Guest post by:
Mike Barbanica, Broker Owner of RE/MAX Blue Line
BRE # 01499807

We all know how important it is to have an organized follow-up process for online leads. In fact, recent research shows how much persistence can pay off when it comes to following up. Our company has a tried and true follow-up plan to convert more leads into clients, and it all revolves around 3 simple steps:

1. Have a system in place to quickly manage new leads
Response time is critical – if you’re not following up with leads within 5 minutes, someone else is! When an online lead comes through our system, the agent or team leader is notified. If we have a person working the phones, immediate contact will be made with that lead (within one or two minutes is our goal). If no one is available to make the call, the lead is assigned to an agent for the same process.

2. Provide value to the client first and foremost
There are many internet “shoppers” during this stage of the process and they probably have a lot of agents calling them. What makes you stand out from those other agents? Open the conversation by introducing yourself and your company and letting them know you can provide the information they want. We have found it works best to say something similar to the following:

Hello, my name is (your name) with (your company name). I received a message to give you a call through our website and wanted to make sure I got back to you. You had asked about 123 Main Street. I pulled that property up in the system and found some information. Did you have any specific questions about it?

Remember every other agent is calling offering to be their agent, which is self-serving to that agent and not necessarily an actual service to the lead. Focus the conversation on the lead’s wants and needs – you want to be the one that is different from the rest by providing enough value to get them to convert.

3. End every conversation with a clear call-to-action (CTA)
Once you’ve identified a lead’s needs and offered some value to them, it’s time to get them to take the next step. Examples might include:

• Set a follow up appointment
• Connect them with a lender
• Get them set up to receive listing alerts

The biggest mistake you can make is not ending your conversation with a clear CTA encouraging the next course of action.

What If You Don’t Connect?

If there is no answer, leave a voicemail and send a text message introducing yourself – and make sure to end both with that clear call-to-action. Not sure what to send? A video is a great way to put a face with your voice and name. Don’t worry about having the perfect ‘equipment’ to film a short video – you can create a standard video using your phone that you use for all of your lead introductions. Your follow-up email can also contain similar information, but make sure to reference the voicemail and text so you don’t wander into ‘stalker’ territory!

Our recommendation is repeating the calls daily for at least a week with an email on days 1, 4, 9, and 14, unless they answer or respond. Each email should conclude with a very specific CTA. By day 14, if they have not responded, you can send an email asking if they would like to continue receiving information regarding home searches. This clear question often results in a response. If there is no response, we recommend that they are contacted again in two weeks and then put on a monthly “check in” schedule. Keep the chart below handy to make sure you’re sticking to your schedule and of course, don’t forget to log ALL of your interactions in your CRM system.

About Mike Barbanica
Mike Barbanica is the Broker Owner of RE/MAX Blue Line in California, which now has three successful offices, all of which are continually growing with very strong hand-picked agents. In 2012, the RE/MAX Blue Line offices and the agents were awarded the honor of the RE/MAX California Hawaii Region “Outstanding Brokerage of the Year” and that same year Mike was awarded the region’s Broker of the Year award. Mike’s philosophy is that every agent hired for RE/MAX Blue Line must be dedicated to putting the needs of all clients above their own, working from a mindset of never-ending education to better themselves and their career and long term business building. Click here to download the ‘Follow Up Like a Machine’ guide.

Are you looking for a complete solution to optimize your lead generation program and get ahead of the competition through a sophisticated online marketing campaign strategy? TigerLead can provide you with high quality leads combined with intuitive software to nurture leads until they are transaction-ready. Contact us at info@listhub.com or 877-847-3394 x1 for more information.