Q: How long do you keep contacts in the database and what's your logic behind it?
A: My plan is to build out a monthly email with timely info and articles that links back to my website. I'll put everyone on it eventually, whether it's a past client or warm lead, or even if it's a lead that goes cold in the short term. I offer opt-out instructions in the [[Footer]] for anything that goes beyond the initial 2-3 follow up and into my long term nurtures.
Here's the workflows for my leads:
- Initial Acknowledgement & Follow Up (2-3 emails, 6 touches in first 7 days)
- Lead Nurture (9 emails over weeks 2-7)
- General Nurture/Newsletter (once monthly)
I'll have touched each lead around 24 times in the first year, then 12 times a year from there to eternity.
Before using automated follow up systems, I'd get a lead come in and be super excited until I saw "Just Looking" or "12+ months" because I knew myself and my chances were I'd lose contact. Now it's all about get them in the database and work that system... though the "NOW" leads are always welcome!
A: I carefully tag net leads and open house leads - the largest source of people I might not create a trust relationship with. I don't have a process for expiring them out of my system, yet, but I plan to. Probably after a year of no response.
Just as a lovely tidbit... we want to evolve to the point that Realvolve can suggest you make a decision on someone who is unresponsive.
Something interesting that just happened to me the other day. I got as call to talk about listing a property. (the name sounded familiar) I went and saw them and they looked familiar so we talked further I had met them about 8 years ago at my open house. They did not buy from me. Their comment was they loved the weekly emails I send about the current open houses in the area and they would stop by to check them out. I have moved to another company 3 months ago and sent out a letter and lo and behold these people called me. This is my second set of people that I have been continuously emailing and they called. For I do not delete anyone until they tell me they are moving out of state or when they unsubscribe, their reply to my email after unsubscribing will they never do business with me?