Golden Eagle Log Homes
is a member of the
Log Homes Council |
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| Independent Dealership FAQs |
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Advertising and Marketing
| Question: | Do your dealers have access to your professional photography and graphics for use on their website? |
| Answer: | Yes, all current Independent Dealers are encouraged to use our professional photography and graphics to build their business. It doesn’t have to stop with your website. You can borrow our images, graphics and logo for all of your promotions. |
| Question: | Can Golden Eagle help us with our website? |
| Answer: | Yes, we have a full-time web developer on staff. |
| Question: | We are interested in Golden Eagle logo wear, business cards and stationary. Can someone at Golden Eagle help us with that. |
| Answer: | Absolutely |
| Question: | If we have questions about setting up or advertising open houses and other events, who will we talk to at Golden Eagle? |
| Answer: | Our Dealer Development department and Events Planning department regularly offer assistance to our dealer network. |
| Question: | Where will we find forms, contact information, advertisement examples and general sales information? |
| Answer: | We keep most of this information on our dealer website so you can access this information from anywhere in the world that has internet service. After you become a dealer, we will set you up with your password. |
| Question: | How much does your catalog / plan book cost the dealers? |
| Answer: | Up to 100 plan books per year are free to every dealership; just pay shipping. If you need more than 100 catalogs per year you will be invoiced at our exact cost per catalog plus whatever the actual shipping cost is. |
| Question: | What is Golden Eagle's Travel Bucks program? |
| Answer: | It is in everyone’s best interest to get the prospect to visit Golden Eagle. With our Travel Bucks program we credit the customer up to $1,000.00 towards their package. Please look over the Travel Bucks guidelines for details. |
| More Info: | Click Here |
| Question: | As dealers, how do we get leads and prospects? |
| Answer: | Dealers receive leads on loan from Golden Eagle but most leads will be developed through your own efforts. Dealers should participate in home shows, log raisings, and should advertise in magazines and on the internet. |
| Question: | Can we get copies of your home plans to use as sales aids? |
| Answer: | All independent dealers have access to print out all of our master plans at no charge. This is a terrific sales tool, as you can print these out anytime. |
| Question: | Can Golden Eagle create a website for my dealership? |
| Answer: | Yes, Golden Eagle charges $60.00 per hour for web services and we find most of our dealers are very pleased with what we can do for them in 6-10 hours. Part of our web service is to put your website on the World Wide Web and also link to Golden Eagle’s top ranked site, GoldenEagleLogHomes.com |
Cooperative Advertising
| Question: | Does Golden Eagle offer co-op advertising? |
| Answer: | Yes, however there are guidelines, so make sure you get pre approved before the advertisement is ordered or you may be denied the co-op. |
| Question: | What is co-op advertising? |
| Answer: | In this case, it is when Golden Eagle reimburses the dealer for part of their advertising expenses. |
| Question: | When would the dealer receive co-op funding reimbursement? |
| Answer: | Assuming you had pre-approval and you have provided Golden Eagle with a copy of the paid invoice and advertisement proof, you would be mailed a check the following month around the 15th. |
| Question: | Is there a deadline for submitting for co-op? |
| Answer: | All co-op must be submitted within 90 days of the event or advertisement to be considered. |
Lead Management (CRM)
| Question: | Do you have a lead follow-up system that dealers can use? |
| Answer: | Yes, it is called CRM, which stands for Client Relation Management. Most CRM’s are a sales tool that will help sell more homes by utilizing reminders and storing data about each prospect. CRM’s are a valuable tool for putting together e-mails lists, mailing labels, phone lists and ranking your prospects. The Golden Eagle CRM does all of the above and is also a central information port for our dealer-related forms, pricing materials, contracts etc. |
| Question: | What are the benefits of using CRM? |
| Answer: |
- It’s free for you to use but would cost hundreds a month if you were leasing a similar system.
- The Golden Eagle CRM is accessible via the internet from anywhere in the world. If your computer crashes at home; all of your leads are still safe because our CRM is a website that doesn’t crash with your computer.
