Turning Buyers into Passionate Advocates at Greentech Homes

Although Greentech Homes (Chattanooga, TN) is not a client of Eliant, I happened to connect on LinkedIn with Kim Cobb*, Greentech’s Director of Field Operations and Warranty. I found her to be unusually passionate and totally consumed with delivering extraordinary homebuying and ownership experiences to her customers.

She wanted me to know that after reading my book “Contract to Close: “How to Create Compelling Home Buying Experiences that Earn Referrals” (co-authored with Jeff Shore), she had her construction/customer care team read it “and now our entire company is reading it as well.”  So, I recently interviewed her in an effort to find out how she used some of the “Eliant CX Blueprint” principles outlined in this book to create customers willing to passionately recommend Greentech to their friends.

1. “We formalized our Community Team process…a game-changer!”

• Team Members: Sales Associate/Project Mgr/Homeowner Care Specialist
• Prior to this reorganization of Community Teams, Kim said communication was “a hot mess.”
  • Teams now meet every Thursday to call each buyer with a Construction Progress report (WOW! See #4 below)
  • Created a group-text thread to keep all team members connected and in-sync.
  • Read and discussed “Contract to Close” together: 2-chapters/week
• Monthly Community Team training sessions to stay aligned and strengthen collaboration
• Noticeable results:
  • Strengthened relationships between team members (and with HO’s!)
  • Better focus on the end-game: Customer experience ratings
  • KIM: “Not as many things missed now”
  • Warranty scores have improved by 26% points

2. Planned Surprise 

• Kim: “We now send fun Bomb-Bomb videos to buyers during key build-moments (trusses being set; frame start; concrete pouring, etc.)”
  • Great for out-of-town buyers
  • Share information about local activities
    • Music nights
    • Kim: “We get them excited about Chattanooga!”
  • Kim: “At Frame Walk, we provide the buyer’s family with magic markers to leave personal messages on the exposed studs, like their names, biblical verses, etc.”
  • Closing Day gifts:
    • From the Homeowner Care Specialist: Toolbox with touch-up materials
    • Coupons from local retailers and restaurants

3. Lifestyle Bio

• Created personalized bios of Warranty Team members for salespeople to distribute to new homeowners
  • BOB’s NOTE: A Lifestyle Bio is NOT an academic or occupational resume but a short list of the team member’s personal interests like favorite books & movies; number of children; best vacation spots; favorite sports, etc. Its purpose is to allow the buyer to find at least one point of common ground with the team member.

4. Proactive Communication

• Kim: “We are committed to proactively keeping homebuyers updated throughout the process.”
  • BOB’s NOTE: Eliant’s joint research with the USC Marshall School of Business has identified proactive progress updates to be the #1 driver of buyers’ Willingness to Refer a friend

5. Deliver Bad News as Efficiently as Good News

• Kim: “We are role-playing tough conversations…to help them grow more confident and empathetic.”
  • BOB’s NOTE: Willingness to quickly share bad news is a critical element in creating a trusting relationship

6. Communication of Move-In Date

• Estimated date given at contract
• Updated as necessary during weekly progress report calls
• Firm date provided at drywall stage

Like every author, I am always thrilled to learn that builders are successfully USING the information in my books and articles!

Thank you, Kim, for making my day!

*Kim Cobb has been in the building industry for 28-years and is also a Certified Building Inspector.

 

A series of new articles by Bob Mirman

Bob Mirman is CEO/Founder of 41-year old Eliant, with offices in California and North Carolina. He has written three complete issues of BIG BUILDER magazine, published two best-selling books and well over 160 articles in various building industry magazines. Using lessons learned during his first career as a Clinical Psychologist, Bob directs a seasoned team of Eliant’s Client Success Managers to assist homebuilders in managing their local reputations and driving sales from referrals.