Disclaimer: BatchDialer does not provide legal advice. This article is for informational purposes only. Before following up with real estate prospects, we recommend researching applicable laws and seeking legal advice as needed.
| Quick Answer: A cold-calling follow-up system tracks every call, sorts leads by interest, and schedules your next contact attempt so no prospect is forgotten. Build one by recording notes, categorizing outcomes, prioritizing hot leads, and sticking to a set cadence. |
A robust follow-up system can help you convert more leads into clients. That way, you may get a higher return on your outbound marketing efforts.
In this article, we’ll explain what a cold calling follow-up system looks like, how to build one, and the BatchDialer features that can help put your follow-up process on autopilot.
Key Takeaways:
A cold calling follow-up system is a structured process for tracking, prioritizing, and re-contacting leads after the first cold call. Without one, you’re much more likely to let prospects fall through the cracks, leaving money on the table.
After all, research shows it takes an average of 8 interactions to secure an initial meeting (or another conversion) with a new prospect. In other words, if you’re not following up, you may never find out whether a prospect is truly interested or not.
Whether you’re a real estate investor, agent, or other professional in the industry, implementing a consistent follow-up system is the key to unlocking higher conversion rates.
Knowing that you need a follow-up system is one thing. But how do you actually set one up?
To start, build a simple workflow that implements these basic steps:
Anytime you talk to a prospect, you should take notes.
By capturing relevant information, you avoid having to repeat questions or talking points the next time you connect. Here are some key details to write down:
Your notes don’t need to be long, just long enough to capture the important details. Log them immediately after the call ends so you don’t forget them.
In addition to taking notes, you should categorize each call's outcome to ensure the prospect is funneled into the correct follow-up sequence. Here are some example disposition categories:
Consistent call labels make it easier to sort leads so you know what to do with them.
For instance, the “interested” label should trigger a follow-up sequence, while the “Do Not Contact” label should send leads to a do-not-contact list.
Pro Tip: You should honor do-not-contact (DNC) requests right away by suppressing the associated numbers. Otherwise, you risk facing legal penalties.
Not every lead deserves the same amount of attention. Once you get some initial feedback from cold calling, you can prioritize leads based on their response (or lack thereof).
For instance, you could prioritize leads with strong selling motivation, limited timelines, and high profit potential, while deprioritizing leads with low motivation, long timelines, and limited profit potential.
A simple schema could look like this:
|
Lead Type |
Criteria |
Priority Rank |
|
Hot |
Shows explicit interest |
1 |
|
Warm |
Shows some level of interest |
2 |
|
Cold |
Shows no interest |
3 |
By focusing on high-priority leads, you ensure you get to them first. Then you can use your remaining time and resources to follow up with lower-priority leads.
Your follow-up cadence is simply when and how often you try to contact leads after the first attempt. Set a rhythm upfront for different lead types and stick to it.
For instance, you could try contacting hot leads every few days, warm leads weekly, and cold leads monthly. You can also vary which communication channels you use (phone, email, direct mail, etc.). The key is to be consistent, so you don’t miss any opportunities.
Example Follow-Up System
To give you an idea of what a follow-up system might look like, take a simple example:
|
Call Result |
Follow-Up Action |
|
No answer |
Retry in 1-2 days at different times of day |
|
Voicemail left |
Follow up in 2-3 days with a text |
|
Call back later, request |
Schedule a call on the requested date |
|
Warm lead |
Check in weekly while providing value |
|
Appointment set |
Confirm appointment and send appropriate reminders |
|
Not interested |
Check in once a year to see if the situation has changed |
|
Do not call |
Place on a DNC list to ensure you don’t attempt contact again |
When building a follow-up system (or improving an existing one), follow these best practices:
If a lead has shown clear interest (without yet making a deal), you should follow up with them quickly, ideally within 24 hours. You want to capture their business before their interest fades.
Look at your call notes before every follow-up call so you’re up to speed. Then reference details from past conversations. This helps build trust and rapport, so leads are more likely to convert.
Trying to contact leads at different times of day and via different communication channels (phone, email, direct mail, etc.) can improve your contact rates by helping you cover your bases (some prospects may prefer some times and channels over others).
Pro Tip: PropStream lets you run phone, email, and direct mail marketing campaigns from a single platform. For advanced call campaigns, use BatchDialer.
Instead of only pitching your services or asking for a meeting, try offering things of value, such as free market updates. This can help you earn prospects’ trust.
Ensure lead lists stay current, with prospects assigned to the correct follow-up sequence and any DNC numbers removed immediately. This helps minimize mistakes and wasting time on leads that won’t go anywhere.
Try BatchDialer’s Built-In Follow-Up Features
Finally, your follow-up system doesn’t have to be manual. You can automate much of it with tools like BatchDialer.
Among other things, our platform includes:
|
Getting started is easier, too. BatchDialer’s new Start Calling Homepage simplifies onboarding for guides, new Admins, and trial users through importing leads, configuring phone numbers, and creating their first campaign. Phone Number Health and Campaign Snapshot give you a quick view of your numbers and calling activity, while built-in access to training and support helps you get up and running faster. |
Whether you’re a beginner in the real estate world or a seasoned pro, BatchDialer can help you maintain a strong and consistent follow-up system.
Start your 7-day free trial of BatchDialer today!
A real estate follow-up system is a structured process for tracking, prioritizing, and re-contacting leads after the first cold call. You don’t strictly need one, but without one, it’s easy to let prospects who might have become clients fall through the cracks.
The best cold calling follow-up strategy is a consistent one. Start by logging notes after every call, labeling call outcomes, prioritizing leads, and following up on a set schedule. Referencing details from past conversations and offering value can help you stand out.
Briefly remind them who you are and when you spoke. Then tie back to something specific from your last conversation. For example: “Hi [Name], this is [Your Name]. We spoke last week about your property on [Street]. I wanted to follow up on the timeline you mentioned.”
Research suggests it takes an average of 8 interactions to convert a new prospect, so giving up after one or two attempts usually means missing opportunities.
Call dispositions are labels you assign to each call to record its outcome, such as interested, not interested, call back later, etc. Consistent dispositions make it easier to sort leads, trigger the right follow-up sequence, and keep DNC numbers out of your calling lists.