Steve Hoffacker's Sales Quips

In an age of specialization, you may want to consider becoming more knowledge on Universal Design princiles and home modification issues for an aging population and anyone with special needs. It can mean the difference in helping someone adapt to a home or find a new one that will meet their needs.

This week I am teaching the NAHB professional course "Certified Aging in Place Specialist" through its University of Housing division. I teach this several times a year, and I enjoy having people from many different disciplines in attendance. Builders, physical therapists, remodelers, lenders, appliance vendors, medical equipment, hospital administrators, geriatric specialists, consultants, insurance providers,and many others have gone through the courses. Typically Realtors don't take advantage of the courses, but I think they should.

For Realtors not desiring the designation but wanting the information, I am writing a half-day course on just the information that will help you sell and list more properties.

The courses this week are in South Florida (Monday-Wednesday), and I have several more calendared this year.

If you want more information on what is covered or when and where the courses (3 of them) are offered - or if you would like one or more of the courses offered near you - email me.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Starting in two weeks, on Tuesday, January 19, the International Builders' Show (IBS) gets under way in Las Vegas. In addition to the exhibits, seminars, and classes to attend and see, we are again hosting a two-day "Meet The Experts" on a variety of sales and marketing topics - for builders, lenders, designers, architects, marketrs, realtors, new home salespeople, and the trades.

The first of the two days, sponsored by the National Sales and Maketing Council (NSMC) and the Institute of Residential Marketing (IRM) is Wednesday, January 20th in Room 228 of the South Hall.

Each day there will be 12 programs (for a total of 24 over the two-days). These are done in a Q&A format with a facilitator and participants. The groups can be as small as a few people all the way up to 100, depending on the topic and time slot.

On the first day, of the 12 presenters, 7 are Active Rainers - over half!

8:00-9:15

Doing More With Less - With Technology - Hal VonNessen, CMP, MIRM, RESH Marketing, Columbia, SC

Dealing with People with Homes To Sell - Brent Forsberg, MIRM, Forsberg Real Estate Co., Okemos, MI

9:30 – 10:45

Reinventing Yourself For Your Market - Chuck Miller, MIRM, CGB, CGP, Chuck Miller Construction, Inc., Hidden Springs, ID

Creating And Selling Your USP - Steve Risser, CSP, Evans Coghill Homes, Charlotte, NC

11:00 – 12:15

Leveraging Your Marketing With Social Media - Steve Hoffacker, CAPS, MCSP, MIRM, Hoffacker Associates, West Palm Beach, FL

Evolving Your Brand For Today - David Hoke, CMP, MIRM, BLF Marketing, Nashville, TN

12:30 -1:45

Using Auction Marketing Strategically - Tom Vetter, MCSP, MIRM, Accelerated Marketing Partnets, Danville, CA

Building Your Sales Team For Today's Market - Lou Ludwig, CMP, CSP, MCSP, MIRM, Ludwig & Associates, Boca Raton, FL

2:00 -3:15

Using Proven Success Strategies - Tammy Lynch, CMP, MIRM, M/I Homes, Charlotte, NC

Using The Web Strategically - Melissa Stockstill, CMP, MIRM, MindKube., Viera, FL

3:30 - 4:45

Building Green On A Budget - John Freer, CGB, CGP, Riverworks, Inc., Missoula, MT

Mining For Gold In Your Own Customer Records - Jerry Costanzo, CMP, MIRM, G.L. Costanzo & Associates, Castle Rock, CO

If you are attending IBS, come see us and say hello or get your questions answered.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

If generating more leads for yourself is one of your New Year's resolutions - and you live in South Florida - you're in luck. "Successful Lead Generation" is the name of a 6-hour course I am offering this Friday, January 8th in Boynton Beach at the Gold Coast Builders Association.

The course is $89, but early registration of $74 continues through tomorrow, January 4th. Call Katie at (561) 732-5959 x 102 to register.

I will be focusing on intentional lead generation but covering the production of leads from many perspectives.

