Planning Post-Sale Communication

It is easy to think of your CRM as a prospecting tool to gain new sales, but it is also a powerful tool to communicate with customers to improve the buyer experience.

As a salesperson, you work hard to help your customer buy a new home. You have likely spent hours with the buyer reviewing their needs, concerns, and dreams. After they have finally decided to buy, then what?

The time between the decision to purchase a new home and the time they are handed the keys is one of the most challenging and nerve-wracking aspects of the buying process for your customer. If we are proactive with communication, we can alleviate our customers’ fears and frustrations.

The most important aspect of great post-sale communication is to be prepared and proactive. Strategically develop a post-sale communication plan. Your plan should set clear expectations for both the sales agent and the buyer about communication between the time of the sale and the time of move-in

Who Should Communicate

Who will be communicating regularly with the customer? Evaluate the person on your company’s team who is best suited for regular and effective communication with the buyer.

Sales Agent
Often, the ideal person is the sales agent the buyer has already been working with and is familiar with. It is natural to continue that relationship through to the close of the home.

Construction Superintendent or Construction Project Manager
In some companies, it makes sense for the buyer to work directly with the Construction team after the sale – especially in cases with On Your Lot building. If your construction team is handling post-sale customer communication, make certain they are well-trained in customer service and have excellent communication skills.

Customer Concierge
This is a relatively new role in our industry. A Customer Concierge acts as a liaison between the construction team and the customer after the sale. Having a Customer Concierge position frees the salesperson to work toward making new sales, while the buyer continues to receive excellent communication and service. A person in this position often coordinates all closing activities on the home.

What to Communicate

Photos
Building Progress photos of their home being built help the buyer build excitement about moving into their new home. Employ technology such as NoviHome or file-sharing websites to make it easy to engage in your buyer’s journey.

Community
Your buyer is eager to be part of their new community. Highlight physical community features such as common clubhouses, pools, and walking paths, but don’t forget to also promote community involvement and activities. Where possible, a personal invitation to a community activity or introduction to a neighbor will be warmly received.

Lending updates
Mortgage rates are changing daily. If your buyer’s rate is not locked, keep your buyer up to date on any lending changes or challenges as quickly as possible.

When to Communicate

Regular Check-Ins
The timing for communication will depend on the length of time between the sale and the close of the home. Communication should be scheduled at regular intervals, typically no more than two weeks apart. Most importantly, stick to a regular schedule of communication so your customer can rely on it.

Set It up in your CRM
Create scheduled sales processes within your CRM as reminders for regular communication. Use personalized emails and phone calls rather than templated emails so communication is relevant and timely.

If you find your customer is frustrated with the process of buying or building, it is natural to want to communicate less. Challenge yourself to communicate MORE. Your buyers will be delighted with their experience and overjoyed to move into their new home.