Sales leads are like people: they come in all shapes and sizes, some more appealing than others so do not be fooled by crappy leads. If you’re not sure whether a lead is worth pursuing, consider these factors:
Don’t make decisions with incomplete information
This is the classic case of being tricked by a bogus lead. Is it legitimate, or is it a competitor trying to gain information about your commission? Maybe it’s even as bad as a phishing inquiry to trick you into trouble online.
What if instead of spending your days sitting around for hours doing online surveys for cash, someone asked you to reorganize their pantry? Or maybe they wanted help organizing an event? With this new information about their expectations and activities, would you still want their job offer? I didn’t think so!
Trust your gut.
- Trust your gut
- Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, you may miss a chance because you dismiss a lead based on their appearance
- Don’t let their communication style fool you, not all people are comfortable with digital communication and may be less formal through email or text than they are in person
If you’re still not sure, investigate further.
You’ve already got the basics: you’ve caught the lead, now it’s time to reel them in. If a lead looks like it will be worthwhile, don’t let them slip away. You can always start asking more questions about their property and see if there’s anything else that might help guide how you approach them moving forward. You could also try to get more information on their needs and concerns before getting back in touch with them later on down the line to arrange an appraisal.
If a lead is a fit, don’t let it slip away.
- Make the call. If you’re at all unsure about whether or not your prospect is interested in learning more about your product or service, pick up the phone and find out!
- Don’t assume that just because someone’s responded to one of your ads that they want to learn more.
- If a lead doesn’t respond right away, or if their tone sounds like they’re already bored with what you have to say, be brave and give them a call anyway; even if they don’t end up becoming clients of yours now, many leads who seem uninterested may become ones later on down the road or refer their friends and family
- Get the appraisal! Once they’ve expressed interest by getting on an actual phone call with you (or answering questions over email), try to secure that appraisal as soon as possible
Investigate and trust your intuition when deciding whether to pursue a sales lead.
When you’re looking at leads, it takes a keen eye to determine whether or not they’re worth pursuing. Some people can tell right away, but for others it takes a lot more investigation.
This is why we recommend trusting your gut. If something seems off about the prospect, don’t be afraid to dig deeper into their profile or background—it could save you from wasting a lot of time and effort on someone who doesn’t really want what you’ve got!
On the flip side, if something feels like an obvious fit, go ahead and make that initial contact with them as soon as possible so they don’t slip away!
Conclusion
There’s no substitute for thorough investigation and using your intuition. But doing so won’t guarantee that every lead you pursue will be a good one. It’s important to remember that it’s okay to say no sometimes—because even the best salespeople will make mistakes from time to time, and if you’re not careful, those mistakes could cost you money or wasted time.