The Times They are a Changing: 5 Strategies Every OSC Needs to Remember

A high-performing, high-contributing OSC can predict their builders’ sales funnel about 90 days in advance. These are the OSCs who are contibuting more than 40% of sales on a regular basis and have a true grasp of the entire selling pipeline.

For those OSCs removing seasonality is done through pattern and practice. They’re predictable, though not always through the same methods, and they know the end goal. So when we face yet another change to the predictable, what do those OSCs do?

From the housing crash in 2008 to Covid, and now interest rates soaring to the highest level in over 20 years and an unstable global environment – there’s a lot of ebb and flow OSCs have navigated.

Over that time period so much has changed about the buyer journey and how we interact with technology to get what we need. The human element of the OSC has not.

This October, across the country we saw weeks where the phone wasn’t ringing followed by unending sale announcement emails the next week.

Here are five ways to combat a weird month and keep yourself on your predictable path:

Keep communicating.

We know that prospects go through a cyclical pattern: interest rates rise, they tell us they’re going to hold off. 30-45 days go by and rates might rise again (or do nothing) and suddenly those prospects have had a change of heart and want to get into a home now. They've embraced the new reality and realize it's not going to get better. If you’ve stayed in contact – albeit gently and with little pressure, they’ll know to call you and re-engage to see if you have what they need. Keep sending monthly check ins, create processes to not forget them, and give them a call once in a while. Don’t let anyone go more than 30 days without hearing from you, even when they say they aren’t sure.

Be bold in your conversation.

When a prospect is coming to you and sharing their fears and anxiety about what to do, they’re often looking for someone to give them direction. While we always want to be sure we aren’t stepping outside of our bounds, we can develop the right line of questioning to lead them to the truth. When someone says, “I’m going to wait and see what happens in January”, instead of saying, “ok sure, call you then” – take a beat. Empathize, communicate your understanding, and then challenge it. “I hear you, it’s a frustrating market. In my experience, many buyers hold off until the beginning of the year, and the reality is that’s when we see prices go up. Quick move-ins have been sold and there’s not a lot of options in the resale market either. Competition gets pretty tough. If you wait until January, are you comfortable with extending that time period even further if building from the ground up is the only option?”

Get them to your sales professionals!

This should seem like a no brainer, but especially at the end of the year, motivation gets low. We tend to take prospects at face value and agree with whatever excuse they’re giving us. Your sales professionals are equipped to talk in detail about financing, and often, they’ve got pocket money to work with to bring in those sales. Start easy with a model tour and build up the idea that this is just to see what the options are – we don’t want to sell you a house today! We just need you to tell us this is off the list for now. If not, well, then you at least didn’t miss the chance.

Get a baseline.

One of my favorite things to coach a prospect through is knowing their baseline. If they don’t know where they’re starting they won’t know where they’re going. Again, fear and anxiety of the unknown are driving your objections right now. They’re putting all their hope in things being different in the spring (and we know they will just be more challenging) – instead of pushing them to the next visit, personally connect them to a preferred lender. Give them the tools to educate themselves and don’t give up. Set up your process to keep checking in on them until one day you get the call: “Miss Diana, I got my preapproval! I am ready to buy my first home!”.

That’s a real call I’ve had, and it was after a few years of working with someone. I could not have been happier for her. ?

Share in the joy.

A truly talented OSC gets to know every caller and every prospect they talk to. The reality is when I’m sitting at dinner with my family, I can’t remember anything I did that day (thank god for a CRM and good notes) – but, as soon as I’ve got my airpods in and I’m connected in to my email – every single person I talk to is remembered. Even when they pretend we’ve never talked. I make it a point to be present and share in the emotion of every thing they tell me during discovery. Share that with your sales professionals when you hand off the lead; tell them, “Wow, Christy was so fun to get to know, I’m really looking forward to her becoming a homeowner with us!”. Prospects really do know when you care; it can’t be faked either.

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At the end of the day these are really basic ideas, but they’re worth repeating in yet another unprecedented time. Stay the course, be intentional, and if you don’t find the joy in your work, ask yourself if this is where you need to be.

We are in the business of ushering people and families into a new life. This is one of the greatest impacts we can have on another human. Do it with intention.