Online People Talking with Jen Barkan

#63: Mid Year Gut Check

Host Jen Barkan [https://www.doyouconvert.com/team/jen-barkan/] is joined by the one and only Coach Melissa Fort [https://www.doyouconvert.com/team/melissa-fort/] to discuss strategies for online sales specialists to make the most of a historically slower summer market. The conversation centers on focus areas to maintain momentum and level up skills during downtime. Housekeeping * 2026 Online Sales and Marketing Summit [https://www.onlinesalessummit.com/] - October 1-2, 2026 in Austin, TX - The biggest party for online sales and marketing and it’s already over 60% sold out! TITO Shoutout * We want YOU to send in your nominations to onlinesales@doyouconvert.com! Key Takeaways - 5 things that you can focus on right now  * Mid year Gut Check: Revisit goals set at the start of the year, assess what's working and what isn't, celebrate wins, and recalibrate for the second half. This includes checking in with sales leadership to see if company goals have shifted and working backwards to understand how OSCs can contribute. * Learn AI: Take some AI courses and lean into tools like Claude - think about how you can use it in your role to analyze call transcripts, identify objection patterns, draft prospecting emails, and build presentations.  * Lean into prospecting (with a fresh approach): Get creative with your outreach. And make those calls. If you are getting a lot of bot leads, flip the script by leading with "I'm a real person" messaging to build trust and spark engagement. * Refresh your follow up: Is it stale? Have you been sending the same thing for years in your short term follow up messaging? Audit existing follow-up, then tailor messaging by how leads found you, keep it simple and engagement-focused, and don't set-it-and-forget-it. * Foster relationships: Use slower periods to get out from behind the screen. Is there an onsite sales person that you need to build a better relationship with? Get out onsite. Take them coffee. Record a video together. Tour an inventory home. Skills Check Which one of these 5 are you going to commit to doing right now? Write out a plan. Talk it over with your leadership, put it out into the universe, and then report your results!

#62: Going Beyond the Screen

Host Jen Barkan [https://www.doyouconvert.com/team/jen-barkan/] talks to Emily Tucker [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilymarietucker/], an award-winning OSC with Robuck Homes, about how she goes beyond traditional lead management by visiting communities, creating successful video content, and building relationships with on-site sales agents and realtors to amplify her builder's brand presence. Housekeeping * 2026 Online Sales and Marketing Summit [https://www.onlinesalessummit.com/] - October 1-2, 2026 in Austin, TX - According to Emily, if you’re an Online Sales Specialist, you have to go! TITO Shoutout * Kelly Ward and Athena Azan with M/I Homes - Internet Sales Team of the Year at the MAME Awards. Key Takeaways * Be the face of your brand, not just a phone answerer: Emily makes monthly on-site visits to each community to create video content that humanizes her as an OSC and builds a personal social media presence alongside the company's corporate accounts. A personal brand reaches people differently than a builder's corporate page alone! * You don't need fancy equipment to get started: A phone, an inexpensive tripod [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSJQ1JQT/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_EV01WXQQZ9VCDE5KWX3F?linkCode=ml1&tag=emilytucker00-20&linkId=e1bafaa1b54cb50913d6e97182447328&th=1], and a lapel mic [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CY7P3WVK?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_5MZW1YFQY5GK3TRFSA8Z] from Amazon are all Emily uses. The bigger barrier is perfection paralysis - use the mantra "progress over perfection" and just do it, even if early videos are rough. * One site visit can fuel weeks of content across multiple channels: A single afternoon on-site can generate a month's worth of video content that can be repurposed across social platforms, text prospecting, emails, and realtor outreach.  * On-site visits strengthen the OSC-to-sales-agent relationship: Collaborating on videos builds trust and connection with on-site agents. Teaching agents video skills and inviting them to participate turns the visit into a relationship-building moment, not just a content-creation task. Skills Check Pick one community, talk to leadership and/or marketing about how you can create some content. Think about how you could leverage this content across multiple channels - marketing, prospecting, and follow up.

