Great leads are hard to come by, but this doesn’t mean that leads that aren’t necessarily great right off the bat are bad leads. All leads have the potential of becoming great leads, not necessarily now, but down the road if you give them the attention they deserve. This means that a lead that doesn’t pan out immediately is a lead you must keep in mind. Learn to nurture these leads, be attentive to them and remain in constant contact with them. Remind them that you are there and more than willing to help them when they need a broker’s assistance and expertise.
According to a recent study done by the Harvard Business Review, “71% of qualified leads are never followed up wtih.” This means that a number of your leads are being ignored, leads that could possibly be great leads if given the attention, time, and nurting needed to make them great leads.
Before you decide to pass up on a lead and toss them into the “not a good lead” pile, consider these 3 tips on how to nurture a CRE lead that we’ve put together with help from our friends over at Marketo and the Harvard Business Review.
Tip #1: Ask Permission to Stay in Touch
Nothing is more irritating than constant nagging from a sales rep, especially if we didn’t ask for it. If you’ve already made contact with a lead that didn’t pan out immediately, ask if you can stay in touch. Touch base every so often to offer your expertise and assistance. Doing so keeps your name and your business at the forefront, so if the time does come and a broker’s expertise is needed, you’re the first come to mind.
Tip #2: Follow Up
Follow up with these leads, keep your contact to a minimum of one email or one phone call a month. These follow ups should be short and sweet, remind them of the benefit you offer and try to provide something of interest or of value to them in return. This can come in the form of a recent news article that sparked your interest and reminded you of a particular lead. Maybe they were interested in purchasing a retail space and you found a recent article that talks about retail space growth across the U.S., send that article their way.
Another example is sending over a quick email with a listing that fits their needs and goals, this shows leads that even though you may not be working with them at this moment in time, that you have them in mind and are constantly keeping a lookout for properties that suit their needs.
Tip #3: Remind Them Their Goals are Your Goals
It’s easy for your persistance to come off as a little pushy. This is why it’s important to remind your lead of their goals and that their goals are ultimately your goals too.
You have to play the long game – these things take time, but will be well worth it in the end. Especially when that lead needs the asistance of a broker or agent and you’re the first person to pop into their minds.