Meet Lisa Trusler, of Stevens Fine Homes in Wilmington, NC. For our Sales Superstar Spotlight.

I am blessed to meet and coach wonderfully talented salespeople all across the Country and am always thrilled at their success. However once in a while, I meet someone truly exceptional who embraces training and pushes themselves harder, dedicating themselves to exponential self-development . Lisa Trusler is one of these.

We started working together almost three years ago during my first onsite training visit to Stevens Fine Homes, nestled in picturesque, Wilmington, NC. Lisa was a newly minted Sales Person having spent years in the service industry. During the training Lisa was full of great energy and questions and was always eager to role play. However, both Lisa and her dynamic Sales Manager Jenna Parker will confirm that some of the processes did not come naturally, and Lisa had to really work hard on perfecting her skills.

During our monthly coaching Zooms and return visits, Lisa was always energetic with many questions, seeking precise clarification on how to practically implement what we were discussing. Above and beyond our group coaching, Lisa opted to have many private coaching Zooms with me. We spent many hours ensuring that Lisa was able to internalize and assimilate the training in a way that always felt natural to her yet would be effective with the clients. Lisa launched a community of Townhomes last year that got off to a very slow start. Instead of panicking Lisa, Jenna and I had many strategy sessions, planning her sales process step by step, as well as being proactive with potential objections. Fast forward to today, and Lisa is sold out completely with 54 pending sales and is now working on hand holding and guiding her clients to their move in dates.

I know what some of you are thinking, “Well the market got hot, and anyone could sell those homes.” While it is certainly true about the market, please watch her recent Video Shop and you tell me what you think.

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As a coach I can be "unreasonable" as I am always seeking perfection and don't want to settle for mediocrity, as a result my video shop scores can often be lower than some expected. My score for Lisa was a whopping 96 out of 100! Any causal observer would have to agree that Lisa is the consummate professional. She is friendly, gracious, listens and guides her client perfectly. Any one with training will recognize the precise path Lisa is on, that she follows so seamlessly. From discovery to presentation, demonstration of community and home from the outside in, narrowing down to one a kind, masses of continual involvement and checking in with the client, managing objections and then closing at her seat. With this refined process, Lisa is equipped for any downturn in the market and will be able to sell homes consistently through thick and thin, which of course is the goal.

So let’s hear some applause for our Sales Superstar of the Month Lisa Trusler for her dedication to self-improvement and pushing her self so hard, to accomplish her well deserved success. Let’s get to know Lisa with 9 Questions.

Lisa’s Favorite Quote:

“Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.”

1: What did you do before new home sales?

I grew up in Burgaw, NC on small horse farm. After high school I started working in the restaurant business as a hostess, then moved to waiting tables for many years, and finished with bartending, which was fun.

2: What would you consider your greatest success?

Personally: Getting to this stage of my life and learning the most about myself, being a mother, having a stable and happy relationship, and flourishing amongst the purest of friends.

Professionally: Definitely selling out my fist new construction neighborhood.

3: When did you meet Roland and what are three things you have learned that you apply.

I met Roland at the beginning of 2020. The main take away for me was the FBI (Features, Benefits and Involvement) and educating while selling. Building value in a home while attaching the buyers emotionally is genius, and it does not come across as pushy.

Understanding personality styles has also helped me tremendously with my sales process. I am an extremely high I paired with a high D. I am always go, go, go, but that was working against me in new home sales. Practicing slowing down for most people, or in general tailoring my sales process to each individual guest significantly increased my sales.

Being prepared in my tour with numbering the floorplans was a fantastic takeaway. I feel prepared with a plan!

4: What do you believe are some of your biggest challenges in your market today?

Limited inventory and increased property values. The Wilmington market is HOT!! We cannot keep inventory at all. Having to manage buyers expectations during this market proves challenging whether it is putting guests on extremely long VIP lists or having to enact price increases to buyers under contract with the immediate material increases we receive. It is all hard, but I found that being as transparent with buyers as possible really can help change their prospective. This is not 2019 😊, the building and buying world is different and sometimes they just need to be kindly educated. In the long run, I feel as if those buyers appreciate the honesty and turn into some of the best homeowners.

5: What are your top three strengths that make you well suited for your career in home sales?

I. Ability to adapt to others personality

II. Friendly

III. Willingness to pivot and change in an ever changing market.

6: Tell us about a time you used one of Roland’s techniques to make a sale.

I use them all so often, but this time it was a Parade of Homes weekend, and a lovely couple walked in to see our Parade model home. They were from the North and just sold their family home to come to the beach. They were currently staying in one of their children's beach townhome while they were away for work. Eventually, this couple wanted to buy a new home, but they thought they were about a year out. So, I toured them through the model home since it was POH, but I asked them a few "hypothetical" questions. I concluded that what they were looking for could be found in my available exterior townhome. We toured there, talked about the "cost of waiting", and sure enough, they came with a check the next day. The two techniques were “hypothetical” and “Cost of Waiting.”

7: What advice do you have for someone just starting in new home sales?

Ask the questions (all of the questions) and learn from the answers. Be willing to change your processes and be humble.

8: How do you balance your career and personal life?

I am still learning how to do that. I found that making myself put down the phone or put away the computer after a certain hour or on Sundays to make the dedicated time for my personal life helps. It is very unnatural for me as a sales person to do this, but it is needed. Also, I read, run, and spend quality time with my family and friends.

9: How do you define success?

Setting a goal and completing it. I believe that success comes in baby steps, and you have to embrace each one. Success is a journey, not a destination.

Lisa's hard work didn't go unnoticed. Not only did she create a legion of happy clients, and create a feeling of abundance for her family, but the Local Wilmington - Cape Fear HBA recognized Lisa for the following.

1. NAHB/SMC “Million Dollar Circle” Sales Recognition for $11.7M of closed sales in 2021 (her first year as a salesperson).
2. Lisa won our local HBA’s coveted “MAX! Award” for “Rookie Salesperson of the Year”. Said Steven's Marketing manager Naomi Wright: "The Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association, is the 5th largest HBA in the nation. Winning this award among such stiff competition is no easy feat!"

Congratulations Lisa, your dedication, perseverance, and talent are an inspiration to us all.

Truly,

Roland Nairnsey

President, New Home Sales Plus

Roland@newhomesalesplus.com;

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