New Home Sales & Marketing Performance Trends Survey Reveals How to Gain A Performance Edge in the Homebuilding Industry

Results of The Pulse2012 survey presented to a sold-out crowd at an event during the International Builders Show in Orlando, Florida

Orlando, FL (prHWY.com) March 14, 2012 - The results of a new survey by nearly 300 sales and marketing leaders in the home building industry were revealed at the Sales and Marketing Pulse 2012 event at the BB King Blues Club in Orlando, Florida on February 8, 2012 during the International Builders Show. Jeff Shore, president of Shore Consulting, and Dennis O'Neil, president of ONeil Interactive, presented the findings to the sold out crowd of more than 150 new home sales and marketing leaders. Shore Consulting and ONeil Interactive conducted the Pulse 2012 survey in concert with Impact Performance Solutions.

"This survey is the first of its kind and is important because new home sales and marketing leaders have a shared interest in learning what will give them a performance edge. They want to understand what the opportunities are and how they can all take advantage of them," said Jeff Shore. "In conducting this survey, we identified some key opportunities for performance improvement."

The Pulse2012 report is broken down into five main sections, including:

* Margin Protection. More than half of the sales leaders surveyed report that 75% (or more) of their sales involve offers and price negotiations. Based on the data, a directional trend line can be drawn to indicate it's more difficult to meet or exceed business plan expectations as rates of negotiations rise.
* Individual Performance Measurement. Leaders who utilize a competitive floor (as opposed to a shared floor), are more likely to meet or exceed their business plans. The survey also reveals that sales leaders who regularly mystery shop their sales counselors report that they exceeded business plan expectations at higher rates than sales leaders who do not.
* "New Media" Marketing Efforts. In 2012, 78% of respondents say they will use social media, but just 67% will focus on search engine optimization and only 42% plan to blog. Builders should invest their resources in creating a strong presence in places where consumers actively search for homes and should consider these actions before expanding their presence in social media where consumer intentions are uncertain.
* Email Marketing IS Mobile Marketing. More than 90% of respondents say they will engage in email marketing in 2012, however only 42% plan on having a mobile website and only 24% will include a mobile app. Given that mobile traffic was up 121% in 2011 and that 25% of smartphone owners say they mostly go online using their phone rather than with a computer, creating a mobile web experience should be an increasingly important strategic initiative.
* Performance Perception and Reality. There is a serious gap between how sales managers think their sales teams are performing and how the sales teams are actually producing. 74% of sales leaders rated their overall team talent "slightly above" or "well above average," yet 41% of sales leaders report that their teams did not meet business plan expectations in 2011. This disconnect suggests too many leaders spend their time administering the business rather than driving the sales.

"The survey wasn't groundbreaking because of the types of questions asked, but groundbreaking because it provides a new way to think about sales and marketing practices," commented Shore. "The Pulse2012 is an essential tool for the homebuilding industry with action items that will make your organization better."

New home sales and marketing leaders across North America anonymously responded to the survey in January 2012. Data was collected via SurveyMonkey.com and then analyzed using standard statistical practices. The results were based on the opinions and benchmarks provided via the survey, and combined with the analysis and observations of Shore Consulting and ONeil Interactive. Visit http://www.pulsepresentation.com to watch the presentation video and view the entire Pulse 2012 report.

About Shore Consulting
With two decades of new home sales and Fortune 500 executive experience, Jeff Shore blends hard working, real-world expertise with humor, insight and wit in his uniquely singular approach to new home sales training. His coast-to-coast seminars garner ecstatic reviews from sales counselors and managers, describing them as "authentic", "entertaining", "inspiring" and "compelling".

Jeff is an acclaimed member of the National Speaker's Association and the author of three books, including the best-selling Tough Market New Home Sales. http://www.jeffshore.com

About ONeil Interactive
ONeil Interactive is a full service Internet Marketing firm dedicated to homebuilders, offering both project specific and comprehensive marketing solutions.

President Dennis O'Neil speaks fluent 'home builder' and 'geek' and regularly translates the two to help builders sell more homes. With over a decade of experience using the internet to sell and market new home, Dennis offers training for online new home sales and is a well-regarded speaker on internet marketing and social media. http://www.oneilinteractive.com

About Impact Performance Solutions
Wade Mayhue is an organizational development consultant passionately committed to helping leaders, teams and organizations achieve peak performance.

Formerly the Vice President of Learning and Development at KB Home, Wade provides strategic direction for small businesses and Fortune 500 organizations in the areas of performance metrics, learning strategy and organizational effectiveness. http://www.impactperform.com

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Tag Words: social media, websites, mobile, sales managers, seo, builders show, performance trends, survey, marketing, sales

Categories: Research

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