Heat Up Cold Leads this Summer

Do you have a list of hot leads that went cold over the winter? Now that summer is here and people are thinking about moving again, this is the perfect time to heat those old leads back up.

If you want to be a successful agent, you must be persistent about reaching out and connecting with your prospects regularly. Letting leads go "cold" costs your business time and money which shouldn't be wasted, so now it is time to follow up! However, you can't simply reach out to an old lead and ask them if they're ready to buy. Your strategy needs to be a little more polished than that and with just a few tips, you will be ready to reconnect with old leads.

Stay Out in the Cold

Some cold leads deserve reconnection, while others should stay where they are: out in the cold. Before you even start to reconnect with cold leads, you need to examine each lead individually with a quality assessment. This is done to ensure you are not wasting time with unqualified and incompatible leads, thereby giving you the time you need to focus on leads with the potential to result in a sale.

"Hello, It's Me Again"

Remember that a strong reconnection is low pressure and non-invasive. Don't throw a listing at them up front expecting a sale; it will only turn them off even more. Instead, your goal is to get reacquainted with your prospect.

Creating an email strategy is a great way to get back in with old clients. Chris Smith explains the importance of email marketing in his book, The Conversion Code, and that the "first message is especially critical as it will get the most opens of any that you send." Try sending emails to prospects that are "human" in tone and context, relevant, and personable to drastically increase your chances of creating a new relationship.

Use What You Got (or Create Something New)

This is also a great time to utilize blogs, social content, and other marketing materials you have to further draw in old leads. With a little bit of research, you can pinpoint where you lost the lead originally, whether it was in the beginning stages or towards the end, and try to pick up where you left off. (If you don't take notes on clients and prospects, this is a great time to implement this strategy for future referencing.)

For example, maybe a client was looking for homes in a certain area that you didn't have available and now have a listing. If you don't already have content regarding that area, then create a blog article or other social content on the housing market for the area and surrounding areas. Send it to them after the initial introductory email; if they reply to that email (taking the bait!), you have the opening needed to reply with listing details on the property and offer to show them the listing in person.

Do Some Social Reconnaissance

Adding new prospects to your social channel is the first step many agents take when they get a new lead. This is also a great way of connecting with old leads. Social media provides a medium to keep tabs on life events of old and current leads. When you notice positive news about prospects, such as an engagement, birthday, or a promotion, etc., reach out congratulating them on their accomplishments. It reopens the lines of communications and shows that you care about building relationships and not just the sale.

Old Leads Can Lead to New Leads

Sometimes an old lead just might not need your services anymore (something no one wants to hear). However, this doesn't mean that you should just write them off. Remember, a great way to generate leads is through networking, and your old lead might have someone in their life that needs a Realtor® in theirs.

Old Habits Die Hard

Have you fallen into a rut in your daily routine? From reading emails or sending and replying to texts, to calling leads, if you notice that you have created a habit of doing certain tasks at certain times and aren't getting the replies you thought you should, consider changing the time of day you handle that task. You can even try mixing it up all together by implementing the use of social channels like LinkedIn and Facebook. Maybe try reaching clients shortly before or after work. By changing up your routine, you are more likely to figure out the best results for each individual.

Reconnecting with old leads can seem like a major and time consuming tactic, but don't be discouraged, because odds are that you have at least two or three great leads in your list of potential clients.

To view the original article, visit the Homes.com blog.