- The Golden Eagle CRM is more than just lead management; it is also the platform on which our dealers will receive plans, new leads, contract information, pricing, proposals, current forms and information regarding new products.
- You won’t forget about your prospect because of the reminder system and you can print labels; phone numbers lists and create your own e-mail lists using the pool system.
- If another dealer is already working the same prospect we can inform you of that when you ask us to enter the lead. Wouldn’t you want to know if you are competing with another dealership or being played by a prospect?
- Notes and history can be added by both dealer and our inside people. You will be able to follow along as the project progresses. This helps everyone stay current with the project.
- When a dealer uses the CRM, the prospect is then on Golden Eagle’s Constant Contact e-mail list and your prospect will get the corporate quarterly newsletter. This newsletter is about new products, trends, corporate happenings etc. This newsletter will never feature a sale or discount; as those are to be announced through the dealerships.
You can copy and paste e-mails into your prospect’s file in CRM. |
| Question: | What happens when I enter a lead in CRM? |
| Answer: | The lead is compared against all existing leads in the CRM to assure that this lead is not a duplicate. If the lead is already in the system and being worked by another dealership your lead request to add your lead and work it with the CRM will be declined. If it is a duplicate lead you can still work the lead, just not in CRM. If your lead is an original you will be able to work your lead with CRM and enjoy all of the benefits of the CRM tool. |
Lead Distribution
| Question: | When Golden Eagle Corporate gets new leads from the internet, magazine advertisements etc how does Golden Eagle determine which dealership gets the leads? |
| Answer: | Leads are distributed based on where the home is being built not by where the customer currently lives. If it is a new lead and it is in an Independent Dealers protected territory they will get the lead. If the customer doesn’t own land or know where they will build Golden Eagle holds the lead and keeps it warm until a building area is selected. |
| Question: | Can a Dealer work leads that are not in his or her protected territory? |
| Answer: | Yes, you can sell anywhere. Please keep in mind if that lead is already in the CRM under another dealers name or being worked by Corporate you should probably pass on it. |
Shows, Show Types, and Lead Distribution
| Question: | What is a Dealer Sponsored show or event? |
| Answer: | When the Independent Dealer or Dealers register and pay for a show or event independently of Golden Eagle. This is typically local activities such as fairs, home shows, open houses, log raisings etc. This term Dealer Sponsored is also used when it is a log home or cabin show event in which Corporate is not participating. All dealer sponsored show leads will be assigned to the dealer; provided the prospect is not already tagged with another dealer or Golden Eagle in the CRM. |
| Question: | What is a Golden Eagle Sponsored Show or Event? |
| Answer: | When Golden Eagle Corporate registers, participates and pays for the booth space. In some cases dealers may be offered the opportunity to work in the booth as our guest. All dealers whether participating in the show or not shall receive leads only after the following criteria are met.
- The show leads are entered into the CRM by corporate and it is determined this prospect is not working with another dealership.
- The prospect is building in your protected territory.
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| Question: | When Golden Eagle is participating in a Golden Eagle Sponsored show or event can a dealer be at the same show in their own booth? |
| Answer: | Yes you can be in your own booth on your dime. Please note because Golden Eagle is already at the venue there will not be co-op advertising available. Please keep in mind you will receive your leads for your protected territory if you are there or not. |
Plans and Pricing
| Question: | How much will it cost to have customized plans? |
| Answer: | Golden Eagle charges $1.00 per square foot to draw the finished areas of the home. Please note we said finished areas so you will not be charged for attached garage, porch, unfinished bonus rooms, deck or unfinished basement square footage. When we sell the project and the package was more than $50,000.00 the money that was paid for the plans is applied to the package. So when they buy the package the plans ended up being FREE! |
| Question: | How long does it take to get a set of study plans drawn? |
| Answer: | We try to get the floor plan portion done within a week, and then after we get your ok on the floor plans it takes about one more week to get the elevations drawn. |
| Question: | Does the customer need to buy plans to get a price? |
| Answer: | Golden Eagle will provide the customer with a fairly accurate ball park price range on the package before any plans are drawn or money changes hands. If your customer already has a set of plans there may never be a need to sell them another set. |
| Question: | Are Golden Eagle’s home plans engineered. |
| Answer: | All final plans, which are only available after we receive the 10% contract down payment, will be code compliant engineered as part of our final engineering process. If you are building in an area where you need an architect or a professional licensed engineer to stamp the plans; there would be an extra charge. |
| Question: | How does a customer know exactly what is included in their price? |
| Answer: | When we offer a proposal there is a very detailed list that covers what comes in the package as part of the proposal. When your customer is having a complete package priced they will also receive a list of what doesn’t come in the package. We refer to this sheet as a homeowner/ builder responsibility sheet.