This is open to anyone is sales or marketing - regardless of your product or service.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

This Friday, October 23, in Boynton Beach, Florida, I am conducting an afternoon class on effective customer contact in sales - all sales. New home sales, realty sales, direct sales, retail sales, professional sales. We're talking about how we rate the interest level and ability to act of our customers so that we allocate our time and resources to working primarily with those who are interested in doing business with us. Join us if you are going to be in the area.

Here's the flyer:

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

This Friday, October 23, in Boynton Beach, Florida, I am conducting a morning class on the discovery process in sales - all sales. New home sales, realty sales, direct sales, retail sales, professional sales. We're talking about how we uncover the needs, interests, desires, motivations, expectations, interest level , and abilty to act of out customers. Join us if you are going to be in the area.

Here's the flyer:

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

This coming Wednesday night, at 5:30 pm (after the morning program in Taveres), I am speaking to the Brevard Home Builders & Contractors Association Sales & Marketing Council in Melbourne, Florida on the topic, "Hand-To-Hand Contact." This will cover meeting new leads, working a room, and adding to our circle of contacts.

Would love to have any Rainers from the Melbourne area drop by and attend. Would be a win-win. We could meet face-to-face, and I could introduce you to the group and illustrate the power of the Rain.

If you'd like to attend, let me know in the comments or by email and I'll get you the information.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

This coming Wednesday, at 8:00 am, I am speaking to the Lake County Sales & Marketing Council in Taveres, Florida on the topic, "So What Is Blogging Anyway?"

Would love to have any Rainers from that Central Florida area drop by and attend. Would be a win-win. We could meet face-to-face, and I could introduce you to the group and help create traffic for your blogs.

If you'd like to attend, let me know in the comments or by email and I'll get you the information.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Starting next Thursday, July 30, in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center, the Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) and Green Building Show get underway for a three-day run.

There will be education programs, designation courses, golf tournaments, social activities, exhibits, awards programs, fun, and fellowship.

Several Rainers are presenting programs on selling and marketing real estate, advertising, social media, blogging, motivation, and business building.

There are other presenters as well, but the Rainers who are scheduled to participate include Steve Hoffacker, Lou Ludwig, Melissa Stockstill, Deborah Fisher, Kimberly Mackey, and Rick Bavec.

If you live in Floirda or any of the surrounding States - or you want an entertaining weekend in Orlando - come visit us. We'd love to see you and get a chance to talk.

Information on the show can be found at sebcshow.com or floridasmc.com.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

In a time when we maybe have a little more time to pursue professional education, and in the coming months when professional designations may matter more to consumers, what a perfect time to take some appropriate coursework.

First, determine what you want in terms of a designation - there are several accredited ones through the NAR, NAHB, NSA, USGBC, and others.

Second, determine how that designation will help you in promoting and branding yourself and your business.

Third, determine what knowledge, credentials, or designations you already have or could obtain easily.

Fourth, look at your budget and schedule.

Fifth, get started on a course or two.

On Monday in Boynton Beach, I am teaching the NAHB course called "Business Management for Building Professionals." Don't let the title throw you. It's a required course for many of the designation programs and covers all sizes of businesses - building, real estate, or services.

One of the nice things about this course is that you can use it to complete the requirements for each designation that calls for it.

This course is required for CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist), CGR (Certified Green Professional), and CGA (Certified Graduate Associate) - to name a few.

We still have some openings, and beginning in August, I will be offering several of my own courses on lead generation, customer management, social media, and blogging.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

If you have room in your schedule this coming Monday and Tuesday, and you'd like to get some real insight into a great way to advance your building or sales career - and you're going to be in South Florida - take advantage of the two NAHB designation courses I'll be offering at the Gold Coast Builders Association.

These two courses are the core of the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) designation that is a joint venture between the National Association of Home Builders's and AARP.

Monday's course is "Marketing & Communications Strategies for Aging & Accessibility (CAPS I)" and Tuesday's course is "Design/Build Solutions for Aging and Accessibility (CAPS II)."

I know it's short notice, but contact me for information if you'd like to attend.

We can find room to accommodate you.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.