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In this post you will learn what you should keep in mind when using virtual assistant services to generate leads for your business.
The advantage of lead generation services is that they will handle the entire hiring process. That means you will get a pool of endorsements based on your specifications, and they will arrange Skype/phone interviews.
Setting Goals and Delegating VA Tasks
1. Identifying daily/weekly goals
Start by cutting it down by daily goals and setting your target monthly revenue. Identify the number of new prospects you need to contact on a daily/weekly basis.
For example:
Daily cold prospects to contact: 980 prospects / 20 business days = 49 per day
So if your daily target is 49 leads, communicate this on the day the you orient your VA, and ask them if it is doable. From there, you can test the waters by assigning your VA the task of researching, but not contacting, roughly half your target number.
2. Delegating tasks
There are a number of ways virtual assistants can help you with lead generation, depending on your business model and marketing strategy. Generally, VAs are already trained and experienced in their own field. But as with any other employees, they also need to be acclimated to the new business approach every time. The key here is to start small and ramp up the complexity of the tasks as you get to feel your VA’s capability.
Hiring a Lead Generation Expert
3. Researching leads
If you’re not quite ready for the VA to contact leads directly, then save yourself from the time-consuming task of researching them.
First thing to do is to provide your lead generation virtual assistant a profile of your ideal prospect.
Then, they will use tools like search engines, social media, and LinkedIn to find these prospects. Ask your VA to find relevant leads by drawing from a specific list of companies and titles, using the “advanced search” function in LinkedIn, for example.
4. Contacting leads
Most lead generation jobs work from home individuals are equipped with good communication skills.
Give clear instructions on how to contact prospects by giving them scripts and templates or asking them to customize one. They can also jump into email marketing to introduce your company and your products/services.
Marketing Your Brand
Companies who blog have an overwhelming 97% more leads. ~ Social Media Today
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5. Develop marketing materials
A VA can be a tremendous help in developing marketing material for your campaigns.
They can create relevant blog posts; marketing materials such as posters, copy ads, eBooks, and content that you can then distribute to drive traffic and move the leads down the sales funnel.
6. Assign other tasks!
Yes—you can absolutely hand over some time consuming tasks to your virtual admin assistant. allows you to allocate more time to lead generation is valuable. They can easily cover everyday, repetitive tasks related to your business, such as social media management, answering calls/emails, or even bookkeeping.
With social media posting, they can share articles, tweets, status updates, etc so you gain more exposure in the online arena. The more engaging you become, the more likely you are to attract and retain prospects.
7. Allows you to do your CORE function
Telemarketing works, but at some point you will have to pick up the phone. Home-based lead generation jobs will allow you to work on your full potential by extracting all those activities that take up too much of your time.
Here’s how Henri Schauffler of CEO Focus works with his VAs:
“A trained telemarketing team calls a select list for participants in my free business-building seminars for small business owners. Those interested are then sent an email.
The list of “RSVPs” is sent to me daily. I mail them a USPS letter with ticket and flyer. Then I call each one personally and get them talking about their business.”
Steps on Working with Virtual Assistants Successfully
- Be clear about what you want the lead generation freelancer to do.
- Keep a running list of what you should delegate.
- Create a job description and responsibility list for your VA.
- Say what you want your VA to produce, how they should behave, tasks he/she needs to complete.
- Ask your VA to help you create a Systems manual.
- Hold weekly or monthly meetings with your VA.
- Never hesitate to ask your VA for help or advice. Virtual assistants are excellent at helping business owners so make sure to ask and listen to what they have to say.
When you finally find the best VA to work with, enroll him or her in your vision and your goals. Make sure your virtual help is enthusiastic about what you do and is ready to roll!
Virtual Assistant Talent is an excellent source if you’re looking forward to hiring a part-time or full-time real estate lead generation virtual assistant. See how our highly qualified and trained VAs can assist in your everyday tasks and objectives. CALL 1-866-596-9041.
