Re: SB: strawbale house for sale

[Peter Gutmann <pgutmann@hevanet.com>]

I think you should market the house to at least two different buyer types:
those inclined to be interested in the fact that it's strawbale
construction, and those who might be put off by that fact.

the first group you reach through the greenbuilders web site, your local
natural building materials group, local environmental groups, etc.  you
probably won't need to tell them the benefits of strawbale.  this group is
much smaller, but as with any niche, they are usually more informed, and
more specific about wants and needs.  they will probably have sought out
your house because they know about strawbale, and find it appealing.

the second group is middle america.   you probably won't even have to tell
them it's strawbale at first.  after they have visited the house, and seen
and experienced the flow and design and all the other outward things that
make a house appealing or not, they will have (probably) made their first
impression.  if it's good, they'll be interested in the house because of
what they see.  after a person has formed their first impression, it is much
more difficult to convince them that their first impression was wrong, i.e.
once they like it for the design, it'll be less important that it's
strawbale (if they even consider this a detractor).

on the other hand, if someone ignorant of the benefits of strawbale looks at
a house, and because of preconceived notions, thinks strawbale is not
appealing, you'll have a harder time selling them on the house's benefits.
they'll keep looking at it and thinking "three little pigs, three little
pigs..." 

draw a parallel to selling a car, and the second group wants the equivalent
of a ford, or a chevy.  sell them that aspect of it, and once they're
convinced that they like it, then tell them that, oh, by the way, it gets
100 miles to the gallon, burns compost, sequesters CO2, and makes people
spontaneously ramble on endlessly when you introduce yourself on the
internet and ask how to sell it.

know that there is an art AND a science to sales...  i'm telling you the
science.  the art is reading people to see what will interest them.  i.e.
are the people on the phone/at your front door a part of group 1, or group
2?

there's my $0.02 ($50 with inflation)...

pete


From: "Mike Rubey" <Rubey@starband.net>
Reply-To: "Mike Rubey" <Rubey@starband.net>
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 16:10:34 -0600
To: <strawbale@crest.org>
Subject: SB: strawbale house for sale


Hi everybody,
 
We have a strawbale house for sale in the Texas hill country we are trying
to sell. Does anyone have any good suggestions on how or where to market a
strawbale the best? We have had several people who would have bought it if
it hadn't been a strawbale just because they aren't familiar enough with the
technique. Little do they know, our house is many times stronger than any
conventional house. We do have it listed on the greenbuilders web sight but
other than that we have no other ideas.
 
Thank you for any input,
Mike




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