

Anya Chrisanthon: I agree with you. I agree with you Kevin, a hundred percent. So if you're a builder and you don't have a CRM system, you need to go get a CRM system and not just a CRM system, it needs to be easy to use for the salespeople. It needs to provide automation. 

Greg Bray: And I think one of the newer features is not just the automation, but you already kind of hinted at that tracking piece too, to be able.

So, so when you send them those links and they come back to the website, that's getting logged back in the system. So you have that as part of their history. So you can say, Oh, Hey, so-and-so. Did actually follow that link because they may not actually reply back to the email, but being able to see [00:29:00] that they took some type of action based on that followup is very valuable and understanding where they are in their process and what they're looking at and they're interested in. So that's, I think that's a key feature too. So let's, if we can on you just for a second, you, you already hinted at the idea that the sales process is changing.

That, that this use of technology. But if, if I'm a salesperson listening today and that scares me, all right, I've been doing it this way for a long time. You know, you're telling me it's changing. What, what do I need to start doing different? Or where do I go to learn how to do something different? What are your recommendations and thoughts 

there?

Anya Chrisanthon: Sure. So I think, you know, it, shouldn't scary. Hopefully, it doesn't scare you, but you know, if you just look at it, Um, the fact that the visiting model home is no longer point an in their journey, right. To find a new home. It may be the last touch, the point before they signed that contract, or it may not have [00:30:00] been happened at all.

Right. Because so many people are doing it online. So if you're just going to sit in your model home, wait for that customer, you're not going to have any customers to sell to. So you just have to realize that, Hey, I have to meet my customers where they are, and that is online. So if I am meeting my customers online, I do have to embrace some of those tools in order for me to do my job better.

so number one, I think you have to get comfortable being on video. So learning to use zoom and be as personable on zoom as you are in person with your customers, that's going to be important because your customers may not be comfortable being on video and that's okay. You know, you may have to stare at the blank screen.

And knowing that they're they're there, but they're only am I seeing you. You may not even see the customer. So you have to get comfortable being on zoom, being on video, interacting with them. You have to get [00:31:00] comfortable being very organized because now going to be taking your customer through a virtual model to work.

On zoom, you better have that ready? You better know, you know, exactly shortcut to go to, to click on that. And here's my competitor's website. So you have to get prepared, so that you're not scrambling all over the place because that's gonna, that's gonna add more of a, you know, more bumps along the way and going to make your customers feel uncomfortable.

So being really prepared. Organized, it's going to be important. And again, using that CRM system, that's going to be very, very important because you can think of it if I'm not in the model home, necessarily speaking with you, I'm online, talking to many more customers is going to be really hard for me to remember those customers.

And, uh, that's going to be really important that I keep track of who said what? So that next time we pick [00:32:00] up again, they know that I cared about them enough to remember where we left off and they're not having to repeat themselves over and over to me again. So to learn more about some of those tools, you know, I would say you can attend some of the events that we have.

one of them is, uh, you guys are both going to be part of a tech home builder summit, for example, 

Greg Bray: Yeah, that's coming up here  

Anya Chrisanthon: yeah. So, you know, we have, there are certainly tools available. If you want to learn more. Obviously I have my new construction marketing Academy where I've been teaching people to use some of those tools, but I think it is about embracing, um, Embracing the idea that I have to spend some time educating myself in order for me to get better because it is an evolution of the sale person.

And we're kind of at that uncomfortable whole point right now, right? We're at that point where things are starting to change. And if you don't [00:33:00] change, if you don't adopt that technology, there's a good chance you're going to be left behind. But those of us who will adapt. who will embrace that technology?

That's going to be the new salesperson going forward. And I think if you're worried about technology replacing you, don't be worried about that because at the end of the day, remember people buy with emotions and they justify with logic. And as far as I'm aware, computers can't necessarily sell the motions, at least not yet.

So I think we're safe there for awhile. 

