Is Cold Calling Dead?
In a world where phones can block spammers, are real estate agents still able to create opportunities through cold calling?
How we contact people is changing. A big development happened recently with iPhones and Androids which is going to make contacting strangers much more difficult. I’ll tell you about the technology in a minute, but I first want to talk about the evolution of how we found ourselves here.
Cold calling used to be a significant part of prospecting for business in real estate. Calling strangers, FSBOs and expireds to see if they could use our assistance has always been a major tool for uncovering opportunities.
- The first nail in the coffin for cold calling came when the Do Not Call List was established. It made it easy for people to “opt out” of receiving telemarketing calls, and the fines were substantial if you broke the rules. Agents still made cold calls, but they had to be call compliant, which added a layer of complexity.
- The second nail in the coffin for cold calling came when robo-dialers were introduced. To reach more people in less time, agents starting using this technology. It’s human nature to want to find greater efficiencies, but many industries have misused this technology and the public is now irate with the number of unsolicited calls they receive. And rightfully so.
The solution? Google and Apple are stepping up with features that help users avoid spammers. For instance, in the iOS 13 update, Apple added a feature that allows you to all but eliminate robocalls, spam calls, and solicitors from ringing your phone. The feature is off by default, but you can enable it by:
- Going into your phone SETTINGS,
- Select PHONE from the list of options,
- Turn ON the SILENCE UNKNOWN CALLERS feature.
With this feature turned on, the only time an incoming call makes your phone ring is if the phone number is already in your contacts, mail, recent messages, or calls. Any other call goes straight to voicemail. If you enable this feature, you get fewer robocalls, but you also need to check your voicemail more often.
I recommend you DO NOT USE THIS FEATURE!!! As a real estate agent, you want to talk to strangers! It’s our business. But know that your prospects/clients will soon learn about this feature on their phones and it will make it harder for you to reach out to people you haven’t been in contact with before.
This change will initially be received by the real estate industry as a barrier to trade. For those agents who have relied on aggressive robocalling to fill their pipeline, their business is going to take a hit. For those agents who offer high-touch, individualized service and provide exceptional information that prospects truly want, this will be a minor stumbling block.
I have been preaching permission-based marketing for years now. And these maneuvers by Apple and Google to protect their users from unwanted calls prove why it is so important to establish relationships with strangers based on providing value, so that they want you to contact them.
Here are some ways to navigate this change:
Rather than cold-calling into your area, go door-knocking instead. When you are at the door, introduce yourself as their neighbor who is a local real estate expert. If they aren’t interested in selling and they don’t know anyone who is then ask if they would like to receive monthly market updates to find out what has sold in the area. Everyone likes to be kept up to date on house prices in their area. Now they have given you permission to contact them.
While on the doorstep, ask for their mobile phone number to text them your contact information in case they have any real estate questions. Once they save your contact details in their phone’s contacts, their phone will no longer block you when you call them.
When you meet someone at a networking event, or in any real estate conversation for that matter, don’t just hand them your business card. Ask for their phone number and text them your contact details. Ask them to save your information in their phone’s contacts in case they have any real estate questions. Once they do, your phone calls won’t be blocked.
When you are at an open house it is very important to:
- Have visitors give you their contact details on your guest registry (we recommend Open Home Pro). Let them know that by doing so you will send them pictures and details of the property.
- Confirm with them that the phone number they gave you is correct and immediately text them your contact details. Ask them to save your information as a contact in their phone, so they can call you with any questions about the property.
- Remember to quickly build rapport as you show themthe house, so they get to like you and they will welcome your phone call.
When you are following up with online leads and it is the first time you contact someone, it is better to start by texting them. Text messages are read 100% of the time, whereas many voicemails go unanswered. When you send the text, share your contact record and let them know you will be in touch to answer any of their questions. If your contact details are in their recent text messages, their phone likely will not block your call.
Moral of the story: from now on, in real-time conversations be sure to text your contact record to the other person and ask them to save it on their phone. It ensures the line of communication is open going forward.
Chris Leader
President
Leader’s Edge Training