Behind the Business series: In this second entry with Cardinal Crest, you’ll learn how the Selections feature makes choices simpler. Adding a system to selections eases decision making and keeps communication transparent.
Missed last week’s post? Check out Part 1: How construction reporting ensures future success for Cardinal Crest
One of the most annoying fights friends have is figuring out what to eat. At the end of a long day, a decision is the last thing we want to make.
With all the different decisions made on a day-to-day basis, it isn’t difficult to imagine that building a house comes with its own series of choices. Making decisions is like using a muscle over and over again. After a while, the muscle becomes worn out.
The numbness experienced after a day of making choices is known as decision fatigue. During the selections process of construction, clients are faced with a wave of choices. Combining decision fatigue and selections, we can call this selections fatigue. Using construction management software, like Buildertrend, simplifies the selections process – helping to make easier decisions.
One builder who has excelled at overcoming selections fatigue is Joe Christensen. Watch how his company, Cardinal Crest Homes, adds a system to selections, making it fun for both their team and clients.
To further help you succeed at selections, here are more practical tips.
What is selections fatigue?
Selections fatigue is like decision fatigue. A huge number of choices are laid out, and one by one a choice needs to be made. Each decision made wears down a bit of mental stamina, making the next few decisions a little harder.
Throughout the day, we make choices about what to eat, what to wear or which shows to watch. Now apply this thinking to picking out all the details of a house. It’s exhausting.
Overall, it’s a daunting experience. Everything from the exterior home finish to the hardware on the kitchen cabinets needs to be picked. Simplifying how the process takes place can minimize the impact of selections fatigue.
With Buildertrend, the construction selections process is simplified. All of the choices and changes are maintained in one location.
The impact of selections fatigue
Selections fatigue can lead clients to be impulsive, trading off different options and actively avoiding making a choice.
When building a house, being impulsive and changing plans isn’t ideal. The total cost of the build starts to increase as the shinier or trendier options are picked. Think of going to the grocery store after a long day of work and trying to shop without a list. By the end of the trip, the shopping cart is filled with junk food, and the cost is twice as much as you’d expect.
The more time it takes a client to make a decision, the higher chance there is to make mistakes. Clients making impulsive decisions due to selections fatigue can lead to decision regret down the line. The last thing you want is for clients to be upset about a feature in their home after a build.
Although building a new home is exciting, the amount of choices made can start to feel overwhelming. Procrastination starts to set in, potentially prolonging the selections process. As time goes on, more money is wasted waiting for clients to make a choice.
3 tips to help clients make decisions
Consider these tips to help clients make faster decisions. Building a new house is fun and exciting. Like any build, approach the selections process with a plan.
Work from the outside in
Begin the process by starting on the exterior and moving into the smaller rooms. It’s easier to pick things we see every day like the color of the walls, but making bigger decisions such as the exterior home finishes lessens fatigue later in the selections process.
Narrow their focus
Remove distractions during the selections process. Buildertrend provides all choices in one location – keeping a client focused on what’s important. As these choices are made, vendors are updated and a working list of what materials are required is compiled. Keeping communication clear and concise eliminates the potential for miscommunication.
Be selective with your selection choices
Limit the number of choices a client can choose from. Variety is both good and bad, but too many choices leads to indecision and – as stated earlier – decision fatigue. Keeping choices to a minimum helps clients move quickly when making selections.
Buildertrend defeats selections fatigue
Making selections is exciting – keep things simple with Buildertrend. The Selections feature centralizes all changes and communication between parties. No more miscommunication on last minute decisions thanks to construction software.
Schedule a demo today with Buildertrend to learn how to have a stress-free selections process.
More great content from Cardinal Crest is coming your way. Be sure to come back for next week’s installment that showcases how this team keeps builds stress free and fun for everyone involved.
