Buying Leads.

[FutureForbes]

To get straight to the point. I am newer to this and already have a good idea of what I am going to do and getting ready for the new year.

My question when buying leads is the number you buy a week different whether you are a part-time agent or full-time or is it generally the same. I have heard 20-30 leads is what you want a week. If you do it part-time can you buy less??

 

[Newby]

To get straight to the point. I am newer to this and already have a good idea of what I am going to do and getting ready for the new year.

My question when buying leads is the number you buy a week different whether you are a part-time agent or full-time or is it generally the same. I have heard 20-30 leads is what you want a week. If you do it part-time can you buy less??

There is no way a part time agent can effectively work 30 leads per week. I have very few full timers that take that many.

15 to 20 is what most full timers start with. As a part timer I would go with 15 if you are talking about working 20 or more hours weekly.

I’m assuming we are talking about NEW direct mail responses. Not aged leads or previously worked leads. You need a LOT more of those.

 

[mudhound]

I 2nd the above. I'll add that being part time means you will need to work most weekends. Even more so if you are new.

 

[somarco]

How do you define a lead?

Is it a response to a mailer? Telemarketed "lead" (unqualified)?

Or is it someone who expressed an interest in solving their problem and has agreed to talk with you?

If a lead to you is someone behind door number 1 or number 2, you should consider another direction.

But if it is someone behind door number 3, a person seeking information and has agreed to talk with you (phone of F2F), your odds are better but still not optimal.

If I talk to 20 people per week at least 15 will become clients.

But if I have 20 names and phone numbers of someone who might be looking for what I have then I might convert a couple of them to clients

 

[FutureForbes]

There is no way a part time agent can effectively work 30 leads per week. I have very few full timers that take that many.

15 to 20 is what most full timers start with. As a part timer I would go with 15 if you are talking about working 20 or more hours weekly.

I’m assuming we are talking about NEW direct mail responses. Not aged leads or previously worked leads. You need a LOT more of those.

Just for metrics reasons if you were to buy 15 direct mail leads as a part-timer. How many appt. should you expect from that and how sales.

 

[Newby]

Just for metrics reasons if you were to buy 15 direct mail leads as a part-timer. How many appt. should you expect from that and how sales.

An agent that is trained on how to set appointments will usually set 7 to 10 appointments off of 15 direct mail leads. You will still go see all 15 regardless of how many appointments that you set. Should be averaging $2500 a week off that once you are going.

Averages all depend on you knowing what you are doing though. If you are trained on how to do it, your learning curve is very short. If you are just winging it, it's anyone's guess.

 

[somarco]

An agent that is trained on how to set appointments will usually set 7 to 10 appointments off of 15 direct mail leads. You will still go see all 15 regardless of how many appointments that you set.

A new agent will do anything they can to get in front of people. Perhaps that is the only way they learn. Hard to say. I have been learning this business for 43 years. I don't do it that way any more.

I never see anyone F2F. That's my choice. But even if I did go F2F I would not change much about my approach, if I made any changes at all.

My initial phone consult may last as little as 3 minutes or as long as 30. I don't have the time or desire to play games. Either they want what I have and can do for them or they don't.

Let them waste another agents time. I only talk to buyers.

And I use the take away quite often.

I could beat them up and drag them across the finish line. But I don't want to. Let someone else do that.

My focus is low hanging fruit.

I don't knock doors, cold call, call a "lead" 10x or more. My time is too valuable to be wasted on tire kickers.

This is a luxury that comes from many years in the business. Plus I have shifted my market at least half a dozen times. When one dries up I move to something else.

I don't buy leads. Don't take advances. I fund my next venture from existing cash flow and (sometimes) reserve cash.

My home will be paid off in 3 years. I could pay it off today if I wanted but that leaves my slush fund a bit low.

In no hurry. Lost the interest deduction years ago.

I can take off work for 6 months and not miss a beat . . . as long as I respond to phone calls and emails about referrals.

It wasn't always like this. I had months and years with near $0 income while I was building my next venture. It wasn't fun or easy, but I did it.

When I did things the way my boss wanted me to do it I was starving.

When I do things my way I earn a lot more, don't work as hard, and have more free time.

And less stress.

But all this was earned. No one gave me a hand out or made life easy.

This is the greatest business in the world if you know how the game is played.

You can literally start with almost nothing in the bank and build a very nice residual income in 3 - 5 years if you are willing to work.