This week on The Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast, Gina Nixon of Thomas James Homes joins Greg and Kevin to discuss how putting customers first strengthens every aspect of a home building business.
Providing a great home buying experience requires home builders to focus on and understand individual customers. Gina says,
“… what we are trying to do as a company right now is really identify how to put the customer first in the way we’re selling homes, in the way we’re selling our service, by listening to them and by delivering for them … take some of the antiquated ways, things have happened in the past, out of play. We don’t necessarily need to show everything we offer, but by spending time to listen to what’s important to them, steering them to a library home and a design collection that starts them off in a place that’s where they want to be.”
Everyone on the home building team is responsible for the home buyer journey. Gina says,
“We have the attitude, whether you’re the CEO or you’ve got your hands dirty building homes every day, every one of us owns that customer experience.”
When home builders foster relationships with customers and not just build homes for them, the home buyers offer valuable suggestions that could improve the overall business. Gina explains,
“I’m going to start with the customers you have first. It’s not expensive to find out what motivates them. You just have to be a little brave to put yourself out there to hear the answers to the questions. You have a pool of buyers who’ve already said yes and that love you, and they are full of insights … Invite them to spend some time in a space that’s comfortable and ask them questions. They will share. They will talk. You’re going to hear some things you probably don’t like, but maybe you need to hear so you could make some adjustments. At the same time, you’re going to be overwhelmed by how happy most people really are.”
Listen to this week’s episode to learn more about how focusing on customers benefits home builders’ businesses.
About the Guest:
Gina Nixon brings 30+ years of demonstrated strategic planning, sales, and marketing success in the home building and land development markets. Crossing the lines from low-density, single-family, to major master planned communities, to high-density, mixed-use projects; she enhances any design team with a key understanding of consumer-driven research, innovative product design, and strategies to increase absorption and profitability.
She has held senior-level positions with builders and land developers, providing a depth of market knowledge across the Nation. Through research, team building, and creative solutions, she pushes teams to move from vision to strategy, to results staying focused on financial viability and profitability of each project.
She delivered a new brand for Thomas James Homes direct to consumers in 2019 and continues to push the boundaries of single lot, new home replacement building along the West Coast.