OSC of the Month | Frankie Lewis

Our February OSC of the Month is Frankie Lewis, New Home Specialist for Homes by Taber located in Oklahoma City. In the interview, Frankie discusses his path to becoming an OSC, his go-to closing technique, and gives his tip for new home sales.

Tell us about your role and company:

I am the New Home Specialist for Homes by Taber, a local builder In the Oklahoma City Metro and I manage on average 150 leads per month.

How long have you been in your role or working in new home sales in general?

I started with Homes by Taber in October of 2017 and entered my role as the New Home Specialist in March of 2018.

What was your career path to becoming an OSC?

I have 15 years of experience in retail and customer service, which has helped me tremendously with helping customers find their dream home.

I was previously working part-time as a Fitness Consultant at the gym where the Marketing Director for Homes by Taber, Lindsay Haltom, worked out. According to Lindsay, she liked that even at 5 a.m. I had an outgoing personality, ready and willing to assist members, while also reaching out to new customers to encourage them to join. Lindsay felt I would be great at a New Home Specialist position that they would soon be implementing at Homes by Taber. With a degree in Advertising and Marketing, and a love for helping people, I felt this was the role that was meant for me. Lindsay put me through the interview process and ultimately offered me the position.

How have you seen online home sales change in the last few years?

I’ve seen the impact that online home sales has had, not only with increased sales for the company, but also with realtor relations as well. I believe realtors are not looking at this role as a threat, but as a means to help them when it comes to selling homes. My role allows us to be a resource to realtors to guide their clients to the best community and find “The One” for their clients.

Frankie Lewis has been in his position for almost two years and blows me away every single day. His work ethic is unmatched, and his enthusiasm is contagious. He takes amazing care of our customers and becomes genuine friends with so many along the way.

Lindsay Haltom
Director of Marketing, Homes by Taber

How do you see your role or the OSC role evolving over the next few years?

Just like everything else, the home buying experience is now becoming more of a digital online experience. Oklahoma has multiple large employers with an economy that is thriving and we are home to one of the biggest air force bases in the country with a lot of people relocating here. Customers often must shop for homes online and need expertise from someone they can trust with their family’s largest investment. Building that trust will help make a life changing experience a positive one.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your job? What do you do to overcome that challenge?

It can be challenging when prospects have a wall up and don’t want to be forthcoming with personal information or committing to a time to meet with an onsite sales agent. I’ve found that spending more time and being thorough with my follow up, lets them bring down their guard and helps them to trust me and the direction I am providing.

What is the most useful technology/tool to your job?

I would hands-down say that Lasso CRM is the most useful by far! Without it, there would be no way to keep up with all the leads and the follow up process. Without this tool, I would be an unorganized mess.

What is your “go to” closing technique to get an appointment?

Asking for the appointment every time on every call.

Painting a picture of the home and or community and making them want to see it for themselves. Painting the picture requires you to be knowledgeable about the neighborhoods, even taking the time to visit them, getting out of the office and seeing them for yourself. If the excitement you have for the home or community can be felt through the phone, the appointment will be set.

What/Who are your “go-to” resources for training and/or support?

The support of my Marketing Director, Lindsay Haltom, who always has my back and our amazing sales team that is always going above and beyond to help answer questions. The combination of this support gives me what I need to be able to do my job effectively.

Do you have any specific successes you’d like to highlight?

Last year, I had the pleasure of working with a family that was stationed in Japan and needed to be in a home by September (which was about 6 months out) and we had to do everything on their time zone by Facetime. We got the appointment and our Community Sales Manager got them under contract for a build. By the time they made it to the states, their home was completed. They saw it for the first time and loved the home and community. When they closed on their home, the gentleman that I had been working with brought me a gift as a sign of his appreciation. That was very heartwarming to know that this long-distance experience was a smooth one.

Any tips or advice for fellow online salespeople and marketers?

Never be too proud to ask for help and make sure you take time for yourself. This position is very rewarding, but it is really important that you spend some time to regroup, recharge, and come back better than ever!

Favorite thing to do outside of work?

I love to cook!! I love food!! Which leads me to the next favorite thing to do…working out. I hang out with friends and also spend time with my new puppy, whom I’ve named Beans. When we go on adventures together, it’s The Adventures of Frank and Beans! I also manage his Instagram page “Mrbeans2020.” Feel free to check him out, he loves to sell houses too and even has a Homes by Taber uniform.