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Protected Territory
| Question: | What does a protected territory mean to an Independent Dealer? |
| Answer: | Golden Eagle will not put a second Gold Plus Dealership in your protected territory and Golden Eagle will forward your dealership new leads from prospects who are building in your protected territory. |
| Question: | How does Golden Eagle decide on the size of our protected territory? |
| Answer: | If you are in an area with other dealers nearby you may get a smaller territory because of what is available. The average dealer receives a 25-50 mile radius around their model home /office. However if the dealership proves they can market and build in a larger area their area might be expanded. Dealers who have larger territories have typically set forth a business plan that included a marketing budget large enough to handle that area and have a builder network in place to handle the whole area. When a dealer is not yielding enough sales from all areas of their protected territory those lower performing areas will likely be adjusted at year end. |
| Question: | When a new dealer comes on board with Golden Eagle or when an existing dealer gets their existing territory expanded; will they automatically receive existing corporate leads for that area? |
| Answer: | Yes, some, but not necessarily all. If an existing dealership is working that lead, then it is grandfathered to the original dealership. |
Technical Services / Websites
| Question: | My Company does not have a domain name what should we do? |
| Answer: | Golden Eagle can take care of everything including purchasing a domain name for you to use. Golden Eagle prefers handling this end of things because this minimizes the possibility of downtime and loss of a domain name due to renewal delays. The domain name cost and the hosting fee of your company website and company e-mail service is $125.00 per year. |
| Question: | If we have Golden Eagle take care of our website hosting how many e-mail accounts come with it? |
| Answer: | You can have up to twenty e-mail accounts with your company name as part of your e-mail address at no extra charge. |
| Question: | If I have the 10% down but I still don’t have a signed contract can I move the project into final engineering? |
| Answer: | No, everything is on hold until we have the following three items. 10% Down, No More Changes form, and the signed contract.
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Contract Questions
| Question: | Why did we change the name of the Homeowners Responsibly Page to a Buyer’s Responsibility Page? |
| Answer: | In the past our customer was almost exclusively the homeowner; today’s buyer is a mix of homeowners, independent dealers and since the mortgage crisis sometimes the general contractor. |
Miscellaneous Questions
| Question: | Do I have to have a Realtor's License to be a Golden Eagle Log Homes dealer? |
| Answer: | No. You are selling a materials package. Your customers can obtain land with or without your help.
If you are a Realtor; you can also be a Golden Eagle Log Homes dealer as well as provide the other services that you offer. |
| Question: | Do I have to be a builder to be a Golden Eagle Log Homes dealer? |
| Answer: | No. We do not require you to be a builder.
