Articles & posts...
Apr '25
Headed East again last week to walk a potential new site with a client.
A great site with potential; consideration now for how it can be optimised to support a potential bid.
Love this kind of work as it presents an almost blank canvas to input into a potential scheme and ultimately create something stand out for the local area.
Time now to consolidate research, thoughts, ideas and figures to feed into these critical early design stages...
#NewHomes #HouseBuilding #DevelopmentViability #SalesSupport
Apr '25
I can’t believe it…
A year ago, I was sat with the post below on my screen and my cursor hovering over the "Post" button.
I won't lie – I was s******g myself!! 😬 😱
It took my wife to say “just do it!!” for me to finally click and then hope for the best…
And that was it... Paul Furner Consulting was born - and unbelievably this week, it turns 1!! 🙂 🎂
What a year it’s been...
I’ve had the privilege of working with some fantastic clients, helping them solve real world sales challenges - just like I set out in my very first post. Staying focused on what each client needs has become the foundation of everything I do, and it always will be.
I’ve learnt a lot - but am well aware I am still really at the beginning of this journey.
Every day is still a school day. It’s a bit like having kids, there is no road map, you just work hard to figure it out as you go!
The highs are amazing; the lows can be unsettling. You have to ride it and it’s important to stay positive, work consistently and keep moving forward.
And it’s not easy...! You wear a lot of hats. But moments like sending your first invoice, getting paid, gaining new business or clients returning for more work - those moments are huge...
I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey so far - valued clients, former colleagues, family & friends. I am really excited about what’s next and cannot wait to keep growing, making a difference and seeing where this journey goes...
#SalesConsultancy #BusinessBirthday
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"It is all about helping – that's what I have come to realise...
Having decided to leave my former Sales Director role at the end of last year and take some well-earned time out, it has given me the time and space to reflect on my career to date and what my next steps should be.
It has become clear to me that whatever I have done since I first started work, one of my key motivators has been to help people, be those customers, my team, my colleagues, or the business in general.
Sales simply is all about helping people – it can be solving a problem they have (or do not yet know they have!) or guiding them through a change in their life – be that buying a new car, setting new banking requirements, or the daunting major life step of buying and moving to a new home.
With my teams, I have always strived to help them grow and get better at what they do, deepen their skillset, and become more proficient and successful in their roles. For colleagues it has been about how I in my role can assist them in theirs – how do we truly collaborate, understand each other, and break down silos to achieve the best outcomes...
Recognising the above I am now hugely excited to have set up and be launching Paul Furner Consulting. The simple aim being to help businesses across the region with their sales processes and challenges to ultimately achieve better results.
I want to support small businesses and housebuilders across Devon, Cornwall & Somerset who are facing challenges with their current sales operations, or have hit a pinch point with their workload or teams and need additional support.
I am keen to speak to business owners, leaders, or teams where they are at this point and would benefit from outsourcing for a temporary set of experienced hands - drop me a line at paul@pfconsulting.co.uk
Fingers crossed for the future... 😀"
Apr '25
It is never lost on me when I am out and about, what a stunning part of the country we are lucky enough to live and work in (hence I always try and take pics when possible...)
This time last week I was heading East 🧭 for a new client to conduct a detailed Sales & Marketing review for them.
These reviews are now being asked for more frequently and provide a completely impartial and unbiased perspective...
📑 - Local Market Intelligence
🏠 - New Homes Competitors
🌟 - Site Presentation inc Show Homes, Sales Arena & Stock Plots
💷 - Pricing
💻 - Online Marketing
🗝️ - Local 2nd Hand Market
were all examined in detail, and a report of my findings, observations, and a detailed suggested action plan provided to the client...
💡 Sound useful?? 💡
If you would like to know more about how this approach could benefit your business then please get in touch...
#NewHomesConsultancy #HelpingDeveloperstoSell #Housebuilding
Apr '25
Something I’ve noticed from working with different businesses:
Understandably many are intently focused on the here and now, dealing with what's right in front of them with the fixed resource they have available!!
Often, when you're right in the thick of it like this, it can be hard to step back and see what’s really going on 😟. This is especially true when it comes to honing in on a specific department or function such as how your sales team is operating - the results are often highly visible but what underpins them might not be as clear!
That’s one of the unexpected benefits of bringing in outside help...
⏰ Firstly there is the on-demand support side of it — getting the right skills in at the right time, for the required period - a cost effective strategy.
🧐 But just as valuable is having someone who can look at things with a fresh perspective and ask the kind of questions that might not come up internally.
More often than not, it’s not about making huge changes — just small tweaks that can unlock better results, smoother processes, or a more focused approach.