#61: Q1 Benchmarks

Melissa [https://www.doyouconvert.com/team/melissa-fort/], Amanda [https://www.doyouconvert.com/team/amanda-martin/], and Molly [https://www.doyouconvert.com/team/molly-adams/] take over the OPT studio to share Q1 industry benchmarks, discuss key trends in online sales, and offer actionable advice for OSCs and leaders navigating a lower-volume, higher-quality lead environment. Housekeeping Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Oct 1-2 - Austin, TX - We encourage OSCs to attend, with new interactive programming planned. TITO Shoutout Monica Fikany at New Home Inc - Monica had great lead-to-appointment conversions in Q1. Danielle Evans at Bishard Holmes - 38% of Danielle’s appointments came from aged leads. Key Takeaways * Lead volume is down, but quality is up: The top of the funnel remains constrained, volume hasn't fully bounced back. However, conversion rates are improving, meaning OSCs are doing more with less. * Prospecting is the biggest win of Q1: Normally, prospecting dips in Q1 as new leads come in during selling season. This quarter, prospecting stayed consistent and even increased -- a major highlight. The 22% age lead appointment rate is a direct result of sustained prospecting effort. * Your CRM is your most valuable asset: Maximize CRM usage by logging detailed notes after every interaction - aged leads hold untapped opportunity, and leadership relies on quality CRM data to make strategic decisions, so consistency matters. * Personalization wins appointments: Buyers are on a longer journey right now. Personalizing outreach and follow-up, based on good notes and CRM data, is what sets top OSCs apart. Skills Check For Leaders: Stop measuring program success purely on lead volume. Conversion percentages are the more meaningful metric right now. Scorecards should reflect this shift. For OSCs: * Be disciplined and consistent with prospecting. * Treat every lead like it's gold. * Respond to new leads fast, speed to first response beats the competition. * Stay process-driven: no lead left behind.

#60: Personal Time Management

Host Jen Barkan [https://www.doyouconvert.com/team/jen-barkan/] is joined by her daughter Mia, a third-year veterinary student at Ross University in St. Kitts, for a candid conversation about how to stay focused on your goals and career when life gets hard. Housekeeping 2026 Online Sales and Marketing Summit [https://www.onlinesalessummit.com/] - October 1-2, 2026 in Austin, TX - The Summit is literally the biggest party for Online Sales Specialists in the universe. TITO Shoutout Rebecca Von Heimburg, OSC at Pacesetter Homes in Dallas Texas - She just had the best month ever; she set a PR for herself while navigating some personal stuff.  Key Takeaways * Set clear boundaries and protect them fiercely: Boundaries aren't optional extras - they're what prevent burnout and enable long-term success over short-term output. * Keep your eye on the end goal when motivation fades: On the hardest days, remember your why. For OSCs, reconnecting to your purpose (your metrics, your customers, your career growth) is what pulls you forward. * Recharging isn't a reward, it's a requirement: Taking time for yourself isn't selfish, it preserves your mental capacity for the long haul.  Skills Check Are there any boundaries you need to create for yourself? Pick one thing to do to recharge your battery this week. Is it a walk? A massage? Reading?

#59: Managing Your Day

Host Jen Barkan [https://www.doyouconvert.com/team/jen-barkan/] is joined by Online Sales Coach Molly Adams to talk through her blog [https://www.doyouconvert.com/blog/an-oscs-guide-to-time-management-success/] where she shares pro tips on managing your day as an Online Sales Specialist, in order to shift from reactive to proactive. Housekeeping * 2026 Online Sales and Marketing Summit [https://www.onlinesalessummit.com/] - October 1-2, 2026 in Austin, TX - The Summit is literally the biggest party for Online Sales Specialists in the universe. TITO SHOUTOUT Garrett Fitzgerald with Pulte Homes - He is such a great mentor for new OSCs joining Pulte and going through training and onboarding. Key Takeaways * Treat every caller like gold: when your day is structured, you can give customers the attention they deserve. * Start your day calm and end it clean: when you add in time to plan your day and wrap up, you will feel ahead. * This is a structural problem: this is not a you problem - it is fixable, you just need to prioritize your tasks.  Skills Check Define your first priorities and your second priorities. We recommend the Marie Kondo method. Put everything out there and if it's no longer giving you joy or converting interest into revenue, say Arigato - thank you - and give it away.