No Surprises

Smart Packaging

Upgrades Without Upset

Speak the Buyers' Language

Serving Young Buyers

Product Showcase

Speak the Buyers' Language

Many builders miss out on the easy rewards "good, better and best" options can bring

Living area in Ideal Homes'
Galway model

The process of choosing upgrades generally excites buyers about their new home — but it can leave them confused and exhausted. The key to creating a great client experience is to remember that most buyers are on unfamiliar ground and that it's up to the builder to lead them through it. "All buyers have a tendency to get overwhelmed with choices — even if they have been through the process before," says Jennifer Evans, design specialist with Edward R. James Homes (ERJ), a Glenview, Ill.-based company that builds condos, lofts and single-family homes in the Chicago metro area.

Unfortunately, a lot of builders make the process more confusing and stressful than it has to be by just handing the buyer a stack of product brochures and spec sheets. A better method is to take time to explain "good, better and best" product choices.

The clearest way to explain these choices is with a little show and tell, according to Kym Baker, vice president of sales and marketing for South Bend, Ind.-based Weiss Homes. All of the upgrades the company offers are present in the company's model homes or in its 15,000-square-foot showroom. "If we want our buyers to consider all the possibilities, they need to see examples of the upgrades," Baker says. "Otherwise they end up with something different than what they envisioned and are disappointed. If we can set their expectations, then we can meet them." She points out that the average buyer adds 10 percent to 15 percent to the home's base purchase price on upgrades, making the time and effort required to present choices a great investment for the builder.

Some builders set aside special showroom times to explain these choices. For instance, ERJ and Ideal Homes in Norman, Okla., both have regular "preview nights" for buyers who are in the process of making their choices. "It's a fun, low-stress atmosphere where buyers and designers tour the showroom together," Evans says. "They can see and touch nearly all of the upgrades we offer." At the end of the night, buyers are given a binder that outlines standard features and upgrades, including pricing, and breaks options down by item (flooring, for example) and by room.

Ideal Homes, which builds more than 500 homes annually ranging from the low $110,000s and $320,000s, has outfitted its 5,000-square-foot. showroom with two bathroom vignettes and two kitchen vignettes. It rolled out its preview night in early 2006 and has since seen a marked improvement in its upgrade selling process. "Preview night has really accomplished a lot for us because buyers can see a wide range of choices," says Russ Gammill, vice president of purchasing and estimating. "It sets the tone in the customers' minds and lets them start thinking about what they want and don't want in their home."

Baker says another key to helping buyers through the process is for the sales team to work closely with the design team. At Weiss Homes, for example, the sales staff provides the design team with details on the buyer's personality and lifestyle. "The sales person has spent a lot of time with the buyers and can tell us if they're overwhelmed or if they're budget-conscious — a lot of things that allow the design center to react," Baker says. "The more we know about the buyer, the more we can help them make their house beautiful."

In June, we asked you "What are your important influences for learning about new trends in the home?"

Results are:

Magazine and newspaper articles 54%
Advertising 23%
Builders associations 13%
Web sites 10%

Thank you for participating in our online poll.


© 2007 Moen, Incorporated. All Rights Reserved	Privacy Policy \| Unsubscribe
25300 Al Moen Drive North Olmsted, OH 44070	Need Help? Call 1-866-900-MOEN