Much of our energy as real estate professionals goes into figuring out
how to get in front of more clients. How to be involved in more transactions in
our markets, and how to get that first call when someone is looking to buy or
sell.
Equally important, however, is what you do with that call or
conversation once you manage to get it. In 2019 let’s remember, too, that many
of those conversations aren’t on the phone. They occur through social media,
email responses, text messages, LinkedIn connections, Facebook messenger, etc.
And each comes with their own set of protocols, expectations, and best
practices.
Here are some thoughts from the experts at Weichert Franchising on both
old and new strategies for making the most out your opportunities, however they
come to you.
In 2019, Consumer Attention Spans Continue to Shorten.
Most people will recognize that this has been going on for most of the
last decade as the generation raised in all things digital has come of age.
This phenomenon has set the bar for responsiveness in the real estate industry
ever higher and expanded the number of ways in which effective brokers and
agents must respond.
Response time is King – Studies
by NAR and others have shown that conversion rates drop significantly
when lead response takes over 5 minutes. With over 50% of new home
buyers reaching out through online inquiries, systems for reaching an agent
require a responsiveness that many brokerages are not prepared to handle.
One way to compete, is to team up with a resource that is equipped to
receive and respond to leads in a way that meets today’s expectations. Weichert
has always placed a value on consumer responsiveness. Even in 2002, when it set
up its first national call center, it knew this was critical to the sales
process. This service is an advantage to both its company-owned and affiliate offices.
Today, this fully integrated lead system continues to attract leads through its
online advertising strategy and web presence, respond quickly to inquiries and
then qualify them before passing them to an agent. Our national call center
responds to all calls, queries, emails and forms that come in through the
Weichert.com website within 3 minutes. During this processes these leads
are professionally screened and routed to a live agent. With our newest
technology, lead information can be populated directly into the Weichert CRM
for immediate access by agents to manage. Systems like this insure that no lead
opportunity is lost in the journey from lead to client.
Leads Don’t Just Call or Email Anymore
In all kinds of sales there is an old adage, “think before you dial!”
With so much opportunity coming in through social media and other digital and
mobile sources, the adage certainly needs an update, but the idea is the same.
Working leads through social or mobile sources can take some time to bring them
to the point of committing to a phone call or even giving you’re their contact
information. It could take 8 or more attempts, so persistence is important. On
this journey, an agent’s ability and willingness to provide genuinely helpful
advice and information will help establish credibility and trust. Agents should
be mentally prepared for these interactions, just like a phone call, respecting
both the channel of contact, as well as the nature of the outreach.
This means coaching your agents to have good social media profiles,
response scripts if they need them, a CRM to record contact activity and mobile
connectivity to respond and provide service promptly. A franchise partner like
Weichert helps brokerages with the right systems, technology and
coaching to compete.
Being prepared to handle both traditional phone and email requests, as
well as social and digital leads puts your team on the path to a conversion
strategy that leaves no lead behind. No matter where the lead comes from, your
agents should always have one goal in mind – asking for the appointment.
How Does Your Conversion Strategy Compete?
How much are you investing to attract leads? How quickly are your agents
able to respond to leads? Do you offer them a way to track their contact
activity? Do you have online content to help them nurture social and online
leads? It can be daunting to try to pull it all together on your own, but a
franchisor such as Weichert can offer your brokerage a one stop shop to help
your agents compete. Bring your local expertise, plug into our systems and
enjoy the results. If this sounds like something you would be interested in for
your brokerage, contact Weichert Franchising today at 877-746-8807 or go to weichertfranchising.com for more
information.
Original content posted on: https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/from-conversation-to-conversion-strategies-that-work/