Sometimes, it’s just about spotting what’s already working well and doing more of it. 👍
This is the kind of work I really enjoy — digging into the detail, helping teams find better ways of doing things, problem solving, and offering a bit of outside clarity when it’s needed.
If that resonates, or you’ve been thinking something similar, I am always happy to chat. 🙂
#SalesTeams #IndependentInsight #SalesProcess #FreelanceSupport
Apr '25
Who's in your corner...?
Running your own business can be exciting, rewarding, scary and, being honest, overwhelming at times. The decisions, conflicting priorities, lack of time and the need to keep moving forward… it’s a lot to juggle.
This is where working with a business mentor can make a significant and truly positive difference.
As a mentor you become a trusted partner; someone who listens, challenges, supports and can help clients see the bigger picture—without judgement. An independent sounding board who won’t tell you what to do, or what you want to hear, but what you need to hear. And most importantly, someone who holds you accountable to your own goals.
If you’ve ever thought about working with a mentor but weren’t sure where to start, let’s have a chat. No pressure, just a conversation. You don’t have to do it all alone.
#BusinessMentor #Accountability #Support #Growth
Mar '25
Understanding the "hyper-local" market is a key component of development success
The Pricing Challenge Many Housebuilders Face – And How to Avoid It...
Pricing a new development effectively can be time consuming and challenging, yet is one of the most critical decisions a housebuilder can make. Get it right, and you will have increased success with land acquisitions, maximise sales rates and profitability. Get it wrong, and you risk slow sales, unnecessary price reductions, and even missed opportunities to develop or optimise your scheme.
Yet, one of the most common risks I see housebuilders take is relying solely on rapidly collated, light touch research when setting prices, housing mix & creating initial scheme layouts.
Why National & Regional Trends Are Not Enough
There’s a lot of data available on house prices, and it’s easy to be swayed by national or regional headlines—whether that’s reports of a “market slowdown” or rising property values. While this macroeconomic view is useful, it doesn’t tell you what’s happening on the ground in the specific location where you’re looking to develop.
For example:
- Demand for property types varies locally – A 4-bed detached home might be in high demand regionally, but in a specific town, buyers could be prioritising 2-3 bed homes due to affordability constraints.
- New builds vs second-hand homes – Just because second-hand properties in an area are selling well doesn’t mean new-builds will perform the same way.
- Over saturation - Too many homes on the market, excess of new build, or overall limited demand, can create an over saturated market with a significant knock-on impact on achievable prices and sales rates.
- Local dynamics - It is not uncommon for house prices to vary between, say the East & West of a town, or in some areas even from street to street. These localised variations could make or break a scheme and be easily missed without the right level of focused and detailed research.
Pricing homes is never a science...!
A Smarter Approach: Hyper-Local Research
I recently worked with a regionally based housebuilder to support their preparation for a land bid on a new site. They were considering their pricing strategy and wanted to ensure they were setting the right levels from day one. Rather than just looking at broad regional trends, I carried out detailed, hyper-local market analysis to guide their pricing and mix strategy.
Here’s how we approached it:
- Feet on the Ground - I took time to visit the area, walk the site, understand how it sits in its surroundings and what opportunities there were to optimise the layout and improve the GDV.
- Speaking to Local Estate Agents – Agents have first-hand knowledge of buyer demand, local trends & pricing expectations. Their insights were invaluable in understanding local nuances, what was selling and why.
- Competitor Analysis – I reviewed nearby new-build developments, reviewing pricing, mix and sales rates.
- Online Market Research – Using platforms like Rightmove, Zoopla, and OnTheMarket, suitable local listings were assessed considering comparability, price movements, and time-on-market trends.
- Scheme Optimisation – Beyond pricing, we discussed tweaks to the development mix to align with buyer demand, ensuring the homes were designed for real local needs, not just generic assumptions.
- Industry Understanding - I know the challenges most new development viabilities present, and the critical part sales values play in this. Utilising all the data gathered the client and I spent time working through the scheme, the potential options and discussed in detail the boundaries of pricing and optimum mix to present the best chance of success.
The Outcome?
By taking this locally focused, data-driven approach, the client submitted a confident and competitive land bid that reflected the true market conditions. They were also set up for the next phase of planning with a clear pricing and mix strategy which we will keep under review as the scheme progresses.
The Key Takeaway
Housebuilders who invest in understanding local demand—rather than just working with broader market trends—set themselves up for stronger sales and better profitability.
If you're working on a new scheme and want a data-backed strategy for pricing and development mix, let’s have a chat. A little independent research upfront can make all the difference...
Mar '25
It's been a big week this week in the Furner household...
