Smartphones, Twitter and Bing, Oh my!  No doubt about it, technology is changing how we market, connect with buyers, and sell.

On the one hand, Sales is still - maybe more than ever - about building rapport, developing trust, and forging relationships with buyers.

But how those relationships are being built is changing... and fast!

Fewer people use the phone; more use email and text messaging.  Fewer people read the paper or use the yellow pages; instead, they'll view headlines on their BlackBerry and ask their Facebook friends for recommendations.

Which means that if we're going to connect, we need to learn which tools are the most effective for marketing and selling our homes.

On Wednesday, December 8, BuilderRadio will present the webcast, Technologies and Tools to Increase Productivity & Sales.  Two industry experts, Erik Cofield (BuildTopia) and Bob Musa (Computer Presentation Systems, Inc.), will join us with their take on the most important tools and technologies for salespeople today.

What we'll cover:

• Marketing 2.0:  Tools buyers are using to shop, learn and communicate
• Email:  When and how to do it right
• Automating your follow up - so you have more time to sell
• How to get Internet leads to qualify themselves
• Technology that captures attention and educates buyers
• Presenters Picks:  Top 10 Techno-Tools for Marketing & Selling Homes
  

There will also be a Q&A Session, and plenty of opportunities for you to engage, comment, ask questions, or just listen.

Technologies and Tools to Increase Productivity & Sales
When:     Wednesday,  December 8  2:00pm
Cost:       $37.00  Register here>

The webcast will be recorded and all registrants will receive a link to the recording.

What new tools will help you make more sales... and which ones are a waste?  Join us for this fast and fun webinar to find out.
Register here.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Mollie Elkman 
215-561-2200, ext 284
melkman@grouptwo.com
September 16, 2010 

Announcing the Launch of the Builder to Builder Network
The first information sharing resource for homebuilders using social media 

PHILADELPHIA – It’s a revolutionary idea, yet remarkably simple: a network that allows home builders the ability to talk to other builders as well as a variety of industry professionals.  This introduces The Builder to Builder Network on Facebook, the homebuilder’s resource for answers about sales and marketing, research, management, product design and so much more.  Talk, share and brainstorm directly with other builders and a specially selected committee of qualified industry professionals. 

Why is The Builder to Builder Network a good idea?  The homebuilding industry is changing rapidly.  Thanks to this evolution, situations change on a dime.  Products, designs, industry developments… things can seem to change overnight. Builders can’t afford to get information from dated publications or understaffed vendors, yet they often find themselves in just such an information void.  The solution?  A building industry resource that is open 24/7 - The Builder to Builder Network, at http://www.facebook.com/BuildertoBuilder
 
Why use Facebook?  500 million people are now actively involved on Facebook. While it started with teenagers and college kids, Facebook now attracts the interest of parents and grandparents, too.  Facebook was created to maintain social relationships between friends. McDonald’s, Ford, FedEx, and other major corporations have found ways to make it work for them.  So why can’t the homebuilding industry use it to share homebuilding industry information?  It’s a perfect vehicle that will allow builders and industry professionals to interact quickly and efficiently.  Builders simply post their questions, allowing other builders and qualified industry professionals to respond.

The Builder to Builder Advisory Board currently includes: Social Media Maven Mollie Elkman, vice president of Group Two Real Estate Marketing and Advertising in Philadelphia; Sales & Management Motivator Roland Nairnsey, senior vice president of Training and Development for Bob Schultz & The New Home Sales Specialists in Boca Raton, FL; Architect Steve Moore, Senior Partner of BSB Design in West Des Moines, IA; Strategic Planning Authority Al Trellis, president of Home Builders Network in Mount Airy, MD; Market Research Expert John Schleimer, founder and president of Market Perspectives in Roseville, CA; Interior Designer/Merchandiser Lita Dirks, founder and owner of Lita Dirks & Co., in Denver, CO; Active Adult Specialist Bill Becker, president of The William Becker Organization, in Teaneck, NJ; Internet Marketing Expert/ Website Designer Greg Bray, president of Blue Tangerine Solutions in Vero Beach, FL; and Business Management Software Systems Expert Erik Cofield, who manages North American sales for Constellation’s BuildTopia and Builder1440, in Baltimore, MD.

The Builder to Builder Network Facebook pages will be managed by Mollie Elkman at Group Two. There will be no self-promotion, no advertising, and no selling by any of the participants. All activity will be monitored, and anything deemed inappropriate will be deleted.  The Builder to Builder Network is sponsored by Builder Magazine.

The success of The Builder to Builder Network will be based upon interaction among builders and associates, and offers an exciting opportunity for builders to share information 24/7. Visit http://www.facebook.com/BuildertoBuilder  to quickly become a valuable member and get the maximum benefit from the knowledge of your peers.

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Topic: CRM: The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools help you keep in better touch with your prospects and buyers, give you better control over the sales process, and give salespeople the freedom to concentrate on selling without worrying about their schedule.

This seminar will help you learn to get the most from your CRM program.

Date: Wednesday, September 8th Time: 2PM Eastern, 1PM Central, 12 Noon Mountain, 11AM Pacific, 8AM Honolulu
Presented by: Roger Fiehn, Erik Cofield & Mary LeBlanc
Cost: $37 No charge for Silver and Gold members. Program length: 1 hour.

