Selling the Construction Process

Former national salesperson of the year Cydne Combs, of Prudential New Homes in Ontario, Calif., anchors her sales approach in home construction. The idea is to be a guide to help people through a complicated process.

"What I really try to do is create a culture of education," says Combs. "A lot of people really don't understand what goes into the construction of a home. It is upwards of 200,000 pieces of material and upwards of 85 people. Just think of that as a large day-care center. It is really overwhelming. So when people come in, they have varying levels of uncertainty, concern and doubt."

For a salesperson wanting to use this approach, the first step is to learn about construction as much as possible. New home sales specialists may want to consider a course offered nationwide through the NAHB's Institute of Residential Marketing called House Construction as a selling tool.

The two-day course covers land development and entitlement, blueprint reading and the construction process. For dates and times, go to the education section of the NAHB Web site, www.nahb.com.