If you are a builder... that is ok too. You can offer Golden Eagle Log Homes' products to your customers. |
| Question: | Does the dealer or the customer buy the package from Golden Eagle? |
| Answer: | That is the choice of the dealer and customer. |
| Question: | When the dealer purchases the package directly from Golden Eagle is the package price only between the dealer and Golden Eagle. |
| Answer: | Yes |
| Question: | When a dealer is selling or buying a complete package, how are the choices made if the customer isn’t coming to the showroom? |
| Answer: | All dealers are required to have samples in their offices but often many of the choices will be made online; usually with guidance from our final selections department. |
| Question: | What type of office equipment should dealers have? |
| Answer: | In addition to the usual old school office supplies, we recommend all dealers have a computer set up with internet access, an 11”x 17” colored printer; a specific cell phone or house phone that is always answered like a business, copier or scanner and an area where you can display your Golden Eagle samples. |
| Question: | What kind of training can dealers expect from Golden Eagle? |
| Answer: | Dealer orientation training is typically 2 days and we can customize this to your needs. Someone new to selling log homes may need more training than the dealer who has previous log home sales experience. We have continuous training available in the form of workshops, video, webinar and websites. Golden Eagle also has an annual dealer meeting where all of the dealers are brought together for learning and fellowship. Feel free to call anytime with your questions. |
| Question: | Do your dealers work with a single inside contact? |
| Answer: | Dealers are encouraged to work with every member of our inside sales team. All dealers have direct access to all of our sales and management staff. |
| Question: | Who builds the homes? |
| Answer: | All of our dealers will want to put together a network of builders so this becomes a non worry. Golden Eagle has a database of builders. If you need help locating a builder let us know. Our database may come in real handy when you sell out of your immediate area. |
| Question: | What if the local building inspector has questions? |
| Answer: | If your inspector has questions about anything in the Golden Eagle package or on our plans just let us know. Golden Eagle will call the inspector and provide load calculations or anything else they need right away. |
| Question: | Who do we call if we have questions during the build? |
| Answer: | Golden Eagle has a very good builder services department that is staffed 6 days a week by great folks with extensive building experience. |
| Question: | Can we get multiple shipments? |
| Answer: | A home package typically requires 3 or more semi loads of products. We always want to ship full loads but you or your builder can tell us when you would like them delivered. |
| Question: | Can we refer to our business as Golden Eagle Log Homes when we answer the phone and work shows? |
| Answer: | No, however you will want to benefit from Golden Eagle’s branding so we do recommend when you answer the phone and run advertisements you mention you are an Independent Dealer for Golden Eagle Log Homes. |
| Question: | Does Golden Eagle offer Full Log and Half Log Homes? |
| Answer: | Yes. Golden Eagle offers Full Log and Half Log packages; if that isn’t enough you should know we also offer Quarter Log, High Performance Insulated Full Log, and custom non structural Hybrid Timber Frame packages. All of our log items are milled at Golden Eagle Log Homes and exceed industry standards. |
| More Info: | Click Here |
| Question: | What log styles and corner styles are available through Golden Eagle? |
| Answer: | We have just about everything including; double round, square, D- shape, T&G, Peeled or Smooth. Corner options include Dovetail, Saddle Notch, Butt and Pass, Vertical Round Log or Vertical Square Timber. Our most popular sizes include 6x12, 8x8, 10x10 and 8x12. |
| More Info: | Click Here |
| Question: | Are your Full Logs Kiln Dried and Grade Stamped? |
| Answer: | Yes, and we also heat treat our logs which makes it possible to ship our logs across state and national borders. |
| Question: | Can we hire Golden Eagle to maintain our website? |
| Answer: | Yes when Golden Eagle hosts your website we will update your website when you ask for $60.00 per hour. When your website is hosted by someone other than Golden Eagle we charge $100.00 per hour and it will likely take more time. |
| Question: | I have an existing website. Can you take over the hosting for us so we can get the $60.00 per hour labor rate? |
| Answer: | Yes we do that all of the time, once we get the passwords from you or your current provider we can begin hosting your site. The couple of hours it takes us to switch you from your current provider and future maintenance will be billed at $60.00 per hour. |
| Question: | What kind of maintenance is involved with a website? |
| Answer: | Our average dealer has us add new photos, and graphics maybe four times a year at one to two hours per time. When your website is hosted by Golden Eagle there is no charge for adding your events to your site, however if your site is not hosted by Golden Eagle there will be a $100.00 per hour charge for adding events. |
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If you have more questions call us at 1-800-270-5025 and
ask to speak to John Batzer at extension 104 or Chris Stitcher at extension 118
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