We would love to hear if these ideas worked for you! If you have questions or any Social Media related success stories, please leave a comment below.
Reference:
www.inc.com
www.salesschema.com
hireyourvirtualassistant.com
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So now you ask yourself, how do I become a successful appointment setter if I don’t have the time and patience in setting appointments? Well, let’s get on with these nine appointment-setting tips.
1. Find the main benefit to your listener.
What is appointment setting? It’s all about convincing your prospects that your business has something that is valuable to them. Before you even make the call, you should know already what’s in it for the client/customer and practice your elevator pitch.
When doing outbound calling, think of a good hook that will grab the prospect in the first 60 seconds.
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2. Stick to the Who, What and Why principle.
Those looking for appointment setter jobs should know the basic principle to follow after the initial “hello” greeting. This is the practice of saying WHO we are, WHAT we do and WHY we’re calling.
The “What” should be concise. Present two or three of the main benefits rather than going on and on about how good the product or service is.
And finally, tell the receiver “Why” the appointment is needed and promote it just as much as the product.
3. Qualify the leads before reaching out.
One of the proven appointment setting tips that can actually save you time and energy is to focus on individuals who best fit your product or service. Do a research or analysis to determine who your ideal customer is to achieve this step.
4. Develop a good script structure.
Being knowledgeable and equipped with all the information necessary is one of the secrets to appointment setting. From this, you can develop a compelling script to present the product/service to the best of your ability.
When you’re done with the framework, do some trial calls to see how it is being received. Continue refining the script and make some final changes before roll-out.
If it doesn’t sound right when you’re practicing it, then you have no chance when on the telephone. ~Jacqui Crawley
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5. Hire the right appointment setter
The back-and-forth of scheduling and managing appointments can consume valuable amounts of your day.
Here are the benefits of outsourcing appointment setting tasks:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Reach out during “off hours.” The virtual assistant can contact your leads before or after office hours to help increase the chances of them responding to your request.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Confirm the details and schedule reminders. Make time to initiate a contact a day beforehand to avoid disappointment.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Set appointments via different communication channels. Some people prefer voicemail, social media, email, or navigating a website.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Engage with leads that have already interacted with you. The chances of success are much greater with a customer that you have a history with.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Make sure the right people are scheduled for any follow-up meetings. This can speed up the decision-making process and avoid unnecessary additional meetings.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Social selling. The VA can spend a few hours per day on social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to call, email, or connect with your audience to schedule an appointment[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Create and set automated messages to be sent on preferred time.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Publish a content on your website. People will almost certainly look you up online. You can have case studies, projects, or blogs on your website.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Use helpful call-to-actions (CTA) everywhere. Spark your leads’ curiosity all the time. Every post, advertisement, blog article, brochure, or event needs to focus on a follow-up CTA, e.g. “Download our FREE Buyer’s Guide!”[/li] [/list]Related Article: Top 12 Benefits of Outsourcing Your Appointment Setting Task
6. Focus on asking for the decision maker.
Learning how to talk directly to the decision maker of your target business or company is the key on how to get appointments in sales. You are better off spending your time looking for ways of getting through the gatekeeper than pitching to the wrong person.
Remember though, don’t be rude or pushy with receptionists and do not lie, but also, do not pitch to them either. Encourage the VA to build rapport with the gatekeepers and use statement questions to gain access, agreement, and direction.
Make sure that you are sold before you try to convince somebody else.
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7. Role-play, practice, refine.
An appointment setter training involves role-playing to help build the confidence and master the flow of the call. Often times call-flows sound great when you are only reading them, but very different when spoken out loud.
8. Acknowledge concerns and do your best to deal with objections.
Sometimes a customer will simply decline saying that they are too busy, or that they are all set, showing no interest in developing the conversation.
