The Builder1440 Blog

Builder1440 Improves Performance of Home Builder Sales Software by 90%

For Immediate Release

Baltimore, MD - Builder1440 is announcing significant performance improvements to Sales1440, the nation’s leading Sales & CRM software for the home building industry.

Since implementing improvements, Sales1440 is moving 25% more data every day, loading pages in half the time, and running long queries 40 - 80% faster.  Most notably, database performance has improved by 90%.

Builder1440 also used the advanced web security tools of sister division G.1440 to ensure that Sales1440 is free of vulnerabilities to web hacking threats like SQL Injection and Cross Site Scripting (XSS).  Web threats like these could threaten the security of user data, affect the application’s performance, or even infect its users’ computers, and in the face of these dangers, Builder1440 remains committed to web security.

According to Sean Wilhelm, Director of Application Development, “Throughout the remainder of 2009 we have planned initiatives that will deliver greater performance and scalability for our customers.” According to Wilhelm, these initiatives include usability enhancements and load balancing for additional performance improvements.

These performance improvements have far reaching implications throughout the home building industry, as hundreds of builders across the United States and Canada use Sales1440 to manage customer relationships and automate sales follow-up functions.

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About Builder1440
Builder1440, LLC is the leading provider of sales and marketing solutions for home builders. Skilled with a deep vertical knowledge of the home building industry and extensive technical expertise, our team designs and develops Internet-based software solutions that are currently in use by hundreds of builders across North America. Builder1440’s software and IT services increase profits and decrease costs throughout all stages of the home buyer life cycle.

Superior contract generation is fundamental to a successful sales process…

Can your current sales system do this? Generate a sales contract “just to do it” — for a prospect Make a change to a contract “just because” a phone number or email address changes Generate multiple contracts tied to a single prospect who is NOT yet a buyer Use HTML templates

The BENEFITS are clear! Imagine being able to PREVIEW a contract BEFORE you print or BEFORE you convert that customer to a sale.

If you are ready to “get with the program” that allows you the contract flexibility you need, then don’t hesitate one moment longer. Sales1440’s “intelligent contract management” lets YOU control the program.

Visit www.Builder1440.com today for more details and a complimentary demo!

Options make a new house a home. As a result, efficient lot option selection is extremely important, not only for a smooth design process but for your company‘s bottom line as well.

However, ensuring the correct options are selected for each lot can be a tricky and confusing process. This could be an ID that can make or break your sales process.

How confident are you with your current lot-specific option selection?

If your lot option selection has resulted in costly mistakes or a frustrating process for your sales staff, find out how Sales1440’s Options Rules Engines Online (OREO) can dramatically improve your sales process! Sales1440’s innovative OREO allows you to define inclusive as well as exclusive options down to the lot(s) within a community.

Click here to sign up for a complimentary demo of Sales1440 and the exclusive Options Rules Engine Online.

Among Professional Builder Magazine’s 100 Best New Products for 2008, Sales1440 Enterprise Edition v6.2 was selected.

Unveiled at the International Builders Show (IBS) 2008, the newest edition of Sales1440 is “easier to use and has better reporting functionality as well as includes enhancements for advanced customer management and tracking.”

To view the complete write up, visit http://www.probuilder.com.

For more information about Sales1440 or any of the innovative products in the Builder1440 suite, contact us by email or call toll-free 877.604.144.

Visit Builder1440’s Booth at the Pacific Coast Builder Conference (PCBC)
Booth #7709

Stop by and find out how Builder1440 can help you sell more homes and make more money!

In addition, check out the latest additions to the Builder1440 product suite including:

Sales1440 Standard Edition (SE): Builder1440’s award-winning sales and CRM system with the exclusive functionality especially for small and custom home builders.

My1440Home: An innovative online home selection portal for home buyers and prospects

DealWorks1440: A sales and pricing analysis tool that instantly integrates Sales1440 Enterprise Edition with Sage Timberline / Sage Masterbuilder

Small production & custom builders can now benefit from the home building industry’s leading CRM and sales solution!

Officially launched on June 4th, Sales1440 Standard Edition (SE) provides builders with all of the core functionality of Sales1440 Enterprise Edition (EE), the industry’s leading customer relationship management (CRM) system.

