Coffee-Worthy: Schell Brothers' Personal Connection With Customers

Buying a home from Schell Brothers is so casual and comfortable you may think it relies more on charm than strategy. It feels that way for a reason. That’s part of the strategy.

Every one of Schell’s sales centers has the same vibe, right down to paint colors and messaging about the overarching brand. Instead of a topo map in the middle of the room, there’s a bar with good coffee and Schell-branded beer on tap, and round tables instead of desks, “So it’s not like you’re at the principal’s office,” says Frank Ryan, a community sales manager.

The goal is to connect on a personal level right away with strategic questions that help find common ground, such as where the homebuyer is from (most Schell shoppers are relocating) or how their homebuying experience is going so far.

Pro Builder's 2023 Builder of the Year, Schell Brothers, sales office — Schell’s sales centers present a consistent look and feel, right down to paint colors and messaging.

Pro Builder's 2023 Builder of the Year, Schell Brothers, showing a new community to homebuyers in the sales office — Schell community sales manager Frank Ryan understands that buying a home is a huge undertaking, which is why he and the other salespeople at Schell Brothers take the time to get to know buyers and put them at ease.

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“You have 7 seconds for people to decide if they’re going to like you,” says sales consultant Alli Perry. She and her colleagues apply Jeff Shore’s 4:2 Formula to prompt “coffee-worthy” conversations to gain a consumer’s trust and put them at ease.

“It’s all about their needs,” adds Jamie Hastings, Schell’s director of sales. “What they need, why they need it, and most importantly, what’s not working or what prompted their home search.”

Pro Builder's 2023 Builder of the Year, Schell Brothers, notes taken by a salesperson about a homebuyer's wants/needs — Taking detailed notes during the homebuying journey helps community sales managers like Alli Perry better understand and communicate each buyer's wants and needs throughout the homebuying and building process so Schell can follow through and deliver, ensuring customers have a truly positive experience.

Never pushy but always engaged, this sales approach naturally elicits “Getting to Know You” notes that flow downstream to later serve as thoughtful gestures (“Happy Stories”) toward the end of the homebuying journey, whether it’s hanging a banner of a buyer’s favorite sports team in the garage, stocking the fridge with a six-pack of their preferred cider, or surprising them with a cake if their birthday coincides with closing.

That depth of understanding also helps consultants narrow down what floor plans and models, and even what communities and parcels, they’ll present to a prospect. “We don’t jump to, ‘Let’s look at the models,’” Alli says, much less send buyers off to wander on their own.

Lastly, this approach sets the stage for how the sales, design, production, and warranty teams manage and communicate with clients—in the builder’s online Heartbeat platform and in person—throughout the homebuying journey. “Everything we do is with a purpose: to create a single, seamless experience,” Frank says.