Greg Bray: Right. And of course, that, that, Idea of salesperson disappearing and being replaced. You know, I completely agree that that is not. The vision that I see in the future, even, even when people talk about the idea that we go to a completely full online purchase process for homes, which I do believe is coming in and is happening for some builders already.

I do not believe number one, that will be a hundred percent of buyers that do that. [00:34:00] But, but secondly, I don't believe that that's the same as an unassisted. Buying process just because they're doing it online, doesn't mean that it's unassisted by someone who is counseling them and directing them and helping them through it.

which is what a good salesperson really is doing right there. They're more of that, that assistance to the process, as opposed to forcing something that's not a good fit. Would you, would you be comfortable with that statement? 

Anya Chrisanthon: You hit the nail on the head. Absolutely. You have. We're not the information hoggers, you know that then back in the day, the salesperson had all the information and you had to come to them to get that information. Now customers have old information at their fingertips, but nonetheless, you remain the expert and trusted guide, and that's how you, you have to act as a trusted guy to take your customers through this journey.

Because, yeah, they know the information, but they don't know that option a and option B don't go together [00:35:00] or, you know, option C would be better in this case. You know, that, and that's where you able to add value and provide that support and, uh, make sure that they're making the best decision for them. And ultimately sales is getting somebody to take action.

That's in their best interest for them. 

Greg Bray: Well on. Yeah, we've been really, really appreciative of your time today, and want to be respectful of that. So as we, as we kind of wind down here, do you have any last pieces of advice or things that we didn't cover that you wanted to share today? 

Anya Chrisanthon: no, I think the bottom line is times are changing.

And, one of the biggest advantages that we have as humans is our ability to adapt, so that's what separates us from animals. And, humans have an incredible, incredible capacity to adapt and thrive. And so I think that new home sales, we're kind of hitting almost like a Renaissance period where [00:36:00] we're going to have incredible opportunity to compete on a whole other level with resales because now we no longer have that obstacle of.

Oh, I can't visualize what it looks like. We have. Amazing technology where I can not only visualize, I can see what my house could look like during sunset during sunrise. so there is no longer, or that objective that objection of, Oh, I just can't see it. So new construction is not for me. Now we have that and we can compete.

With resale so much better. And I think it gives us a huge advantage. And I think there's a huge opportunity for us to, to sell a lot, a lot of new construction homes and make a lot of money going for it. 

Kevin Weitzel: All right. So I'm new in the home building industry. I'm just coming to the sales desk. I'm a little bit nervous.

How can I reach out to you and where, how would I get in touch with you to get with the new construction marketing Academy? And can you let me [00:37:00] know just a little bit more about what that is? 

Anya Chrisanthon: So, you can reach me@anyachrishanson.com. I have my, um, my weekly podcasts and I share a lot of information there.

You can also take my free effortless followup class, right on there as well. And, um, learn about new construction marketing Academy through that basically wouldn't marketing Academy is it's an online the school where you can access it at your comfort in new comfort of your own home on your own time.

And I basically take you to step by step through the process of, okay, how do I decide who is my ideal customer? How do I drop those messages? How do I use the technology in order to create this followup system and all the steps necessary so that it's not an overwhelming process for you? It's a step by step system.

Greg Bray: Awesome. And Anya we'll drop some links in the show, no notes to those as well, so people can, can follow, those links there too. [00:38:00] Well, 

Anya Chrisanthon: thanks.

Greg Bray: Thank you so, so much for your time today. We really appreciate it. I know I've learned a lot. I got to go to improve my sales process. you know, as soon as we get done here, and everyone, if you've, learned something from Anya, please check out her information and, and reach out to her.

I'm sure she'd appreciate that. thank you everybody for listening today. Please join us again. Next time on the home builder, digital marketing podcast. I'm Greg Bray with Blue Tangerine

Kevin Weitzel: and im Kevin Weitzel with Outhouse. Thank you.