Online People Talking with Jen Barkan Jen Barkan

Welcome to Online People Talking with Jen Barkan! In this episode, Jen is joined by Jessie Suggs and our very own, Amanda Martin! The Q1 2024 Benchmarks have just dropped and the team dives into the numbers and gives their thoughts on the results! There's been a shift in the lead volume so the three give tips on how to manage the lack of leads and advise OSC's to be careful not to use the "S" word. They suggest that "When leads go low, it's your time to grow!" and ask yourself if you've done everything you can with your current leads. Word On The Street: Everyone's been quiet! (04:03)* The bad 4 letter "S" word: Slow* "When leads go low, it's your time to grow!"* Calm down, hit the phones.* Are you doing everything you can with the current leads you have?* Pro-active communication with sales and marketing.Topic Of Today: The Q1 Benchmarks! (12:38)* Everything is normal and steady.* The numbers are looking great!* Early Spring selling season this year.* Things are stay pretty consistent.Skills Check! (30:38)* Challenge: Look at your follow-up process and figure out how to add your personalization. * Tell your leads where to go, where to look!* Nurturing a VIP list.* Add a video into the very first email outreach.* Put your picture in your email signature.

Welcome to Online People Talking with Jen Barkan! In this episode, Jen and Jessie are joined by the incredible, Ronda Conger! Ronda hops on the podcast to share her knowledge and expertise and give her thoughts on why OSC's are an essential part of the company. They dive into the topic of A.I. and Ronda explains that A.I. is not about replacing the OSC but giving the OSC the opportunity to have better conversations with more information! The three tackle ways to resolve unhealthy competition between your OSC's and Ronda shares who and what inspires her! Ronda's mindset of positivity and curiosity continues to impact and transform the industry day by day.Word On The Street: Everyone's been quiet! (00:35)* OSC's haven't been chatty.* Time for a motivation and attitude check!* Hopefully it's a sign that everyone is in the zone.* We need to find the passion in our role again!Topic Of Today: Special Guest Ronda Conger! (03:03)* Ronda's message of positivity has stayed the same over the years as she's pioneered the industry!* Online Sales Specialists are one of the most important aspects of your company. * A.I. is a great resource but it will never replace you if you're human centered!* The OSC can never be replaced, but A.I. can enhance the capabilities of the OSC by acting as an assistant.* Your company needs to be set up as a team sport, not a house divided. * Ronda is inspired by the"doers" in the world!Skills Check! (34:03)* Mental skills check!* What are you grateful for? Looking forward to?* Ponder who inspires you!* If you don't know what inspires you, go find it. 

Welcome to Online People Talking with Jen Barkan! In this episode, Jen is joined by Trista Nixon of Brohn Homes! Trista hops on to talk about her journey as an Online Sales Specialist, the misconceptions about that role and how she has overcome those obstacles by ensuring that the "proof is in the pudding." Jen and Trista give their insight on how to count older leads and offer some great advice to those facing a team that doesn't understand the work going into the OSC role!Word On The Street: How to count older leads that come back around and who owns the lead?  (03:01)* Pick up where you left off.* One lead, one appointment, one sale!* Put the returning leads in a different color to help keep track..Topic Of Today: Trista Nixon! (08:47)* Trista is an Online Sales Specialist in Austin, Texas with Brohn Homes!* She is a former on-site sales agent which gives Trista unique perspective.* The misconceptions made about OSC's.* Brohn's staff gets together once a month to train everyone on what each department does.Skills Check! (31:49)* When you're counting your leads, make sure you're going 1-1-1.* Keep track of your b-backs.* Don't lump it altogether, make sure you keep those leads separate. * Double check and be sure to notate the b-back in your CRM.

Welcome to Online People Talking with Jen Barkan! In this episode, Jen is joined by Jessie Suggs and the two share an inspiring story of an OSC who turned a small connection into a meaningful gesture. They dive straight into the topic of AI and Chatbots, addressing recent fears of it replacing Online Sales positions. Personalization is something AI can never replace and it's a vital part of the Online Sales world, however, it is time to step up and be the valuable employee who harnesses AI to their advantage! To wrap up, Jen and Jessie give their strategies for re-engaging leads from closed communities and tell OSC's to go try out an AI tool and see what works for you!Word On The Street: Ai & Chatbots: What this means for Online Sales (08:48)* A lot of OSC's are asking about AI and Chatbots.* It was a huge conversation at the International Builders' Show * Are you a valuable employee or an adequate employee?* Utilize AI to help you but know that it can never replace the human connection.* Personalizing will "beat the bot"Topic Of Today: AI Tools Online Sales Can Use (16:16)* Make sure that if you use ChatGPT or anything similar to personalize the result it gives you to keep the the human touch.* CallRail is widely used and Jen and Jessie LOVE Grammarly * Self-Scheduling isn't aligned with what Online Sales are trying to achieve.Skills Check! (31:06)* Go try one of the AI tools! Look into how it can benefit your day to day.* If the word AI scares you: speak to how you can do what AI can do but BETTER.

Welcome to Online People Talking with Jen Barkan In this episode, Jen is joined by Jessie Suggs and very special guests Nationals Gold Award Winners Terrell Turner and Amberly Mioduszewski! Jen and Jessie talk all things International Builders' Show from close calls to their key takeaways and what topics took center stage for most conversations and sessions. Amberly shares what winning the Rookie of the Year award meant to her after a tough year and shares what she learned from IBS! Terrell won OSC of the year and encourages every to keep applying even when you get discouraged! He shares that his goal for 2024 took inspiration from Jessie's word of the year "less" and is implementing it in conversations with leads to talk less and listen more. To shake things up Jen and Jessie let the top OSC's in the nation give their skills check for the week: adaptability and coachability! Word On The Street: The International Builders' Show & The Nationals (03:57)* ChatGPT and AI was a HUGE topic!* Marketing and leadership conversations.* Talking about AI as a human assistant not a replacement. Thinking about how online sales can use it!Topic Of Today: Gold Award Winners Amberly & Terrell! (08:10)* Amberly shares recent wins and why it meant so much to her.* Terrell reminds us why it is so important to never give up!Skills Check! (36:29)* Adaptability: You've got to bend with the wind, not break.* Coachability: There's always something to learn and you have to be ready to take insight. 

On the latest Online People Talking episode, Jen takes us back to a previous episode featuring our very own, Julie Jarnagin! Julie hops on this episode to talk about her book Building Certainty and how it's not just for marketers but also online sales specialists as it relates to creating content. She walks us through her writing career as a published author of fourteen novels and what led her to write Building Certainty. Skills Check! (31:27)* Speed to lead! Check your speed of response.* Go into your CRM and look at what your average speed is.* Jessie has her apple watch connected to her email.* Only be in a meeting if you need to be. Jump in, do your thing, jump out.