4 Tricks To Sell To Affluents

Move-up buyers can be a tricky sell. Not only are they spending more money—with which may come more demands—but they also have high expectations for you, the person selling them the home!

Consider that affluent buyers know exactly what they want. They’re aware of what works for them in their current home—and what doesn’t. But if you think this means you’ll easily sway them into spending more money, think again! Affluent buyers are incredibly sharp—it’s why they have the wealth to purchase a custom home in the first place.

Which brings us to this: Consider that affluent individuals are more likely to be turned to for advice on where friends and family should invest their own money. In fact, a recent survey found that found that the more affluent an individual is, the more likely they will be asked for purchase advice! Which means if you play your cards right with this savvy population, you may ultimately gain a lot of business. And who doesn’t have that as a goal this year?

Know that before recommending a product or service, affluents compare brands to a set of criteria. 90% say they want brands (including you, custom home builder!) that act and communicate in an honest and transparent manner. They also want brands to be consistent in what they say and do (85%) according to this article. You can imagine a large purchase like a house will only serve to increase the scrutiny paid to these criteria!

In other words affluents want their purchases to come from someone who feels authentic.

So now you might be wondering how this applies to home building and selling. If you’ve read my book, FANtastic Sales, you already know that the fifth trait of a rock-star, top-producing, quota-busting salesperson is the ability to be authentic.

AN ERA OF DISTRUST

In the last decade, banks that were too big to fail, failed. Political heroes on both sides of the aisle promised hope and change, and then lied, cheated, and stole from us. Sports heroes who became our cultural icons lied about using performance-enhancing drugs. Airbags that were known to be faulty were placed into cars. Perhaps most damaging to the public trust, religious leaders who had sworn to devote their lives to the church, violated our most vulnerable and precious gifts, our children, while their superiors covered up the crimes. The result is that we find ourselves in an era of distrust; a time in which we can’t naively believe what others tell us.

Needless to say when individuals are preparing to buy a custom home, they’re skeptical of what they’re being sold. And rightly so! Move-up homes are a huge investment and no one preparing for that mortgage should take what you say at face value! They need (and want) to trust you and the things you’re telling them. Which means that if you’re looking to sell more, it’s imperative to learn how to be authentic!

THE DEAL BREAKERS

While there are dozens of ways to build your authenticity, there are four trust breakers you absolutely cannot commit! Doing so may be catastrophic to your homes sales. And if you recognize yourself or your organization in one of these trust-breakers I urge you to move away from it as quickly as possible.

Trust Breaker #1—Make It About You. Does your organization say things like, “Our customers are our first priority” or “This meeting is to learn all about you and your needs” and then proceed to dominate the entire conversation? I’ve got news for you—you’re killing your sales.

Trust Breaker #2—Don’t Explain the Process. In order for them to trust you, they need to know why you are demonstrating a particular sample, why you are asking so many questions, why you are taking notes, and why you are calling the main office for more information. You must be diligent about explaining the process and next steps throughout the conversation. Telegraph early and often, clearly and succinctly, the sales process and next steps to your fans.

Trust Breaker #3—Fail To Ask For Feedback. How are we doing so far? This very simple question is an excellent way to convey that you genuinely care if the conversation is meeting the fan’s needs. When you stop talking long enough to check in, it signals to the fan that you are paying attention and that you care enough to make a course correction if needed.

Trust Breaker #4—Fail To Follow Through. Nothing says “I don’t really care about you” like a failure to follow through on promises made. We frequently hear the motto “under promise and over deliver.” My thinking is simple: promise and deliver.

Become Authentic In Your Industry

In doing away with these four trust breakers, I believe you’ll begin to form more meaningful relationships with your affluent customers. Ultimately this will turn them into raving FANS of your brand! And when fans love a brand, they tell anyone who will listen about it. Which, in time, can lead to your brand becoming in-demand in the custom home industry!

Curious to learn more about these trust-breakers? Want to find out the other traits of a rock-star, top-producing, quota-busting salesperson? Don’t miss my book, FANtastic Marketing, available now on Amazon.

Categorised in: FANtastic Selling, FANtastic Selling Tips, Lead Generation