Converting Your Leads - Best Practices

APM works closely with customers to optimize their results and over the years here is what sets the most successful companies apart when it comes to converting their leads into customers.

1. Make sure you have a good process in place. You should be able to systematically receive, distribute, contact, qualify, educate, and nurture leads in your effort to close. There are no sources of "magic" leads that will allow you to skip this process and close your leads with little or no effort. Your process should work for all types and quality of leads.
2. Understand how your services and pricing compares against your competition. Do the work to understand how you are stronger than your competition. Be ready to position your services to your strengths and know your prospect may be contacting other property managers and will be comparing your services and pricing before making a decision.
3. Follow up as soon as you receive the lead. If the lead needs to be routed it should be done in real-time. The first company to contact a lead often makes the strongest impression, and will become the default choice forcing other companies to work much harder to land the customer.
5. Personalize your communications to the prospect. Make sure communications like the APM auto-responder, which instantly goes to the property owner when they request information from you, sets the stage for your company.
6. An introduction email response is not enough. The property owner should receive a phone call within minutes of requesting information from you. Don't count on the lead to contact you.
7. Email the property owner a marketing package within an hour of receiving the lead. If they are hard to reach this may be your only opportunity to educate your prospect.
8. Remember it usually takes multiple attempts to contact a lead. Be persistent, but appropriate with your attempts to contact.

Most property owners are not ready to sign the papers the day they request information. Be prepared to respond appropriately to the potential customer based on their stage of the selection process. Many leads need to be nurtured so "staying in touch" until the property owner is ready to make a move will set you apart from the pack.

You will convert your leads on a regular basis once your pipeline is full. Keeping your pipeline full with new leads will deliver new customers regularly. Make sure your lead volume is manageable and you have the resources to effectively follow up, including the ability to meet the property owner on site with short notice. Leads that are not actively managed are wasted leads and are not worth buying. APM works closely with customers to deliver the right amount and quality of leads to meet your needs.