Is there anything worse than working hard to get a new lead, only to have them straight up ignore your calls? After all, your lead gen strategy seems to work, people just aren’t willing to talk to you. What are you doing wrong?
Well, you’re probably doing a lot wrong… or well, maybe you’re doing nothing wrong. In order to help you tell the difference, we put together this guide to help you diagnose the issue and keep your phone ringing.
1.You Waited Too Long to Follow up
This is the biggest reason your leads aren’t calling you back. You’re waiting too long to reach out to them. In fact, an MIT study found that your odds of reaching a lead decrease more than 100 times after half an hour.
It makes perfect sense when you think about it. If your lead is reaching out to you at 2:00, they probably have at least a few minutes of free time after that to take your call. After that? All bets are off. How many times have you had to screen called when you’re on a showing? Do you call your leads back with your client right in front of you?
How to Get Them to Call You Back
Get back to your leads as soon as humanly possible. You may even want to tell your buyer clients that you may have to pick up your phone occasionally while you’re on a showing. If you’ve established a rapport, most of them won’t mind at all. In fact, they’ll be rooting for your to get that new client.
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2.Millenials Don’t Realize That iPhones Can Also Make Phone Calls…💬💖📲👀
Well, not really, but if you’re over say, 40, then working with millennials requires some adjustments. First and foremost, millennials grew up with text messaging. For a lot of them, a phone call is reserved for dire emergencies, and even then they might just send an emoji instead of calling you: 💥💀
How to Get Them to Call You Back
Hmmm. Not sure how to break this to you, but unless you’re calling them to let them know their car is on fire, you might as well give in. After all, you should be sending a follow up email (or better yet text) along with your calls anyway.
3. You Told a FSBO That You Had Clients That Wanted to See Their Home…
Okay, time to come clean. How many agents have left a voicemail with a FSBO telling them about all the great clients you have for their listing? While it may have seemed like a great idea a the time, this is one of the most surefire ways to ensure you NEVER get their business.
After all, you just proved to them that their FSBO strategy is working! All they need to do is list their property on their own, and suckers eager new agents will call and offer their clients. Why on earth would they hire you to represent the listing? Worse, DO YOU have clients for their listing?! If you don’t, you’re starting out your relationship on a lie…
How to Get Them to Call You Back
Well, this is not all that difficult. They might actually call you back. What they will almost certainly never do is hire you to represent their listing. That honor will go to the agent that told them why hiring them could save them money, time, and stress.
4. You Didn’t Mention How You Got Their Number…
Let’s face it. No one likes to get cold called. Even if they really, really need your services. That means not mentioning how you got their number can be a huge red flag.
Even if you didn’t cold call, they might not have remembered who the heck they reached out to on Zillow. A random call from a random Realtor means instant delete for most people.
How to Get Them to Call You Back
Simple. Make sure to tell them exactly how you got their number right away. For example,
“Hi this is Jessica from XYZ Realty, just following up from your online inquiry for 1234 Broadway.”
Okay, okay. Leads you got from the Red X or another lead service might not be thrilled to have their information out there. Well, there’s nothing you can really do here, but rest assured that you’re not the only one calling, so you might as well be honest.
That said, “I got your number from the internet” won’t cut it. Instead, try something like “I got your number from a database of people from XXX who might benefit from our services”.
5. You Didn’t Leave a Voicemail…
The odds of your lead dialing a random number that left them a creepy half second of silence on their voicemail is zero. Since almost literally everyone screens their calls these days, that means no voicemail = no call back.
How to Get Them to Call You Back
Leave them a friendly, concise voicemail that lets them know who you are, how you got their number, and your value proposition.
Of course you’re going to want to leave messages for some leads, but not others. Generally speaking, I would avoid leaving messages for FSBO or expired listing leads. They’re going to have a TON of people calling, and unless you have an amazing voicemail script, a call back isn’t likely.
6. You’re Not Getting Through Receptionists or Other Gatekeepers…
While a work phone number is far from ideal, sometimes that’s all you can get. For leads that work in a corporate environment, this can be fatal. After all, any receptionist or administrative assistant worth their salt is trying to save their boss from the dreaded cold call.
How to Get Them to Call You Back
Experts agree that the absolute best thing you can do to get that coveted sticky note from reception on their monitor is super easy. Be very, very nice to any receptionist you encounter. Creating a sense of urgency can work as well, but be careful not to overplay your hand here. Experienced receptionists will sniff out your hard sell and you’ll NEVER get through.
