by Scot Kenkel
Special to Realty/Builder Connection
Have you ever gotten an e-mail lead, spent ten or fifteen minutes crafting the perfect response, pressed “send” and then waited? And waited? Then, after waiting for quite a while, you start to worry. You start to panic. Did you do something wrong? How could they not appreciate the time and effort you poured into that one-of-a-kind response? How dare they to not respond to you!
What can you do to overcome such anxieties? Here’s a little free e-therapy for your e-frustrations. It’s much simpler than you’d expect. Take a deep breath and read on.
New web-literate consumers are often described as somewhat fickle and selective, but there’s much more to their behavior. They’re no different than you or me when it comes to picking someone to do business with. The biggest difference is the communication vehicle they’ve chosen to employ: email. More than ever, consumers go to the Internet to get information because it’s the easiest, most comfortable method of communication.
Sure. You can open and respond to an email. That’s not the issue. The real challenge is what to do or say in that initial e-response to increase the odds that the prospect will consider working with you. It’s critical that you create the right “First Impression” with that prospect, since you’ll never get a second shot. This is basic “Sales 101” stuff.
After several years of reviewing thousands of agent e-mail responses to prospective buyer and seller leads, I’ve developed a list of the critical components you should include in your initial response to any prospect e-mail inquiry. I guarantee that your responses-if you include all of the following components-will get a much higher rate of response than the ones you’ve been getting. I refer to them as the “Components of a Professional Response.” 
1. Clean Up the Subject Line. They’ll see it first and possibly filter your message out if it’s left empty or only contains the default “re:”. I’d suggest you insert “A response from Bob Smith, ABC Realty” into your subject line. (Use your own name and business.)
2. Include a Salutation. This shows that you’re paying attention. Besides, don’t people love to see their names in print? This is just common-sense “Sales 101.”
3. Show Some Gratitude. Let them know you’re grateful and they’ll be more likely to appreciate you. After all, you’re only a click away from their e-mailing another agent.
4. Engage Them Gradually-Think Walkie-Talkie. E-mail isn’t the same as talking on the phone. It wasn’t ever meant to be, nor will it ever be. In order to engage them in conversation with you via email, you need to captivate them. Answer all their questions and then ask them a question (just one, please). Keep it brief, just as you would if it were a conversation over a walkie-talkie. They’ll appreciate your consideration and you’ll appreciate the increase in business.
5. Always Use A Professional Signature. Don’t expect them to identify you by your e-mail address. They won’t. They’ve probably sent that same message to others as well, so don’t take anything for granted. Why on Earth would you not want to let them know who you are and what you do?
Once you understand the critical components, there’s nothing complicated about getting an email prospect to reply to your response. As I recommend to my students, go back and look at your last ten prospect responses. See how many of the above components you included in each. Over time, you’ll see a much higher rate of return response as you increase these critical components in each response.
- Scot Kenkel is a Web marketing specialist. and can be reached at [email protected].