3 lead generation strategies that keep on giving

Would you like to generate leads without spending a lot of money, cold calling or door-knocking and have the person you’re contacting willingly give you the names of other potential leads?

It’s easier than you may think. Here are three ways to generate leads with minimal effort.

1. The ‘bait’ house

I recently interviewed Fafie Moore, the executive vice president, ERA Brokers Consolidated, Las Vegas, Nevada. One of Moore’s most creative prospecting ideas is what she calls the “bait house.”

The concept is simple: pick out an enticing house on the MLS. Then, reach out to your clients and sphere, either by phone, text or via social media direct messaging. Here’s what you say:

“I just saw this house in the MLS — I know it’s not for you, but do you know anyone who would be interested?”

Another version of this approach is to feature a “listing of the week” on your blog, website, Facebook business page or Instagram. By the way, the house doesn’t have to be a showcase. Instead, it could be a great bargain, an unusual architectural style or a house on a large lot that has zoning to add another unit.

Contacting your warm database generates substantially better leads than cold calling or buying internet leads.

Furthermore, the people you’re calling are usually happy to hear from you, especially if you can also share something that interests them such as a new local restaurant or a hike and bike trail they didn’t know about.

2. The LinkedIn coffee meeting

The purpose of your meeting will be to exchange five LinkedIn contacts with someone in your LinkedIn database. Ideally, each contact you share will be able to help the other person personally or with their business.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Review your LinkedIn contacts, and identify five people who might benefit from one of your other LinkedIn contacts.
2. List the people you would like to take to coffee. For each person you plan on taking to coffee, prepare a list of the five contacts you will share at that meeting, including how those individuals could help your coffee date. By using your LinkedIn list, you’re more likely to reach business people who can help you with your business.
3. Invite your contact to coffee. Explain that you’re working on growing your business and would like to help that person grow his or her business and/or help with a cause or charity that is important to them.
4. Repeat this process at least once or twice a week to generate a steady stream of 20-40 fresh introductions every month.

3. Generate video referrals and listing leads

This lead generation strategy is worth its weight in gold. Everyone knows that having client testimonials is one of the most important ways to build your business.

Plus, Google’s algorithm brings up testimonials (and complaints) very high on most searches. Because Google also owns YouTube, video testimonials come up even higher.

To leverage the video “testimonials” you will be collecting, post them on your Facebook business page for your market area, Instagram and YouTube. Here’s what to do.

Contact your past clients or owners of any of your current listings and say:

“I’m collecting video testimonials for what’s great about living in our community. Would you mind sharing at least one thing you love about living in our community? It can be almost anything from recreational activities, your best picks for your favorite food, little known secrets or facts that people don’t know.”

If the person says, yes, shoot the video. Do the lead in:

“Hi, I’m Sally Agent of ABC Realty with Mary Homeowner who recently relocated here from St. Louis, Missouri. Mary, would you mind sharing what you have especially enjoyed since moving to our community?”

Keep the length about 60-90 seconds. Depending upon what Mary says she likes, you can ask her to “say a little bit more about XYZ” or “tell me, what makes that new Italian restaurant around the corner from you so special?”

The idea is to get the person to elaborate on what matters most to them.

Now here’s how to put this approach on steroids by asking:

“Do you know of any of your friends or neighbors who would be willing to do a video testimonial about what they have liked about living in our community?”

This is what makes this approach so powerful:

• You now have a warm introduction to other people who can become future clients.
• Although you may feel uncomfortable asking for a testimonial from people in sphere of influence who haven’t done business with you or from these strangers your clients introduce you to, many of these individuals will be more than willing to share what they love about their local community.
• Post their testimonial on your Facebook business page, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube, then tag them, and their post will also appear on their timelines, which means you are now reaching their contacts as well.
• Their testimonials for the area help you to build your credibility as the go-to expert for your market area as well as continuously allowing you to create fresh content as you attract new clients and conduct additional area testimonials.
• This approach builds your search engine optimization because each “testimonial” provides fresh, local content on video — all things that Google loves.

Generating leads and establishing yourself as to the go-to expert in the area only takes a bit of time, creativity and a mobile device to capture video testimonials — no cold calling, door knocking or paying for internet leads required.

Bernice Ross, President and CEO of BrokerageUP (brokerageup.com) and RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, author and trainer with over 1,000 published articles. Learn about her broker/manager training programs designed for women, by women, at BrokerageUp.com and her new agent sales training at RealEstateCoach.com/newagent.