With my eldest son reaching the milestone of turning 18 and lot's of talk about the future and plans - to travel, work, University etc... It's a massively exciting time for him 🤗
Naturally I then started thinking about where I was at that age:
👉 Finishing A-Levels that I had hated (should never have stayed on in 6th form!!)
👉 Still living in Kent and with a place secured at Bicton College to study Outdoor Leisure
👉 Mad keen to become an Outdoor Pursuits Instructor
👉 Never happier than when I was running around mountains or sailing/climbing/canoeing etc.
👉 Had no consideration for any other job or lifestyle and definitely not falling into a 25yr + career in sales & property 😂
Funny how life turns out and how situations/opportunities/need and luck all play significant roles in the journey and outcomes...
My advice to him is make the most of everything - get stuck in, go out and explore the world and the opportunities that will present to you, make decisions and live by them good or bad - you will learn either way, avoid living a life of regretting the things you should have done..!
Feb '25
It has been really interesting over the last couple of days spending some time getting my head into the "dark arts" of SEO 🤔
I appreciate this is a huge and complex field with any number of companies that will optimise and manage your SEO strategy for you.
However, as a relatively new small business and having created my own website and marketing I am keen to continue "learning" and "doing" as much as I can primarily to deepen my knowledge in these key areas 💪 (is this just me!!?)
Also am excited as I have another business idea brewing so am busily researching and planning!!
#SalesConsultancy #SEO #BusinessConsultant #SmallBusinessSuccess
Feb '25
A significant service for my Clients...
Jan '25
For my house builder & developer contacts - where do you source your sales revenues and data to ensure you have the info you need in time to prepare a land bid...?
A key service to my clients in the sector is providing detailed market research and pricing in support of land purchases for new schemes. These often need to be delivered to a tight deadline and with evidence to support the pricing, mix and potential options appraisals to optimise a bid...
Even businesses with dedicated internal sales teams (often called upon for this support) can struggle to get the info required in time, especially with the team prioritising generating sales in a difficult market.
If the above resonates, and you would like to discuss how I can work with you and your team to provide detailed sales data when needed most, then please get in touch. I can also send you examples of the type of reports I can provide which can always be adapted to specific client needs - just ping me a message and I will send across...
#NewHomes #LandAppraisal #SalesViability #SalesConsultancy
Jan '25
An interesting challenge of running your own business is consciously giving yourself time to work "on" the business as well as "in" it! 👨🔧
As a recent project providing interim sales director support to a client has come to an end it was time to crack on with some overdue "business housekeeping..."
🤓 Google Ad campaign underway
🤓 Google Business verification video submitted (long overdue!)
🤓 New additional advertising opportunities scoped out
🤓 LinkedIn profile update work ongoing
🤓 Finally sorting access to some great networking opportunities
🤓 Conscious effort to get back to posting more about the business and my consultancy journey
...and I have given the website a refresh as well. A much cleaner look and additional info about the sales solutions I can offer to clients:
If you're interested in discussing how I could support you and your business then drop me a line...
#SalesConsultancy #TailoredSalesSolutions #BusinessHousekeeping
Jan '25
Wow!! It has been over 9 months now since setting up on my own 🤯. For my LI connections & potential new clients who might benefit from my services, here's a flavour of what I have been up to...
👍 Supporting client land bids through detailed site viability appraisals, pricing, market research, mix and layout recommendations
👍 Interim Sales Director support for a client whilst waiting for a new SD to start in role
👍 Creating bespoke training material and associated communications to support sales teams ongoing training and development
👍 Supporting clients with embedding new processes to improve sales team efficiency and output
👍 Delivering detailed marketing strategies for forthcoming new development launches, active site's ongoing promotion and to fulfil Local Authority requirements re the release of self build plots to the open market
👍 House type and scheme layout reviews with detailed feedback of areas for review & improvement
👍 Detailed CRM work to assess current effectiveness, improve utilisation and embed best practice
👍 Supporting clients with sales team recruitment
👍 Focussed work on Trustpilot and embedding measures to improve scores & reviews
👍 Specialist advice on some exciting new software for development sales offices
👍 Working on developing the mentoring side of the business to support local business owners
It's a huge honour to be invited in by companies to spend time with them and their teams to support, enhance efficiency, increase productivity, improve processes or simply just to add value where required.
With an existing project coming to an end soon I now have capacity to take on a new client or projects. If you would like to discuss and explore where I can add value to your business then get in touch. If I am confident I can help then we can get a plan in place - if not then we have connected if ever needed for the future...
#SalesConsultancy #NewHomesSales #SalesDirectorOnDemand #MakingLifeEasier
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