How to Overcome First Phone Call Fears

Apr 23, 2019

Tried-and-true methods for success

You’ve cleared the first hurdle by generating a response to your marketing. Now, it’s up to how you handle the first phone call out to that lead that will result in you winning the business.

That’s intimidating for many of us.

Intimidation gets us stuck. So, back away from the phone and take a deep breath. Then, learn the tried-and-true techniques successful agents use when following up on real estate leads.

Change your perspective

Remember, this first follow-up call isn’t a cold one. You’re returning a call (or email, etc.). This person reached out to you and expects a response. You’ve actually been given permission to contact her.

She may not be ready to pull the trigger on a real estate transaction right now, and you should be prepared for that, but she was motivated enough to take the first step and that’s a cause to celebrate, not back away.

Besides, who has too many leads in their pipeline? There’s always room for one more.

Generate Leads With a Free Report Offer (Available in Free Reports)

It’s all in the timing

While our industry is known for its “location, location, location” mantra, what outsiders don’t know is that “time is of the essence” is more than just a contract term to real estate agents.

When faced with an initial contact from a real estate lead, time can either be your enemy or your best friend. In this case, it’s critical that you place that follow-up call within minutes of receiving the lead.

If you don’t, another agent most certainly will.

Whether it’s call reluctance or that you’re insanely busy, we get it. But studies show that the chances of reaching the lead are the highest if you return the call within five minutes.

Years ago, two guys from InsideSales.com teamed up with James B. Oldroyd, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to conduct a survey of more than 600 businesses.

Their aim was to study “lead response rates, timing and effort, and their influence on the outcome of a lead,” they told Steve Olenski at Forbes.com.

What they found should be etched into the minds of every real estate agent:

Call back within five minutes and you’re most likely to connect with the lead.

If you wait a half hour and you are 100 times less likely to reach the lead.

Wait five hours and your odds of ever connecting with that lead drop by 3,000 times.

An immediate call-back is not only most likely to result in a conversation with your lead, but it’s impressive as well.

“We call it the ‘wow effect’ as in wow, that was fast! You are impressive,” InsideSales.com’s CEO Dave Elkington tells Olenski.

And, how could they not be impressed, especially if they’ve placed calls to other agents? The odds are pretty low that they got a return call this quickly from anyone else.

But this isn’t all we can take away from the survey; conversion rates – “the rate at which the lead contact is willing to set an appointment and enter the sales cycle,” according to Olenski — increases with a quicker return call.

Obviously, getting an appointment is the goal with real estate lead gen follow-up, so ignore time being of the essence at your peril.

Compel Your Target Market With Free Reports (Available in Free Reports)

**What not to say after “hello”**

Before making the call-back, take a minute to familiarize yourself with everything you learned from his or her message. If it was a call about a specific property, get the MLS listing in front of you. Then look it over to determine the neighborhood, size, and anything of interest that may not be included in the public-facing listing information.

Focus solely on the lead and his or reasons for reaching out to you, no matter how tempted you are to toot your own horn. Naturally, if you’re asked, you’ll want to answer questions about yourself, but unsolicited remarks about your sales stats, designations, etc. make you appear overly “salesy.”

Don’t push for an appointment until you understand where in the pipeline this lead falls. At this point, you’re a counselor, not a real estate salesperson.

Identify yourself and the name of your brokerage, and quickly add that you’re returning his or her call.

At this point, the lead may launch into the reason for the original call. Listen carefully to what’s being said and answer all questions.

When the call is for information about a particular listing, describe it and then, again, listen.

If you feel that the lead is open to remaining on the phone with you, begin a gentle probe, asking if he has spoken with a lender, if he has a home to sell before buying another and, naturally, if he’s interested in touring the home he called about.

Before disengaging the caller, let him know that you have no intention of hounding him like some of the other agents he’s spoken with but that you’re available if he has additional questions.

Ask for permission to email alerts about new listings similar to the one he called about.

The wrap-up

If you offer free reports or an e-book, offer it toward the end of the call. “I just created a market report for the Pleasant Skies neighborhood that will give you an idea of what the different models are selling for, can I email you a copy?”

Great free reports to offer that are popular with consumers include, “Chop Years Off Your Mortgage“, “5 Reasons Your House Didn’t Sell” “Sure-Fire Tips For a Quick Sale“, “6 Dangers of Overpricing“, all of which are available here.

Be sure to include your free report offer with your emails direct mail, social media and website to drive those inbound phone calls.

No freebies? Hey, a list of new listings matching his criteria is a freebie, so offer that. “I’ll tell you what, Joe, give me your email address and I’ll be happy to email you alerts of new listings that match what you’re looking for.”

