Hailing from Adelaide, Chris Crosby works with the Smallacombe group in Burnside, a leafy, lush suburb in Adelaide’s east. Chris is a lead conversion specialist and he has a devised a way of not only protecting agents from some of the administrative pain of real estate but also of winning listings.
Once the appraisal’s been done, the follow-up system is run by the office to assist the agents.
Heading up a team of administration staff who systematically and methodically tackle lead conversion, Chris leaves his agents to sell while his team handle the chip and chase. He’s found this process takes away the element of chance in lead conversion and energises the sales team.
He says, “There’s a lot more spring in the step of the agents because there’s some excitement about the structure and process that now follows the listing presentation and there’s no more waiting and wondering and hoping.” Chris believes that the first 30 days after an appraisal are critical to conversion. He says, “If someone’s called you in to put their property on the market, the first 30 days is often the point where they’re making a decision – even if they don’t sign with a specific agent. It’s the time where they’re making the decision.” Chris has designed an intensive letter based conversion program that has proved to be extremely effective. Some may think letters are distinctly old school or 2000 and late, but Chris has found that clients are infinitely more responsive to a carefully worded and constructed letter than a text or email. It also works because his administration team handle it rather than weary agents who are better working the phones than writing and sending letters.
Email’s an easy way to send information and keep in contact with people,” says Chris. “But when emails come through, it’s so easy to delete them, and all the reasons and explanations as to why and how we can add value all get lost when the email is deleted.” On the other hand, Chris believes that letters have a special, tangible property and clients incorporate them into their decision making process. They become an interactive tool. Chris explains, “People become attached to a letter that provides useful information. It gets stuck on the fridge. Often when I go back to the property, I’ll see our letters stuck on the fridge with notes scribbled on them. Clients engage with them.”
So the day after an appraisal has been completed, Chris’ office sends the potential vendor a thank you letter for the opportunity to be called in to appraise the property. “Seven days after that we send out another adding value letter,” explains Chris. “Attached to that is a document that states ten easy ways that the vendor can improve and add value to their home; anything we can see that will help the vendor sell.”
And seven days after that, another letter goes out. “This letter showcases the services of our agents that maybe weren’t picked up on through the appraisal,” says Chris. “We also send out our property magazine to say that we’d like to showcase their property in there and we’d like to have the opportunity to feature their property in that magazine.” After that, outstanding clients will go on what Chris calls his “chasing list”. He says, “At 30 days, and for every 30 days after, they’ll get another letter from me with the list of properties that are actually settled in that particular suburb that they’re in, just to keep them updated with what’s happening in the area and to touch base.”
Further, he says, “As a company now we send out a minimum of a hundred letters every Sunday to people in our sales areas. The agents don’t deliver them; we have a company that does it. Sunday is a great day to deliver letters.” He adds, “Our letters are delivered singly by one specific person. They don’t get lost with all the junk mail. They go in as a separate letter, and they’re getting a better result that’s for sure.”
So the phones in the office start ringing as of Monday morning, bringing in leads which is when the agents spring into action. Agents have to secure a meeting – and that could be an appraisal or a quick chat. Those meetings then go onto the appraisal trail which is driven by management and administration. Agents can still phone call and integrate with what’s going on, but the system is airtight for one of the most important processes of follow up.
Chris explains, “Once the appraisal’s been done, the follow-up system is run by the office to assist the agents.” On Tuesdays, agents hit the phones, contacting all the people who have received letters. And Chris is finding that it’s working. He says, “One of the new lads started his first day, and five calls in he got an appraisal out of that. And that lad is now handling five properties, and he’s been with us for three weeks!”
Chris believes that his system powers the sales teams. “Everyone can see that the system works. It drives the agents. It makes them hungry and that’s the fundamental characteristic you need in an agent. The other agents have seen that the results are coming from it, and everyone’s jumping on board, which is really good.”
RH Grant once wrote that, “A sales person, like the storage battery in your car, is constantly discharging energy. Unless she or he is recharged at frequent intervals he soon runs dry. This is one of the greatest responsibilities of sales leadership.”
The beauty of Chris’s system is that it not only values the customer but also the agent. It leaves the agent to do what he or she does well - to negotiate, to sell, to talk - and it provides a font for inspiration.
There’s a lot more spring in the step of the agents because there’s some excitement about the structure and process that now follows the listing presentation.