Looking for OCR for my leads...

[Traveling_LA_Agent]

I have an Epson DS-510 scanner which is fantastic. Between .pdf leads that are emailed to me and the leads that I scan myself, I'm looking for a way to easily get them into my CRM (which I am currently in the process of migrating to AgencyBloc). If I can get the bulk of this information into a spreadsheet, I can import. I'm looking for a way to cut down the time it takes to manually enter all of this information.

 

[djs]

Most lead companies will send a spreadsheet type format if you ask. Then you can just import them.

Also, some lead companies have a deal with a lot of insurance crm systems that will allow direct import to your crm system, no intermediate step required. Not all do this, not all crms support it, but ask.

Failing a simpler approach, I can write a piece of software for you that will ocr the pdf's and upload the data to your crm or create a spreadsheet for importing.

Dan

 

[Traveling_LA_Agent]

Most lead companies will send a spreadsheet type format if you ask. Then you can just import them.

Also, some lead companies have a deal with a lot of insurance crm systems that will allow direct import to your crm system, no intermediate step required. Not all do this, not all crms support it, but ask.

Failing a simpler approach, I can write a piece of software for you that will ocr the pdf's and upload the data to your crm or create a spreadsheet for importing.

Dan

Thanks, Dan. I'm familiar with those options and grateful when I have the opportunity to use them. For my own mailings with returns to my BRM or some FE leads that a friend gives to me to work I have to do the work myself. I just did a batch of 16 with a pre-formatted .csv for AgencyBloc, but I still have to manually enter the data. Granted, this still speeds things up as far as getting them all in. I also have a lot of mortgage leads in .pdf that are old that I'd like to get in the quickest way possible.

 

[djs]

I'm a big believer in working leads until they buy or they die. I get it, but the old mortgage leads, how much info do you need?

Name and email is all you usually need to worry about. City / Zip is nice but not really important. Phone is probably on the do not call so not usable unless they respond.

Get them into your system. Put them on a drip email campaign. Call it good.

Address is useful only if you are going to do physical mailings but the ROI on doing that with old leads is usually not worthwhile.

If you want to keep old data in the record, just attach the pdf scan to the name / email record and call it good. If they ever respond, then you can pull up the pdf.

Dan

 

[Traveling_LA_Agent]

I'm a big believer in working leads until they buy or they die. I get it, but the old mortgage leads, how much info do you need?

Name and email is all you usually need to worry about. City / Zip is nice but not really important. Phone is probably on the do not call so not usable unless they respond.

Get them into your system. Put them on a drip email campaign. Call it good.

Address is useful only if you are going to do physical mailings but the ROI on doing that with old leads is usually not worthwhile.

If you want to keep old data in the record, just attach the pdf scan to the name / email record and call it good. If they ever respond, then you can pull up the pdf.

Dan

I appreciate your insight. I'm slowly but surely trying to get myself together as far as email campaigns (long overdue. Sadly, most DM mortgage leads that I have, as well as FE of course, do not have email addresses. The only way I have them is if I get them or they happen to write it on the lead because they really don't want to meet or be called anyway.

 

[Alston]

OCR can be unreliable; sometimes it can take more time to correct the data than to key it in.

Is it a zero, the letter "o" or a "Q"? Or even "()"?
A one or an exclamation mark?
A two or a "z?"
A "W" or a repeated "v" or "\ /v"?

(Maybe the programs have gotten better since I last used one.)

My suggestion is to hire a human to enter the data into a spreadsheet if there are no PII or PHI issues. Or have a human edit the OCR output.

The world is full of intelligent people who write English better than the average American.

There are a lot of people on Upwork and Fiverr who can do this for you inexpensively and free you up to make more sales.