If you’re pitching a company for relocation referrals, then you need to send over a nice gift as well in order to get in front of a decision maker for a pitch. Cold calling alone isn’t going to cut it.
Here’s a quick script from Nick Baldwin over at Lab Coat Agents that you can use for leads who have gatekeepers.
“Hi, this is Nick Baldwin with Keller Williams Realty. Joe inquired about a home for sale and I’d love to chat with him further. It’s a hot property in a desirable town and I don’t want him to miss out if he really wants to get in there and see the home. Can you put me through?”
7. You Called Too Late at Night…
Playing phone tag with your leads is hard enough, but trying to figure out when they’re going to be most receptive to your call is even trickier. A lot of newer agents make the mistake of reaching out in the late evening, with the idea that the lead will have some free time away from work.
While this makes sense on paper, put yourself in their shoes. You just had a 12 hour day of showings, cold calling, and working feverishly on your website. You eat dinner standing up over the counter answering emails, then you collapse on the couch to scroll through netflix with what’s left of that Rose you opened last night… Your phone rings… Do you answer it? Of course not.
How to Get Them to Call You Back
While some people might get offended that you would call so late at night, most people won’t. All you really need to do here to get them on the phone is reach out again during a more sociable hour.
Of course you won’t have to deal with this problem if you address it with your leads on your first contact. Make it a point to talk about best times for calls, emails, or texts during your first meeting to ensure never reaching out when they’re not receptive to calls.
8. You Didn’t Make a Personal Connection…
The idea that real estate is a relationship business is such a well worn cliche at this point that it hardly bears repeating… Sadly, many newer agents still don’t get the message. They work hard at “selling” and never try to build an actual relationship built on reciprocity and selfless work.
Of course there are always people that you’re not going to click with for one reason or another. For example at a busy open house, the odds of being able to connect in the 15 seconds you have to chat is pretty much zero.
How to Get Them to Call You Back
If your first call or email was detail heavy, a more personal message might work to get them on the phone. I’ve had luck with follow up voicemails that acknowledge just how busy they are and offer a specific call back time. Something like,
“Hey________, I know you’re really busy so sorry for that detailed message yesterday. I just wanted to give you as many options as possible. I’m free today at 3:00 or tomorrow from 2:00-7:00 for a call, which works best for you?”
9. You pronounced their name wrong…
As someone who grew up on Long Island with very French name, I will almost always give someone cold calling the benefit of the doubt before hanging up when they mispronounce my name. That said, if they’re not even close, I will hang up.
People with more common names that you still manage to butcher are not as likely to be as forgiving. After all, you can find out how to pronounce most names with a quick Google search. If you can’t find a good pronunciation or are a bit unsure, then skip their name entirely.
How to Get Them to Call You Back
Well, there’s no easy way to say this, but there’s not much you can do here beyond normal follow up. You just have to hope they didn’t take offense or hear from an agent who took the time to learn how to pronounce their name properly.
10. You Didn’t Sound Confident Enough or Didn’t Practice Your Script
Everybody has off days… Even if you’re a social butterfly who’s a voice coach on the side, chances are you’re not always going to be “on” every time you meet, or reach out to a lead. For competitive FSBO or expired listings, you may never recover from that first diminished impression.
How to Get Them to Call You Back
Beyond a regular follow up and a prayer, you’re probably out of luck here. Better to try and avoid this in the first place. Here are a few tips to sounding confident on the phone.
- Call your important leads after calling a few others – You’re going to be rusty for the first few calls, so building up confidence is key.
- Stand up, pace if you have to- When you’re hunched over sitting down, your diaphragm is compressed which makes it very difficult to project your voice.
- Recite your script out loud a few times in the mirror before calling – practice makes more than perfect. It’s the only way to get better!
- Try a “power pose” before making your calls – You might feel cheesy doing it, but power poses can help you build confidence. If you have a few minutes, watch this TED talk from Amy Cuddy on power posing:
Yes, some researchers have had difficulties reproducing Amy’s results in the lab, but this is true for many psychological effects. If it works, it works!
Of course you’re never going to get better at cold calling unless you practice every day. At bare minimum you’re going to need FSBO leads to call. REDX is a great place to get fresh FSBO leads, FRBO leads, Pre-Foreclosure leads and more so you’ll never run out of people to call. Click below to start getting fresh leads from REDX today.
11. They didn’t get enough social proof to take you seriously
Another reason to maybe skip the voicemail. Anyone getting a ton of calls is going to take a minute or two to Google you before calling back. What are they going to find? Does your personal website or Zillow reviews show up under searches for your name? Can they even spell your name?
