The Quick Response – Online Sales Training: Lead Management 101

Having a dedicated online lead manager is a good position to create, fill, and train. Whether you are a new home builder, a real estate broker, or a real estate team, online sales is a very important aspect for your business. 90% of new home buyers begin their search online. The majority of people are going to take information from the builder, company or individual that provides the quickest response.

All too often frustration begins to build with the consumer as quickly as a half hour after sending an inquiry about a new home. When someone is on the hunt for a house they are looking for quick, personal responses. The days have gone by where you can send an auto responder that says, “Your email will be responded to within 24-hours.” In the digital world, 24-hours is a lifetime. Home buyers can find their dream home in 24-hours. Home buyers will get a response from someone else well before your 24-hours is up.

This response time is why it is so important to have a dedicated online lead manager such as an online sales counselor. This person is trained for the quick response. They should be trained like a lion ready to pounce. If this position in your company has too many responsibilities such as running around to take pictures of your houses, data entry into your MLS, fielding home owner complaints, or shooting video for your marketing – they may be missing that crucial call or email that could spell the difference between another sale, or another loss to a competitor.

Likewise, because of their fervent dedication to fielding the leads as they come in, all phone traffic should be directed to the online sales agent. NO automated responses or answering machines. How often do you hang up on one a machine when you are calling to find out information? Exactly. This is why it’s so important to have all phone lines from sales sites and agents directed through one staging point. The online sales counselor.

“What? The phones won’t ring at our models? Or in our agent’s pockets?” You might be asking…but that’s absolutely correct.  An agent or site manager can be distracted by current traffic walking through the door. They may be with another client out in the field showing homes. This is why phone calls need to go through a dedicated online sales agent who’s primary job is to answer that phone and or respond quickly to that email.

The quick response is an essential part of wining the sale in this busy digital world. You may never have the opportunity to regain that first, quick, impression.