End the call with something along the lines of: “Terrific. Now, if you see any other listings you’re interested in touring, don’t hesitate to give me a call, or text me. I’m happy to set appointments for you and show you around the neighborhood,”

The key to success with a lead who leaves you a message is lightning-quick response time. Then, remember not to come on too strong. Counsel the lead, don’t sell to her.

Free Report for Real Estate Marketing to sellers — Add Free Report Offers to all of Your Marketing (Available in Free Reports)

Order the 5 Sure-Fire Tips For a Quick Sale Free Report and share in person, through direct mail, email and add to your website as a free download in exchange for an email.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

“Get MORE Listings & Begin to Dominate Your Market!” Free online webinar. Learn the 3-7-27 strategy for explosive growth, why 95% of agents have less than 20% market share, and how to become the agent everyone competes against. – Click Here

3. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. – Click Here

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan. – Click Here

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Consistency and automation are the keys to success. Discover how effective direct mail marketing can dramatically increase your bottom line. Enter your statistics in our Free online ROI Calculator and click the ‘CALCULATE MY ROI’ button to see your results instantly! – Click Here

How to deal with that first call to an online lead

Lead Incubation

Aug 22, 2018

your first phone call to an online lead, real estate

What do they really want?

Why would a real estate consumer give his or her personal contact information to you by filling out a lead form on your website?

Follow the question to the most logical answer. They are contacting you because they want information on a home or because they want to talk to you about selling their home, right?

Now, consider this: 78 percent of homebuyers visit three or more real estate websites before taking an action on one of them, according to the NAR and Google “Digital House Hunt” study.

That means the consumer who is contacting you may have already visited three or more other sites and may, or may not, have also contacted those agents.

Rapid response is the key

That 35 to 50 percent of sales go to the agent who responds first is an oft-quoted statistic, although we haven’t been able to trace it to its origin. But, what if it is accurate?

Since the chances are pretty good that the consumer has also contacted another agent, taking your time responding is like handing your competition a couple thousand dollars.

How rapid is rapid?

Call within five minutes for the best chance at actually reaching the prospect. Wait five hours and your chances of reaching them plummet 3,000 percent, according to the results of a study published at forbes.com.

Oh, by the way, not only are your chances of reaching the lead optimal within 5 minutes of receipt, but conversion rates are too. Even waiting half an hour diminishes those chances 21 times.

So, what happens if you don’t reach the lead? Keep trying, suggests Ani Stepanian, Senior Marketing Director for luxury real estate brand Mercer Vine. In fact, she said you should keep trying for the next 10 days.

“You will probably feel like you shouldn’t make that extra call or send that extra text, but it might make the difference between getting a deal and missing out on one,” Stepanian says at Forbes.com.

So, don’t worry about pestering the person. After all, he or she was the one who initiated the conversation in the first place.

What will I say?

Veteran agents typically don’t have a problem with this, but new agents and introverts struggle with what to say during this initial contact.

First, let’s take a look at what not to say: anything self-promotional. Instead, prepare yourself for the call by having the listing the lead inquired about in front of you. Ensure it’s still on the market and quickly familiarize yourself with its location and details.

Plan on keeping the call brief, informative and non-threatening.

Your main goal, however, is to listen.

“Hi Ben, this is Gail Superagent with Main Street Realty. I’m following up on your inquiry at my website about a home for sale. How can I help?”

Pay close attention

to what the prospect tells you and the questions he or she asks. If it feels right to stay on the phone longer, offer some soft, probing questions.

“When do you plan on moving?”
“Do you need to sell your current home first”
“Have you seen a lender about a mortgage?”
“Are you looking exclusively in the Pleasant Knolls neighborhood or are there others you like as well?”

Get the lead’s permission to follow up by email, perhaps asking if he or she is interested in receiving alerts about homes that fit their needs. Offer incentives here, too, such as a Neighborhood Update postcard for the Pleasant Knolls neighborhood. Or offer to mail them the Free Report, “5 Sure-Fire Tips For a Quick Home Sale”.

Incentives are ideal ways to get email addresses. And always, always, include at least one testimonial in each email.

Online leads are hot if you get to them quickly, so don’t wait.

By the way, if you want to generate some listings, don’t just send Neighborhood update postcards to your online leads.

Send at least 100 Neighborhood Update (Free Offer) postcards to an area where you want more listings.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 2 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan.

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator.

Also…check out these cool tools

Three Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Want to Refer a friend or colleague? Refer them, Here. THEY get a Free $25 Gift Card and YOU become their hero. BTW, you also get a $25 Gift Card too (now that’s what I’m talking about)!

phone etiquette