I talk a lot about getting home improvement leads, but what do you do when you’ve actually got one? Not every lead becomes a sale, and understandably so – a home renovation is a big decision, both aesthetically and financially, and there are countless reasons why someone would back out. But with that caveat in mind, there are ways for you to increase your odds of turning a lead into a sale.
Lead nurturing is an important part of any sales-based business, and because of the big nature of home improvement sales it’s even more important here than in other industries. As you can probably guess from the name, lead nurturing is all about growing your leads – staying in touch, keeping them up to date on your services and deals, and eventually turning a maybe into a yes.
The first step is to determine which leads are worth following up on. In an ideal world you’d nurture every lead you acquire, but you simply aren’t going to have time for that. You need to focus on the leads that show the most promise – ones that have expressed interest in learning more about your services, or are looking for guidance in planning a major project. If a lead is shopping around or doesn’t seem serious about taking the plunge, your time may be better spent elsewhere.
As Inc. explains, there are three ways to go about nurturing a lead. First, don’t treat them like a line item on a spreadsheet – treat them like a person. Learn a bit about them, and take notes as you do. That way they’ll treat you as a person, and a person they want to work with rather than just another business out of countless others. In cultivating this relationship, you’ll get a better sense of whether there is a serious interest in employing your services, and if so how you can go about sealing the deal.
Second, make sure you’re offering something of value to the person. It’s good to establish a rapport, but ultimately it’s still a business relationship, and you need to take advantage of that relationship to ensure a sale. Small discounts always work, but there are non-financial ways to offer value as well – a detailed consultation, providing honest answers to questions about the industry and home repair … if you go above and beyond to make yourself available and help a lead out, they will hopefully respond in kind.
Finally, stay in touch, bide your time and, when you feel it’s right, come out and ask for the sale. I wish I could offer a simple set of rules to follow – like phone every week and press the issue on the third call – but the reality is that every client is different and only you can be the best judge on how to proceed. One client might seem enthusiastic, allowing you to push for the sale early, while another could be more reserved and require a slower, steadier approach. Take all the time you need, as long as you’re confident they’ll turn into a sale in the end. Nurturing a lead is like nurturing anything else – it takes time, but it’s worth it. 