Sell More Homes and Make Money!
- Capture web leads from your website and Internet Listing Services (ILS)
- Manage and track contracts effortlessly
- Automate follow-up, email marketing and marketing campaigns
- Generate sales and marketing reports

If you’re are small or custom home building and need a CRM, discover the Sales1440 advantage by scheduling s Sales1440 Standard Edition (SE) demo today!

Timberline Users Group, the organization committed to supporting users of Sage Timberline Office software, is hosting their annual users’ conference in Nashville, TN on April 29 - May 2 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. Builder1440 will be present as an exhibitor and TUG member at this year’s event.

For more information, visit TUG Web.

If you are attendig the event, stop by and find out how Sales1440 CRM can help you sell more homes and make more money.

Cornerstone Solutions, the Sage Timberline Office Solution Provider, is hosting their annual users’ conference in Chicago, IL on April 23 & 24 at the Hyatt Lisle. As a partner and sponsor of this year’s event, Builder1440 will be hosting two sessions:

• Lunch and Learn on April 23 — 12:00pm - 2:30pm

• Tracking Tools for Builders on April 24 — 1:30pm - 2:00pm

For more information, visit Cornerstone Solutions Users’ Conference 2008.

If you are attendig the event, stop by and find out how Sales1440 CRM can help you sell more homes and make more money.

In the down housing market, many home builders wonder the benefits of spending valuable sales and marketing dollars on a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Budgets are tight and the idea of incurring the expense for a CRM software system may be the furthest thought from any management team’s mind. However, the reality is without utilizing a CRM system, many builders are missing out on opportunities and potential sales.

Discover below the key reasons builders should consider implementing a CRM into their sales and marketing strategy.

1. CRM and sales systems allow home builders to manage all traffic to the fullest potential. From the time the prospect visits a website, or walks into the sales center, to follow-up and email marketing, lot and floor plan selection, home configuration, contract generation, and change order management, an effective CRM system will streamline the processes and increase the number of sales based on a multi-touch approach.

2. Management teams should empower sales people with best possible sales tools. A great sales team is important but without the right tools, sales people are not given the best opportunity to succeed. A comprehensive CRM system will offer the resources to track, follow up with and close the sale with prospects

3. Management teams must consider software that will offer thorough reporting analysis of prospect opportunities and closed sales. Without reporting functionality, home builders suffer the loss of determining the most effective way to drive business and succeed in the competitive market.

4. A market upswing is inevitable. As a result, now is the pivotal time to get a jump start on developing best business practices and equipping your sales team for success, so when market turns you will be forward position with a competitive edge.

According to the National Association of Realtors^® (NAR) Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 80% of all homebuyers use the Internet as an information source.

With nearly all of today’s home buyers utilizing the Internet to find more information about builders and their communities, it is imperative to develop and commit to an eLead follow-up program. Read on below to learn some of our recommended best practices that will generate prospects and help you develop sales.

Best Practice #1: Identify the opportunity. As noted above, Internet eLeads are readily available. Develop and implement a lead capture form on your website and on Internet Listing Services (ILS), like Move.com and New Home Source to capture information from any prospects that review your lots and homes. For a more efficient process, forms can also be integrated with traffic cards in customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

Best Practice #2: Follow-up in a timely manner. Unlike a visit to a sales center or a phone call from a prospect, eLeads expect immediate feedback. This can easily be accomplished by setting up an automated response, once a form is submitted, or by having a general bucket email address that disperses the information to all of your sales agents.

Best Practice #3: Continue systematic follow-up. Immediate follow-up is necessary but staying in touch with a prospect through an organized follow-up plan will help you close the sale. Once an eLead is assigned to a sales agent, have a multi-touch follow-up plan based on the lead’s attributes activated and tracked in your CRM system.

Best Practice #4: Track conversion ratios. By determining from where the majority of your eLeads are coming from, your website, an ILS or another source, sales and marketing dollars can be better proportioned. This will improve the quality and quantity of your eLeads. In addition, tracking conversion rates allows sales team members to test follow-up methods and find out which are most successful. When you integrate your website and CRM system, you can easily report on eLeads and track them from capture to close.