By Jerry Rouleau
www.jrouleau.com 

          Builders understand blueprints and know how critical they are in building homes. The more details and specifications you have the more apt the house will finish on time and within budget.
          Having a "Sales & Marketing Blueprint" for our business is just as important.
          Listed below are 10 easy steps to consider in organizing yourself for a banner sales and profits:

          1) Mission Statement: Do you know what you do and what makes you so special? Spell it out in a clear definitive mission statement. When you have a clear objective, it's a lot easier to get where you're going.

          2) Calendar: Establish a calendar with key dates. Plan out your year, by developing a 16-month plan. In the building industry, it's not enough to have a 12-month plan; you need a 16-month plan in order to achieve your 12-month goal.

          3) Research: Do you know what your buyers want? Every good plan consists of doing market research. What are the demographics of your market area? A good place to start is by going to The Census Bureau and by also checking out: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/

          4) Competition: If you're ready to play the game it's always a great idea to know who you are up against.

          5) Establish a goal. It is not enough to say I want to make a lot of money and sell as many houses as I can. When you set goals make them very specific. The five elements of a goal are that your goal be:

          -- Realistic.
          -- Believable.
          -- Attainable.
          -- Written Down.
          -- Take Action.

          6) Checklist: Develop a market strategy & checklist. Your checklist should include items such as: web site, literature requirements, special promotions, activities that will generate leads, training, and other key items that will
insure your success.

          7) Performance Ratio: Do you need more leads? Or do you need to work your traffic (leads) better? What is your cost estimate ratio to closing? Are you spending too much time with the wrong customers?

          8) Ad Budget: Develop a sales and marketing budget. How much are you planning to spend in order to reach your goal? Generally, most successful builders spend 1 to 2 percent of their gross sales for sales and marketing expenses. Keep in mind there are a lot of variables to this number, such as:

          -- How long you have been in business?
          -- What percent of your business is from referrals?
          -- And, what kind of exposure does your model home or office have?

          Once you have your new blueprint in place, your chances of success are quite a
bit better.

About the author:
          Jerry Rouleau is the owner of J. Rouleau & Associates, a marketing, training and public relations firm. Jerry specializes in sales/marketing training and public relations for builders. In the past 8 years, Jerry has created over 26 million dollars in free publicity. His special projects have been featured on the Today Show, People Magazine, USA today and in hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV programs. He is the author of a book titled "The Complete Guide to Selling New Homes for Million-Dollar Producers" and a video training program by the same name. For additional information check out: www.jrouleau.com . Jerry can be reached at 860 589-7391 or by e-mail at: jerryrouleau@adelphia.net.
          Copyright JRA2004 - Permission granted to reprint.