This week on The Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast, Ben Marks and Leah Turner of Melinda Brody and Company join Greg and Kevin to discuss how new home builders improve the performance and success of their sales associates through mystery shopping evaluation.
Sales associates should not view mystery shopping as a negative experience but as an opportunity to learn and progress. Ben says,
“… if you’re mystery shopped, don’t see it as punitive. These are really an educational tool. I mean, oftentimes we tell managers that this is a training tool that you can work with your sales associates so they can see what they’re doing well and where they need improvement. It’s much like Tiger Woods or professional golfers watch hours of their swings on video. This is the same way. You’re only going to get better by seeing what you’re doing well and where you need to improve.”
It takes training to become an expert new home sales associate and viewing each prospective home buyer as a mystery shopper will help perfect abilities. Leah says,
“…treat every single person that walks into your model home as if they were a shopper because not only are you going to give a great presentation, but you’re going to perfect your craft. And then when the real shopper does come in, you’re going to make a really good score. So, we hope they do think it’s the shopper every single time. They’ll do better.”
Listen to this week’s episode to learn more about the benefits of testing the skills of new home sales teams through mystery shopping.
About the Guests:
Ben
Ben Marks became owner and president of Melinda Brody & Company in 2016, upon the retirement of the company’s founder, Melinda Brody. Ben is proud to carry on the tradition of excellence and customer service since the company was established in 1986.
With more than two decades of working with sales and marketing teams, residential contractors, and design groups, Ben’s experience and expertise is particularly suited to helping home builders evaluate and train their sales associates.
Passionate about inspiring others to develop their innate potential, Ben is recognized by his peers as a strong, empowering, and compassionate leader. He is an enthusiastic team builder with an outstanding interpersonal capability and excellent communication skills. At Melinda Brody and Company, Ben is focused on developing the client base and ensuring the highest levels of customer service.
Ben is a proud, active member of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, the Atlanta Sales & Marketing Council, the National Sales & Marketing Council, and the Mystery Shopping Providers Association.
Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Married for over 20 years to his wife Margo, they have two teenage sons and reside in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
Leah
As Sales Coach & Trainer for Melinda Brody & Company, the leading new home mystery shopping company for over 30 years, Leah Turner knows what sets top sales teams apart. Leah has worked with thousands of new home sales and real estate professionals across the country providing ways to improve and enhance their presentations and increase sales.
Engaging, educational, and always entertaining, Leah is a sought-after speaker and has spoken at numerous national/regional trade shows, conferences, and builder associations in addition to conducting private workshops and training programs for new home builders and general real estate firms throughout the United States.
Leah’s experience and expertise in one-on-one coaching, team training, and sales management, gives her the competitive edge needed to deliver impactful, content-rich programs to sales and real estate professionals. And with 25 years as a highly charged sales and marketing executive in the home building and real estate industries, Leah understands the specific challenges and pressures of selling homes in today’s market.
Leah is a proud, active member of the Tampa Bay Builders Association and the Florida Homebuilders’ Association (FHBA). She has served in multiple leadership roles, most recently as the President of the Florida Sales & Marketing Council for FHBA. She is also a Life Director for the Florida SMC.