If you’re like most home improvement companies, you probably have a list of leads that didn’t pan out. They’re the leftovers of lead generation – the post-Thanksgiving turkey that you don’t want to waste.
Turning lost prospects into sales – into turkey sandwiches, if you will – has always been a challenge. The old-fashioned way was to use your call center to follow up with those names. But that was time consuming, expensive and rarely produced any valuable information.
There is a better way to make turkey sandwiches. It’s called prospect surveying, and with it you’ll be feasting on sales in no time.
What is Prospect Surveying?
A prospect survey is sent to the list of no-sales and no-appointments in your database. Email and snail mail surveys are the cheapest, most efficient options. However, follow up by phone is also helpful. GuildQuality, an industry leader and prospect survey pioneer, leverages all 3 to generate a high response rate.
What Do I Put in the Survey?
According to GuildQuality, you want to use questions that ask about their personal experiences, feelings and ideas for improvement. Topics should cover decision-making criteria, quality of service and general performance.
Don’t Homeowners Think it’s Annoying?
Surprisingly, no. Homeowners love it. A survey is low-pressure and can be completed in just a couple minutes. In one example, GuildQuality saw that 40-50% of prospects were willing to fill out a survey. This is because they were not being directly sold to.
These homeowners are often open about their intent to buy and their need for their services, so a survey will likely renew their interest. What they didn’t want to buy 6 months ago may well be something they want to discuss again.
How Does it Help Me?
Prospect surveying helps contractors learn a ton about their sales processes. Because homeowner responses are stored in a database, you are able to see how your sales visits, phone calls and follow up methods are performing on a mass scale. Plus, you’ll find out if a prospect has had a change of heart and is now ready to purchase.
How Do I Do it Right?
Prospect surveying is a sustainable way to boost lead counts at times when lead flow is at its lowest. With that honest feedback, you can refine your sales strategies to be better and more profitable.
To circle back to the turkey sandwiches – you’re using what you already know is good and turning it into a satisfying meal without using too much time or energy. It’s another online tool to boost your bottom line and satisfy your hunger.
