Seven Rules For Lead Follow Up

I read a great article this morning that really hit home for me, titled Seven Rules for Lead Follow-Up.  Written by Dirk Zeller, Real Estate Trainer and Coach, the information is applicable to anyone in Sales, not just Real Estate or Mortgage Lending.  Heck, it’s applicable for stay-at-home moms who are trying to build new friendships in their neighborhood!  But for Realtors and Mortgage Advisors, it’s really important…

The very first rule addresses the most important “skill” in Sales: saying NO… to a potential client.  Learning how to dis-qualify a new lead is equally as important as qualifying a new lead.  Learning and mastering the skill of “evaluating their probability of conversion” is super-important because it ultimately separates the wheat from the chaff, when it comes to new leads, and funnels your highest and best use towards potential clients who actually want to work with you.

Rule number five sets an important precedent right up front: what is your boundary for determining when to cut loose on a potential client?  If we are not moving a new potential lead closer to an appointment, whether by telephone or face-to-face, we are going backwards.  It’s important to note that every day that goes by that we haven’t advanced a particular lead a step forward in the process is a day they lose faith in our ability to get the deal done.  There is no middle-ground here.  You’re either making head way with them, or losing face.  Period.  Set parameters for yourself and your business, and stick to them.

The seventh rule Dirk Zeller addresses is what I call ownership of the transaction.  Dirk writes, “When people think that you are willing to take ‘no’ as an answer, they are willing to talk with you.”  Let the potential client be considered in control.  We’re there to educate them on the product, not force them into shackles and stocks.  They will follow your lead when they believe it’s based on their qualified analysis of your product.  Educate them, and then let them decide.  The customer’s needs always come first.

Ray Kroc, founder of McDonalds, spoke about the importance of putting the customer first: “If you work just for money, you’ll never make it.  But if you love what you are doing, and always put the customer first, success will be yours.”

Your mortgage advisor for life,