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Boost Your Career by Getting Involved With Your Council
 As someone who is relatively young and new to sales and marketing in the housing industry, I have discovered — with plenty of help — that being active in my sales and marketing council has boosted my career and enabled me to become a more effective professional.
I believe the best way to thank the many people who have helped me learn so much in such a short time is to pass on my experiences to those of you entering our profession, and to encourage you to become active and contributing members of your local council.
The first step to becoming active, of course, is to join a committee.
Your First Meetings Can Be Intimidating
You will be in a room filled with industry veterans telling plenty of inside jokes. You will be confronted by an agenda with tasks and responsibilities you can’t begin to grasp. Expect to leave your first meeting frustrated, but fight the urge to give up. Everyone has been in your shoes. This is actually a great start.
It will take a few meetings before you get your bearings. In the meantime, don’t be afraid to speak up, offer your opinion or ask a question. People who are truly successful are more than willing to help others, and the people on your committee are successful — and willing to help.
Use NSMC and NAHB Resources to Get Acquainted and Comfortable
The National Sales and Marketing Council and NAHB have many programs — networking, seminars, on-line resources and designations — to help you become successful. If you don’t know where to start, the people on your marketing subcommittee will help you.
In addition, here are some new resources that should prove helpful:
- “Ask the Expert” — This is an online resource that can be found on the NAHB Web site. Launched in March, industry experts volunteer their time to answer questions about designations and give candid advice to those seeking help. To ask an expert what you need to know, click here.
- Mentor Program — The new mentor program, run through your local council, is a great way for new SMCs to learn from an industry leader who is willing to volunteer his or her time and has been trained to help.
- Conference Calls — Conference calls cover relevant topics facing our industry. During the June call, for example, Meredith Oliver, MIRM, and Jeff Kaizer, MIRM, Master CSP, offered 10 tips on increasing revenue by improving your local education program. The calls are available to all SMCs. You can call in and listen, or you can share some of your thoughts.
- The Sales and Marketing Channel — The Sales and Marketing Channel is a new online resource on the NAHB Web site, www.nahb.org. Through the channel, you can access great articles, tips and book reviews — from industry experts on challenging issues that we all face from advertising to customer relations. Click here to access the channel, available to SMC members only.
Additional Resources and Activities That Are Worth Pursuing
Feeling comfortable yet? Here are a few more tips and pointers worth pursuing:
- Join a committee with a friend or co-worker. Joining with an acquaintance will eliminate the fear of going into a room full of unknown people. Plus, it will help open doors more quickly because it gets more people involved, which is the key to growing or sustaining a successful organization.
- Be committed and volunteer for specific tasks. This is an effective way to ease into your committee involvement. Choose a task in your area of expertise — one where you and your talents can shine. Not only will you feel a sense of accomplishment, the committee will see that you are serious about your commitment.
- Take advantage of talent in your SMC. Learn from the people who have come before you. They are more than happy to help you, especially if you demonstrate a true commitment to the industry and your profession.
In the Triangle area, I am blessed with one of the most well-known, highly-respected councils in the country. We have people like Ed Dunnavant and Jack Gallagher, members of the NSMC Board of Trustees, and Gaye Burwell, the 2006 NSMC chairperson. The Triangle area also boasts one of the highest concentrations of MIRMs (Member, Institute of Residential Marketing) in the industry. That’s a lot of talent. Our members have consistently earned regional and national awards. We have received the National Sales and Marketing Council of the Year award five times.
But don’t limit yourself to your local SMC, either. Seek help through the CSP (Certified Sales Professional) and MIRM directories, available online at the NAHB Web site. The directories are extensive compilations of industry professionals from all over the country who are willing to lend a hand. All you have to do is ask.
As You Move Forward, Don’t Forget the Little People
“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership,” according to national leadership expert John Maxwell.
If you are committed to your profession and those who helped you get ahead, don’t be too surprised to find yourself leading some of the same committees you were apprehensive to join sometime soon and impacting the events that shape our industry.
But as you move through the ranks, don’t forget how you started. Train yourself to seek out new members who join your committees and encourage their participation.
Zach Schabot, MIRM, of The Wood Team at RE/MAX Partners, is a general brokerage agent specializing in residential real estate and sales and marketing services for custom home builders in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Schabot is on the executive board of the Triangle SMC of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County. He holds a MIRM designation and is earning his certification to teach IRM 2 and IRM 3. E-mail Schabot for more information.
 Subscribe to Sales + Marketing Ideas Magazine for Cutting-Edge Information
For additional cutting-edge sales and marketing information, subscribe to NAHB’s Sales + Marketing Ideas Magazine (www.smimagazine.com).
Click here to learn about membership benefits of the National Sales and Marketing Council and the Institute of Residential Marketing.
 Earn Valuable Sales and Marketing Designations Through IRM Programs
The Institute of Residential Marketing (IRM) offers four designation programs for sales and marketing professionals:
- The MIRM and CMP designation programs for new home marketing professionals
- The CSP and MCSP designation programs for new home sales professionals
For more information on these designation programs, click here.
Ask an Expert
You also can ask designation holders questions about obtaining a designation, specific courses, case studies and more. "Ask An Expert" is available on the NAHB Web site by clicking here.
 Bill Webb, MIRM, Shows You How to Strengthen Your Selling Game
Bill Webb, MIRM, shows you how to strengthen your selling game in “Sweet Success in New Home Sales,” available through BuilderBooks.com. This book provides powerful techniques for selling more homes and making more money while enjoying your professional life.
To view or purchase this publication online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
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