Do you have lead capture forms on your website? If so, how quickly do you respond?
Hopefully, you can’t always respond immediately. If you could, it would mean you didn’t 
have any clients who need your attention.
But unless you’re ill or injured, you can respond within a few hours, or at least within a day.
Perhaps, after reading the statistics that say a lead goes from hot to cold within an hour, you don’t bother. I think you should – and you should do it as quickly as possible. Even two days later is better than nothing.
But if you wait too long...
After a week or more, that lead probably doesn’t want to hear from you. They would (perhaps rightfully?) assume that you wouldn’t be an attentive agent. In addition, they've probably found someone else to answer their questions.
It was definitely too late for the call I got this morning.
I’m not sure why I didn’t hang up immediately when I answered the phone and heard silence for a few seconds, but I didn’t.
The voice on the phone proceeded to tell me that he was following up on an inquiry I’d made. I vaguely remember doing some research and making some inquiries on the topic. That was last winter. Was it November? Maybe not until January. I don’t remember.
Just before I hung up, the voice told me that they’d “be glad to hop on a call with me …” I didn’t wait to see if I was supposed to push one or leave my number to get them “hopping.”
Why is that phrase – “hop on a call” - so annoying? Maybe it isn’t – maybe it’s only me who finds it obnoxious.
What I know for sure is that waiting for months to respond to an inquiry sends an entirely wrong message.
So is asking your lead to respond further before you’ll bother to speak with them.
In my opinion this caller’s approach was just as annoying (and stupid) as the calls that say: “Please hold for the next available agent.”
What? You called me and you want me to hold? Are you crazy?
What about leads you contacted who just wanted information and weren’t ready to buy or sell?
Stay in touch.
- Call or write at least once a month, if not every week or two.
- Send them updates on the market.
- Tell them about new listings and homes that have just sold.
- Use my Nurturing Buyer Leads and/or Seller Advice Letters to give them useful information about getting ready to buy or sell.
Don’t wait for 3 or 4 months and expect them to remember that you called them once.
Instead, stay top-of-mind with emails, letters, and phone calls that show you are the agent who knows the market and will give them the time and attention they want.
Graphic courtesy of Stuart Miles @freedigitalphotos.net
Comments(37)