Benchmark 2008 - Speaker Presentations

Keynote: Terry Jones Founder, Travelocity.com “The Business of Innovation”
While most dot-coms failed, Terry Jones built a profitable company that changed the travel industry. Audiences will learn how to celebrate mistakes, how to fail quickly and how to learn from the Internet.

Industry Update: Tim Sullivan President, Sullivan Group Real Estate Advisors
In the midst of rapid change, having solid information is essential to making smart business decisions. Learn what’s happening in the market now and what is likely to happen tomorrow.

Roundtable Sessions

Management – Strategies to Retool for the Recovery
Chuck Shinn, Ph.D., CEO, The Shinn Group of Companies

This presentation will discuss recovery strategies as well as the retooling of your organization and processes to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that will become available during the housing recovery.

Customer Loyalty I – Builder Survival Strategies in Tough Markets
Paul Cardis, Founder, AVID Ratings
Scott Himelhoch, Executive Vice President, AVID Ratings

Quality products and outstanding service are great, but today’s consumers want to know how something is going to benefit them personally. This program explains the direct link between your profitability and how well you cater to individual homebuyers’ needs throughout the home-building process and at every level of your organization. You’ll learn best practices for creating a customer-centric company culture and develop you own action plan that engages every person on your staff.

Customer Loyalty II – Empower Neighborhood Quality Teams
Jack Marshall, Senior Home Quality Advisor, AVID Ratings
Joe Donahoe, Industry Board Member, AVID Ratings

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding neighborhood quality teams (NQTs) and their ability to boost customer loyalty. But buzz doesn’t translate into benefits if you don’t know how to use NQTs effectively. This program explains what NQTs are and how they are best used to empower low-level and mid-level employees to take ownership of customer issues and resolve them effectively. You’ll learn everything you need to know to establish a high-performing NQT that will give you a serious advantage over the competition.

Management – Make Green Easier with Quality Management
Serge Ogranovitch, Senior Partner, The Potomack Group

During this session learn the common green criteria and see best practices that can assist you in going green.

Customer Loyalty I – Enhance Referrals Through Referral Marketing
Scott Himelhoch, Executive Vice President, AVID Ratings

Success in today’s home-buying environment dictates that builders garner as many referrals as possible from previous customers. Without it, survival is twice as hard. That’s because a referred prospect is twice as likely as a regular prospect to buy from you. This program helps you establish a formal referral program and tracking system to measure referral rates and sources. You’ll learn how to focus on your happiest customers and how to run a successful marketing campaign that encourages customers to make referrals.

Customer Loyalty II – Manage Tough Customers, Reduce Warranty Expenses
Jack Marshall, Senior Home Quality Advisor, AVID Ratings
Christian Caswell, General Manager - Canadian Operations, AVID Ratings
Allan Klassen, President Albi Homes

Every business encounters customers who are dissatisfied. Sometimes their anger is justified; other times it stems from unrealistic expectations. Either way, these potentially hostile homebuyers can present serious problems for homebuilders. This program shows you how to deal with the toughest customers. You’ll learn when and how to say “no” to customers, as well as how to develop an effective SWAT Team for dealing with hostile homebuyers.

Leadership – Leadership Skills for Sales & Organizational Turnarounds
Alan Parrow , Ph.D., President and CEO of Bull Free Solutions

In a downturn, different skill sets are required of managers than when it’s business as usual. Parrow discusses what managers can do in distressful times to avert unwanted restructuring that may be imposed by lenders, boards of directors and/or the courts.

View CEO Panel Presentation

CEO Panel

David Drees, President and CEO, The Drees Co.
Jamie Bigelow, President, Bigelow Homes
Ryan Scott, CEO, Avalon Master Builder

Home Building After the Rebound
Three CEOs address the issue of what the home building industry will look like after the downturn. One thing everyone agrees on is it will be different. But how?

Tuesday, October 7

View Marketing to the Generations Presentation 

Henry Cisneros, Executive Chairman, CityView “Workforce Housing and the Turnaround”
The former Secretary of HUD has jumped with both feet into the housing industry with his company CityView. Hear him discuss how housing affordability has become a major issue in the home building industry, especially for middle- and lower-income workers. What opportunities does this provide home builders and what challenges do they face when they enter this arena?

Roundtable Sessions

Tony Avila, Americrest and Falcone Group, and panelists yet to be announced Home builders rely on capital both for operations and for their customers to buy houses. The last year has been a year of turmoil. Listen to these experts explain what’s going on now and how it will affect your business.

Management – Opportunities in Infill Development
Sarah Peck, President and Owner, Progressive Housing Ventures

Infill development offers exciting opportunities to expand your business and meet markets often neglected in the suburbs. Learn the pitfalls to avoid as well as what resources and skill sets your team will need to succeed in this niche.

Customer Loyalty II – Harness Relationship Value and WOWs to Delight Customers
Scott Himelhoch, Executive Vice President, AVID Ratings

Many homebuilders that score high in customer loyalty do so because of the strong relationship value they have created with their customers. “Relationship value” refers to the emotional bonds (both real and perceived) that are created among the customer, the homebuilder, and the brand. This corporate improvement program shows you how to create true relationship value by connecting personally with homebuyers on a series of levels before, during, and after construction.

Leadership – Determined to Succeed
Dan Barnaba, CEO, Eldan Homes
Jim Barnaba, CEO, James Custom Homes

Two successful home builders share strategies for increasing market share during the downturn.

Management – The Internet Can Turn Around Your Home Building Company
Ken Knorr, President, Buildtelligence

A CEO level overview of how your Web presence can play a significant role in the turnaround of your company and the industry.

Customer Loyalty I – How to Avoid Humidity-Related Warranty Issues
Jack Marshall, Senior Home Quality Advisor, AVID Ratings
Jim Hilliard, Senior Field Manager, Centex Homes – Illinois

New homes are made of a lot of water — from the concrete foundation to the freshly treated lumber. Unfortunately, new homes often don’t have time to cure before the new owners introduce a lot more water into them via showers, cooking and other day-to-day activities. The results can lead to warped doors, buckling hardwood floors, damaged drywall, and other costly warranty repairs no builder likes to make. This session takes you from the basement to the top floor and explains the causes of humidity-related warranty issues. You’ll learn how to educate homeowners about humidity in the home and what they can do to prevent humidity problems from ever occurring. 

Customer Loyalty II – Control Survey Talk
Paul Cardis, Founder, AVID Ratings
Anne Vitale, Director of Client Services, AVID Ratings
Jan Coulis, Customer Experience Manager, Minto Communities

Customer satisfaction surveys are popular because they provide valuable insights for companies looking for ways to improve customer relations. Some companies, however, impede the survey process by pressuring customers to complete the surveys with favorable marks, resulting in false high ratings. This program teaches you how to prevent excessive “survey talk” from short-circuiting the survey evaluation process and how to develop company policies that address this important topic. We’ll teach you the right way to communicate about your surveys and to campaign for positive responses.

Leadership – Success Strategies that Work
NHQ Winners

National Housing Quality Award winners have implemented best practices that help them deliver value more effi ciently and with higher customer loyalty. Learn proven techniques that you can implement today.