Today, since the advent of Covid, having an online sales funnel that facilitates lead generation could not be a more important tool within an estate agency’s marketing arsenal.
Traditionally, leads were generated through cold calling, knocking on doors or word of mouth. Marketing tools included estate agent boards and flyers in post boxes. Today, lead generation includes a working knowledge of estate agency-specific lead generation, nurturing software, and social media marketing in order to drive and increase website traffic and persuade prospective customers to provide their personal information and contact details.
Just like it does with online lead generation, the process of nurturing qualified leads uses multiple channels leading up to the very important element of person-to-person interaction. It entails the process of growing relationships with buyers at every stage of the sales funnel through providing interesting and valuable information.
MAKE LEAD GENERATION WORK FOR YOU
Generating leads and then following them up through various communication channels is the lifeblood of an estate agency. Here are 3 great ways to generate sales leads and optimise converting them into clients.
1. Use traditional and digital channels to generate new leads and follow up
There is no getting away from it. Even with the world opening after Covid lockdowns and estate agents resuming pre-Covid lead generation practices, building an online sales funnel is what makes all the difference to an estate agent’s success. There are multiple channels at an estate agent’s disposal to create a sales funnel that will generate warm leads. For example monitoring and posting on community websites and forums, maintaining a social media presence, purchasing a list of property leads then cold calling or emailing them, posting search engine-optimised blogs to drive traffic to a website or investing in paid online advertising.
2. After sales follow up: Regularly conduct customer care calls
Follow up equals fortune. Keeping in touch with your happy customers will ensure that you stay their go-to estate agent for life. This way you may be the agent who found them their ideal home, or who also sells it on for them down the line when they wish to downscale or upscale. This will also give you the opportunity to ask them for referrals. Personal referrals are the best lead generation strategy. Nothing will boost your credibility more than a satisfied customer telling their family, friends and colleagues about you and singing your praises.
3. Lead nurturing: Keep in contact with existing referrals
Not every lead you follow up will be ready to buy or sell property at that time. But you do want to be top of mind when the time is right. This makes nurturing existing leads vital in the lead generation process. Your lead nurturing efforts can be helped by being a trusted source of information. There is no better way to do so than online. Posting relevant and valuable content will result in you being seen as an expert in the property field – an advisor that they can trust.
When considering the relentless and time-intensive nature of generating, following up and nurturing leads: Industry specific digital lead generation tools (such as CRM’s provided by Lifecycle and Angel Media’s Valpal and Movepal) are a game-changing tool in the hands of the support person who takes care of lead generation and conversion in an estate agency. They fulfil the role of an automated assistant who is on duty 24/7 – focused on the repetitive daily task of maintaining consistent lead generation activity. In the process of qualifying leads, the software not only saves time, but it also acts as a less in-your-face client interface – a win-win for estate agents and their prospective clients.
Paula Russel, Angel Media’s, MovePal Support Manager.
Paula Russel described the use of Angel Media’s Lead generation software this way:
“Lead generation and lead nurturing are the cornerstones of success for estate agents. Like seeds in a garden, leads are the potential for a fruitful harvest, and nurturing them with care and attention is the key to reaping a bountiful future. Facebook/Google Ads and ValPal are the source of your seeds. Social Media Management ensures quality, high volume, low cost per lead ‘speeds’. MovePal is the tools used to harvest your potential growth, not only streamlining the process but it also provides a better way to cultivate and convert leads into lasting client relationships. Virtual Assistants are the ‘farmers’ that use the software as tools to turn those nurtured leads into new instructions. In the end you get a bouquet of business with ease.”
3 Ways Your Virtual Assistant Help You Generate And Convert More Leads
Virtual Assistants with lead generation experience have the knowledge and expertise to align your business and marketing strategies and oversee the design and implementation of a sales funnel that incorporates the lead generation, follow up and nurturing process. This includes overseeing the use of the right digital tools and software.
Here are 3 ways your Virtual Assistant can help to champion your lead generation and conversion:
1. Overseeing Digital Marketing and Social Media
A VA who understands lead generation will help you figure out how to turn casual interest into brand engagement. To do this they will help to create an effective lead generation strategy for your agency. They can maintain your website, create and curate engaging content for your social media platforms, schedule posts, and monitor engagement. From website content to blog posts, newsletter articles and email newsletters, a Virtual Assistant can assist in creating compelling and relevant content that speaks in your brand voice and resonates with your target audience.
2. Engaging in first response and follow up
Studies have proven that the faster you respond to a potential lead’s question or inquiry, the more likely you are to make a sale. First contact may come in the form of answering a phone call, responding to an email or receiving a completed online form. A Virtual Assistant can quickly respond to customer inquiries and provide helpful information, which can help you build stronger relationships with your leads.
3. Managing CRM and list building
It is vital to generate leads, but following up and managing these leads using the right tools is as important. Virtual Assistants who are skilled at data entry and organising can help you maintain your client database as well as organising and managing your lead data more effectively. With the help of CRM software, your Virtual Assistants can organise all customer and lead information, keep track of sales calls and follow ups, and automate any repetitive tasks that do not necessarily require human interaction. The VA will also use a variety of strategies to build your list and nurture it so that it grows over time.
Overall, a skilled Virtual Assistant will have the traits of being knowledgeable, accurate and consistent. This means that you can rely on them to oversee ongoing lead generation, follow up timeously and track lead generation and conversion with a high degree of accuracy. This will avoid mistakes and missed opportunities to ensure that your lead generation efforts are as effective as possible.