Note: This presentation will be recorded. Your registration includes access to the full video recording so you can view and review the program as often as you like at no additional charge. Register today: CRM: The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful

Markham, ON, June 25, 2010 –Constellation HomeBuilder Systems (“CHS”) has acquired the assets of BuildTopia of Rockville, Maryland, a web-based construction management software solution for residential home builders.  This acquisition is another example of Constellation’s dedication to the home building industry and its long term approach to providing mission critical technology solutions and services for home builders of all sizes.

“We continue to invest in new products and services and maintain our long-term commitment to the home building industry”, says Dexter Salna, President of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems.  As the largest software company dedicated to the homebuilding industry, Constellation continues to provide excellent support and services to help our customers successfully run their business now and in the future.  We welcome the customers and employees of BuildTopia to the Constellation family.

Constellation’s suite of homebuilding solutions include Software as a Service (SaaS) and hosting alternatives, in addition to solutions that builders can install on their own hardware.  In many cases, builders are choosing SaaS and hosting alternatives to get started quickly and avoid the upfront costs associated with purchasing hardware.  In addition to our fully integrated sales, production, accounting, and warranty solutions, Constellation also provides quick-start home builder websites with built-in best practices for online marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and security.

About BuildTopia
BuildTopia delivers comprehensive web-based construction project management software solutions for residential home builders delivered as a SaaS solution.  BuildTopia streamlines and integrates all core construction business processes in one powerful yet easy to use solution to increase production efficiency, reduce errors, maximize each sale, and provide excellent customer service. Builders, developers, and trade partners of every size rely upon BuildTopia to dramatically improve the effectiveness, efficiency and profitability of their businesses.

About Constellation HomeBuilder Systems

As the largest home building software company in the industry, Constellation HomeBuilder Systems has helped more than 2,400 builders manage their information technology costs with integrated software solutions to run their business from dirt to warranty. From planning to homeowner services, we have land development software, new home sales and marketing software, production, purchasing, scheduling, accounting, warranty, electronic homeowner manuals, vendor portal solutions, and web site solutions designed exclusively for the home building industry. Constellation’s product suite includes BuildSoft, Builder 360, Constellation CRM (CFT), Constellation Web Solutions, FAST, NEWSTAR, and Sales1440.

Media Inquiries
Cathy Kotsopoulos
ckotsopoulos@constellationhb.com
(888) 723-2222

My colleagues have been telling me for years “Write a blog”, or at least “Give me a break and write a blog entry”. My response, “Blah Blog”. I think they figured since I had so much to say, and passionately so, that I should vent via electronic means. The educational/professional side of me wanted to go look up ‘How to Blog’ or ‘Blogging for Non-Bloggers’- but instead of going that route – I’m going with my gut. My first blog is about implementations and specifically how to ensure a successful implementation with any software. What do I know about this topic you ask? I’ve been facilitating or overseeing implementations for an online software product for 7 years. Prior to that I worked with a company that developed software for several different industries, from the Recording Industry Association of America to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. In all of these industries and more, from small projects to multi-million dollar initiatives – there are common principles that guarantee success. And if you’re missing the first one – you’re success just got reduced by a significant percentage. But maybe you’re the person on the ground floor who is trying to convince your boss that you need a system/tool in place to make you and the company more successful. Then use #1 below as your first goal. But to reach that goal you have to have clear and measureable objectives. More about those in my next blog. Here’s our top 10 tips to ensure success of your next implementation.

1.    Executive leadership and commitment. If the decision isn’t coming from the top down, or you don’t have executive buy in – the chance of pulling the plug is greater. If you don’t start with this, make sure you get buy in quickly. Give them what they want – numbers and reports. Proove that the tool is helping them achieve a return on their investment.

2.    Set clear implementation adoption goals by module,milestone or phase as appropriate for your particular type of project and assign a reasonable timeline for each to be implemented with your Professional Service Manager (PSM).

3.    Do some basic data gathering.  Whatever tool or system that you’re going to start using – there’s bound to be data or information to put in it. Here’s an example of a standard list for homebuilders. Typically gathering this information means getting it into electronic format. Excel is your friend – and if it’s not, find a friend that is a friend of Excel.

•    Have a list of projects (sub-divisions) that you build in,
•    Have a list of lots you will build on in those projects,
•    Do you have a list of Plan names or numbers that you build?
•    Do you have a list of options you offer?
•    Have a list of Trade Partners (Vendors & Subcontractors)

4.    Take all the complimentary on line classes as soon as you can.  Your familiarity with the system will lead to a quicker implementation, potentially saving you money and will speed up getting the return on investment of using the system.  Finding a tool that has free online/on demand classes is a plus/plus. Also look for a tool that has a great help system that is easy to navigate or has a good search tool. Especially if they don’t have a FREE 800 number. BTW, this is one thing I am so proud of BuildTopia for having; an online help system, free on demand classes and an actual person that answers our 800 number. Hey, I get to toot our own horn – this is my blog!

5.    Schedule weekly implementation progress meetings with your PSM to review any uploaded data, steps needed to complete current goal, as well as what may be needed (data) for the next goal.  Keep things moving forward! This may be a 15 minute meeting, but it keeps everyone accountable to touching base and confessing to what did or didn’t get done. ACCOUNTABILITY! More...