With a deep belief in giving back to the communities in which our business and builder partners operate within, New Home Star created an entire “project” on doing just that-- Giving Every Moment (GEM). The GEM Project inspires New Home Star sales professionals to reach out to the communities in which they serve and give back in meaningful ways. By taking part in volunteer events, we can offer our full servitude and continue to Give Every Moment to local non-profit organizations nationwide.
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During my time as a Sales Leader at New Home Star, I’ve participated in and organized several effective charitable outreach events. In my experience planning these types of outreach events, I have found that they are the most successful when every person attending is involved in some way or another. Whether they are helping select the charitable organization to work alongside or they are serving as the point person for the event, engagement will be at an all-time high when everyone has a part to play.
But planning an effective outreach event involves much more than just a discussion and selection process. Essentially, the first step always requires gathering your team and hearing their input from everyone who will be taking part in the initiative. Determine what organizations they are passionate about and identify if there is a common theme. It is essential to listen to what the team wants and for everyone to work together. At the same time, you must still be thinking back to the time and resources you have readily available for the outreach event as well. Will you be executing an outreach event each month, each quarter, and so on? It is important to be realistic about how you approach scheduling; sales associates are always busy because there are always homes to be sold and backlog to maintain, but that shouldn’t deter you from wanting to get out of the sales office and into the community for an afternoon or evening!
Once you have a greater idea of what kind of initiative your team wants to take part in and a general understanding of its feasibility, select one teammate that will serve as the point person for this initiative. This individual will be responsible for contacting the local branches of the charitable organizations determined by the team to set up potential dates and times for the event. They will also be in charge of itemizing and logging any materials that may need to be purchased to have the day of the event.
After finalizing an official date and time for the outreach event, encourage your team’s point person to send out a calendar event reminder to anyone that will be taking part in the event; we always like to include our entire sales team as well as our construction teams. Be sure to include a reminder one week out from the event to ensure any last minute cancellations are taken care of before the big day arrives! Including any dress requirements, driving directions, or any additional information to your calendar invitations is a great way to continue adding value to the event and make sure everyone is on the same page! In addition, add the dates to the weekly sales meeting agenda as well as your builder’s agenda for crucial upcoming team events. This will give everyone plenty of room and flexibility to discuss the event so it is always kept at the top of your attendees’ minds.
The final and most important aspect of planning any team outreach event is to have fun and take plenty of photos! For anyone planning any event, it can be easy to get caught up in the details, but remember, this is about something greater—giving every moment. Participating in a team outreach event is an awesome way to further show your community the commitment and passion you have for giving back in greater ways.