Trust is a fundamental element of relationships. Building trust is non-negotiable whether you want to build a business, earn the respect of your peers, earn more control, or have a greater impact in this world.
Maintaining customer trust during the COVID-19 pandemic is critical for home builders seeking to keep referrals and sales numbers high. There are several practical ways that home builders can demonstrate empathy and establish instant trust.
Ask Questions
Asking questions is one of the most critical skills for building trust and creating a customer experience that delivers on your brand promise. Strong questioning techniques during home builder sales training allow you to make meaningful connections with your buyers, uncover their needs, communicate the impact of your solutions and build value.
Use a mix of broad and specific open-ended sales questions to get the buyer talking. Broad, open-ended questions help them express their perceptions of a need, while specific open-ended questions uncover latent needs they might not be aware of.
When asking sensitive questions, always make sure to explain why you’re asking the question. This will keep the conversation non-threatening and show your buyers that you care about them and their business.
Listen
The best salespeople truly understand their customers’ problems and needs. That requires listening, not talking. Having the ability to listen with the intent to understand takes time and practice. But it is a powerful skill that can transform how you engage with your customers.
When you are selling, it can be tempting to interrupt your clients when they are sharing their problems and concerns. But this can be very frustrating for them. Instead, try asking open questions that encourage them to open up and share more. Also, be sure to focus on their eyes and non-verbal cues.
Ask for Feedback
Home builders are skilled at assessing land, securing permits and construction. However, their weak link is selling.
Expert advises using short-form video platforms like TikTok and Facebook Reels to increase visibility and differentiate new homes from resales. He also suggests that home builders make it easy for buyers to understand the costs of buying a new home through tools such as mortgage calculators and virtual tours.
Be Honest
Being upfront about what you can & cannot do for your customers is critical to building trust. Practicing transparency throughout the project helps homeowners feel comfortable expressing their needs and concerns.
It also allows you to address project challenges quickly, saving you time & money. Plus, it makes the whole process much smoother for both parties.
This is another thing that doesn’t take much effort, but many Pros neglect to follow through. This includes following up with a homeowner after a conversation or responding promptly to their inquiries.
Be Flexible
Being flexible means that you can adapt to change. This is especially important for a business that relies on sales, as changing trends can impact your ability to make money. Being flexible also allows you to test out new ideas quickly. For example, if your market is moving towards buying online, you can quickly switch to an e-commerce platform. However, it is important to be flexible without sacrificing your core values or making customers feel they are being taken advantage of. This is a tricky balance that requires constant monitoring and communication.
Be Honest About Yourself
Being honest with yourself is important for many reasons. It helps you rise above challenges, build life skills and become more authentic. It also allows you to be more honest with others.
Self-deception may seem convenient, but it will do more harm than good. Brutal self-honesty is difficult and painful but necessary for long-term success.
Developing trust is essential for building strong connections with customers and colleagues. This book focuses on creating and preserving trust, discussing tactics such as demonstrating competence, displaying dependability, communicating effectively, and demonstrating empathy.
Build a Relationship
Building a relationship is one of the most important parts of selling. It demonstrates that you care about the customer and share similar thoughts and feelings. This is what gives you the power to build instant trust.
You can build a relationship through an email, a phone call, social media messaging (see my guide on social selling), or even through an in-person networking event. You can commiserate over challenges in the industry, make a lighthearted comment about something your company does well, or show interest in the prospect’s business or personal life.