Don’t have a personal website? Read this step-by-step guide to creating a website for less than $3 per month.
How to Get Them to Call You Back
If you don’t have much of a social footprint yet, either tell them exactly where to look on your voicemail, or skip leaving messages entirely and focus on emails or texts where you can link out to the social proof you want them to see most.
12. They’re Working With Another Agent…
For hot leads, working with another agent is a very likely reason they won’t call you back. If you can get them to admit it, great. Just mention that you’re there to help if they ever need a second opinion.
How to Get Them to Call You back
You can put them on a drip for long term lead nurturing, then check back in a few weeks to see how things are going. Always emphasize that you’re there to help and your advice is free. Here’s Costa Mesa Realtor Eric Engelbert on how he builds rapport with leads that found another agent:
“To stand out I try to listen and then come from a position of, “How can I help this person”. The money is in the follow up!”
13. You Gave Away Your Hand in a Voicemail
Via GIPHY
“Hey Jennifer, I just spent a few hours running the numbers and I think I can get you $850,000 for your listing. Call me back so we can discuss. My number is 555….”
Meanwhile, smarter agents have already told her that your number is either way too low, or maybe way too high in their initial calls. They’re going to wait until they get a listing presentation before (trying!) to prove the cold hard evidence to convince them of their listings’ market value…
How to Get Them to Call You Back
Well, there’s really not a whole lot you can do here besides trying again. When you do, maybe try an email that carefully breaks down how you came up with the price that you did. If you’ve got a ton of relevant experience, mention that as well.
14. They’re Dreamers, Tire Kickers, or Time Wasters
Okay, let’s pour one out for the tire kickers, dreamers, and time wasters out there. Even though the odds of them pulling the trigger this year are close to zero, they’re great for practicing your pitches. Of course just because they might never buy, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and knock it out of the park.
How to Get Them to Call You Back
Why would you want them to call you back? Instead, put them on a drip campaign, and try and hit your hard work and dedication you showed them in emails. The goal here is to get them to stay in reality, but they might have friends who don’t live their lives in the clouds…
Of course even the pickiest dreamers might actually end up buying or selling, so smart agents like San Francisco Realtor Judy Richardson make sure to put them on a drip campaign:
“Buyers have told me they will give me a call in a year or two when they are ready. Some even ask me for help with a rental in the area if they are coming from SF. I put them in Contactually (my CRM system) to keep in touch for when they are in more in a position financially to buy.”
15. You Didn’t Have a “Call to Action” in Your Voicemail
Enrique A. Huerta, Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty
“Often times, a lead doesn’t have a “call-to-action” in the voicemail that is compelling enough to return a call. If someone signs up on a website to browse properties, and the agents just call to “check-in”, what does that mean? The prospect may think that the agent is just doing his job by following up but since the lead may not be in a hurry to do something, there’s no reason to return the call. Thus, agents should always included a compelling “Call-to-action” in their voicemails.”
How to Get them to Call You Back
Simple. Always remember to include a call to action in your voicemails, emails, and texts. Your leads have to know both how and when they should reach out to you. Here are a few examples of effective calls to action for voicemails:
- Feel free to text me at [Phone Number] with the type of home you’re looking for
- Call me at (Phone Number) as this home will go fast but I have a few more coming up for sale. If you’re interested, let me know immediately and you’ll be able to have first look at the upcoming homes.
- Regardless of if you’re moving in 1 month, or 1 year, I’d like to help you get the best deal possible. So, send me a text or give me a call at (Phone Number) to discuss your plans. You can also reach me via email at (Email Address) and I’ll respond accordingly.
Over to You
Have a great strategy for resurrecting leads from the grave? Let us know in the comments.
Betty Mosley says
September 23, 2018 at 2:22 amLike to know more about your service.
Emile L'Eplattenier says
September 24, 2018 at 10:25 pmHey Betty,
We don’t really have a service per se, we just write articles to help Realtors figure out what software to use, what lead generation strategies work in 2018 and which don’t etc. If you have a specific pain point you’d like us to tackle let us know!
Kathy Philipp says
January 26, 2019 at 9:47 pmHi!
Is there anywhere I can sign up to get your articles?
I really enjoyed this one!
Warmest regards,
Kathy
Emile L'Eplattenier says
January 30, 2019 at 12:35 amHi Kathy,
Of course! You can sign up here: https://theclose.com/email-list/
Here’s hoping you 10x your GCI this year!