Wimbledon is more than a sports event: it’s a cultural phenomenon that initiates British summer. It’s also one of the most powerful brands in sports. Its venue and real estate alone create iconic experiences for the 25.5 million spectators. And with all that and more, it offers plenty of smart teachings for housebuilders – if they’re willing to pick them up.
For anyone who’s played tennis – whether professionally or down at your leisure centre on a Thursday evening – you’ll know that it teaches endless lessons that slip into professional life. Tennis teaches you disciple: to work at something day in and day out in an effort to strive towards a goal. It explores collaboration: how to work with and support your doubles partners. It encourages graciousness: to recognise losses, weaknesses and hone perseverance.
And all of that is amplified at the Wimbledon tournament, the summary of the grass-court seasons. Of course, it’s the slam any tennis player would love to win. So while Federer and Nadal won’t be stepping onto the lush green court this year, the new blood and hungry players will be battling it out for the trophy.
But what does it have to do with selling new homes? We’re glad you asked. We, along with our Founder and MD of Prospect Generator, Peter Sherrard, take a swing at what we can learn from Wimbledon.
Wimbledon lessons for housebuilders
Strategy is important, but so is thinking on your feet
“When the players walk out onto that fantastic grass, they play to win. They’re prepared, practised and part of a team. Just as your sales advisors walk into the marketing suite with winning on the mind, they must size up their own tennis court: the sales pitch.” – Peter
When new blood comes onto the court, the first set they play with a veteran can be dangerous. As they both learn about each other’s tactics, they then assess where they need to utilise their own strengths and adapt their game to get ahead. But all love is not lost. This game of fast-moving chess has risk and reward.
A good strategy is crucial to success. And every tennis player at Wimbledon has a strategy for their next match, season and career. It’s essential to pave the way forward.
However, strategy isn’t all about rigidity. In tennis, being flexible means being prepared to play anyone regardless of their tactics. It means being flexible to adapt to the situation, your strengths and schedule. For home selling, flexibility is crucial because you’re working with home buyers. Every situation will be unique, every buyer will be different and, ultimately, you’re trying to sell them their future dream. And that requires a bit of relationship-building from your sales team.
Just like the tennis pros, your sales team need to be light-footed in their question-asking, constantly triaging the lead to ensure they’re a proceedable buyer. That requires a great understanding of the company’s ideal buyer and key qualifiers.
Push yourself – especially against the giants
To play to win, every athlete trains harder and smarter than their competitors. Do you think Federer ever slacked in training, nutrition or recovery? Not possible.
When Emma Raducanu entered the professional tennis scene, she pushed herself to power through, played aggressively and made it difficult for opponents to read her game. While it looks like she was an overnight sensation, like one of those lucky jackpot winners, the reality was it took years to perfect her “world-class” ranking.
For housebuilders, this means utilising the latest tech and identifying where your brand can get in front of the right buyers. It means working with the right people, tech, leveraging new ways to do things and relying on the brand’s strengths. This focus and dedication are a fast track for seeing results.
Always be prepared for the rain
The British summer is renowned for its ups and downs, and that means Wimbledon is always prepared for when the rain comes and threatens to call off the match. The same is true in business: you may not be able to avoid a downpour entirely, but you can be prepared for one.
These downpours can come in the form of leads ghosting your sales teams or reservation fallouts happening at the eleventh hour. Be sure you have the right tech stack in place to pick up qualified leads when you lose some unexpectedly.
It’s all about the experience
“The manicured lawns that are cared for year-round, the court-side seating, even the net pulled perfectly taut: Wimbledon’s product is all about the venue. It’s quintessentially British and where everyone wants to be as soon as the sun’s out. Building and selling houses is all about the real estate: selling the location, features and that idea of home.” – Peter
The excitement of Wimbledon isn’t just limited to the four corners of the centre court. No, people outside of the court watch on the hill, basking in the sunshine and while tucking into strawberries and cream. Wimbledon teaches us that the experience isn’t limited to the select few that could get their hands on tickets. Instead, the brand helps to create a memorable and fun experience for everyone that has an interest in tennis. And that means attracting the right audience that they nurture year after year.
But, for housebuilders, you don’t want to necessarily cast a wide net and receive a high volume of unqualified leads that fizzle out. Fortunately, it’s possible to receive budget-qualified, motivated leads actively interested in your new homes. Which, when you’re meeting reservation targets and turning a higher rate of conversions, is on par with winning the Wimbledon trophy.
Teamwork wins trophies
Peter says, “The pressure on Wimbledon players is enormous. But when a tennis professional steps out onto that pitch, it’s not just them that play: it’s the team. It’s their inner circle of physiotherapists, biomechanic coaches, nutritionists, mentors, agents, friends and family.”
It takes a village for the professionals to win a match, even when they’re solo on that court. With the right resources and team support, you too can pave the way to easier and more frequent success. From the right tech stack, agencies and employees, these are the best foundations to build upon. And we’d love to be a part of that team to drive your success.
Evaluate your performance
Tennis players constantly evaluate their performance post-match, often reviewing tactics frame-by-frame in playback videos with review from their coach. It’s gruelling but necessary to understand how well they did (or didn’t) stay in control the match.
In selling new homes, you can apply this same tactic by regularly reviewing performance, analysing KPI measurements and adopting a structured reporting methodology that allows you to track progress with leads. With greater insight into what tools are working, you can streamline your budget and communications to reduce wastage. As with athletes, it’s only possible to know where we can improve when we know where we’re falling short.
Slam your reservation goals
In this industry, you don’t have to lob yellow tennis balls over the net to win big. With the right tech support, housebuilders can enjoy receiving regular budget-qualified leads. Interested in learning more? Take a product tour to see how sophisticated lead generation tools can change your bottom line.
