#4 - E-Mail Prospecting - by Chas. Campbell

Well, here we go again, where my tip of the week isn't even about the Web, but it's vital to good web marketing..... How to prospect via e-mail:

Now you've got your page up and running, you're printing the web address everywhere, and some e-mails are starting to come in. Now what?

It's interesting how experienced agents will make rookie mistakes when web prospecting versus things they know cold about sign calls and open houses. When that lead comes in, here's a short list of prospecting pointers:

1) FAST response. - I can't tell you how much feedback we get from the public that Realtors just don't answer their e-mail.... Most of the time, a prospect is e-mailing MORE than one Realtor about listings, etc, and they pay attention to who gets back to them FIRST. If you don't see the need to check your e-mail once a day and feel guilty if you don't check it twice... then consider putting your whole web operation on "hold" until your motivation improves.

2) DON'T "give away the farm". - Just because someone anonymously e-mails you for info about a home does NOT mean you should spend two hours doing printouts, relo pkgs, etc. for them. Answer their direct question with a direct answer, and then ask a small (qualifying) question yourself... Always have your web address as a clickable link in your signature. THIS is when the prospect might check out your site for the first time if they are contacting you off of a listing who-knows-where on the web.

3) Expect a "Conversation" to develop. - E-mail is easy to reply and send back and forth over several days or weeks. Do your "selling" by discusssing local market conditions and community information. Send them related URLs of places (such as school districts) that might be useful to them. Try your best NOT to directly solicit them except in a professional, light-handed way. Your goal is to try and become a "not-very-close friend."

4) Continue to ask and answer questions as your level of rapport builds. Make the questions more involved the longer the "conversation". It's funny how people will form bonds of friendship with individuals on the web BEFORE they ever meet the other person!

5) When you sense that the prospect is comfortable with you, CALL THEM. Cyberspace is not the place for the actual sale....