To attempt to bridge objections when trying to set appointment, you must first recognize the end user’s concerns. Let them say why they are not interested, before using empathetic words, e.g. “I completely understand that you are busy…”
The objective here is to go from acknowledging objections to asking for the appointment again by demonstrating how the appointment can help them nonetheless.
Finally, train your appointment setters how to “back out” gracefully and leave the call on a positive note for a future contact when the time is right.
9. Don’t pitch the script word for word.
Always go straight to the point and only ask relevant questions. Feel the tone and the pace of the prospect. Ask for a commitment and close quickly so you don’t waste each other’s time. Once you fully understand the product you are selling, you will find it easier to adjust to any scenario that may come up.
In this multimedia world, there are multiple ways to succeed in appointment setting. For more expert insight on how to set more appointments, contact our team at Virtual Assistant Talent and we will help you further narrow down your prospects, and save time so that you can focus on other areas of your business.
You can also browse through our virtual assistant services list and discover how our highly qualified and trained virtual assistants can help in your everyday tasks and objectives.
Since 2009, Virtual Assistant Talent has been helping professionals from different industries such as the real estate, insurance, small business, coaching/consulting, and executive leadership. CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 to Learn More.
Reference:
www.callcentrehelper.com
www.weidert.com
www.business2community.com
www.virtual-sales.com
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Real estate agents and realtors will need to invest in more digital marketing tactics because buyers in different generations—such as millennials and boomers—are competing for the same homes today.
The national homeownership rate rose to 64.4% in the third quarter of 2018, largely attributed to the increase in first-time homebuyers. ~ U.S. Census Bureau
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1. Rising mortgage interest rates will cause buyers to change strategy
Aaron Terrazas, director of economic research for Zillow, says that in 2019, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reaches 5.8%, giving a real impact on housing affordability and will prompt many buyers to pause and analyze their purchasing power and strategy. This means that as an agent, you’ll need to take more time to help your clients reevaluate deals and understand what their money can buy in this shifting market.
2. Trust-based marketing promotions for your real estate business
If someone is looking for a real estate agent in your city, do you think you can show up on the first page of their Google search? If you’re not coming up or worse, if they don’t find anything about you on Google, then you are losing opportunities.
Most real estate professionals spend their time on closing deals with clients. But a Real Estate Virtual Assistant can help you create these trust-based marketing campaigns to stay ahead of the curve:
- Creating and maintaining a website that provides information to potential buyers
- Gathering online reviews and homeowners’ testimonials
- Creating video and written interviews of your past and current clients
- Creating an e-book that will serve as a guide to what a home buyer needs to know about your neighborhood
- Writing blog posts about the real estate market and industry trends
Why do 88% of first time buyers still use an agent when buying a home? Buyers want to do business with someone they can trust.
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3. Automating operational and marketing processes
Automation and outsourcing will be one of the top marketing tips for real estate in 2019. This is because many real estate agents are aiming to save time by working less and accomplishing more, doing things faster and more efficient.
There are several ways you can start automating processes. One is by installing chatbots on your website and social media pages to respond and interact with visitors and answer questions that can immediately add value.
You can also develop a text message marketing or email sequence campaign to engage with leads and move them down the sales funnel. Build your relationship with your clients by segmenting lists and following up at customized intervals.
4. You need a virtual office to make your online presence stand out
Next on our real estate marketing tactics is social media’s continued impact. A real estate seller’s strong online reputation will make headway to influence people’s buying decisions. This generation relies heavily on online reviews and social media presence.
For example, you will be more appealing to millennial clients if you will showcase homes on Instagram—one of the widely used social media platform today. Stand out and provide crucial information, especially to the younger generation of first-time homebuyers.
80% of today’s homebuyers are looking for a new home online.
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5. Don’t be generic. Focus on the design and content of your email marketing
Still considered the best form of marketing by many experts, email marketing is your best bet this 2019. But those generic emails blasting “just sold and just listed” don’t work anymore unless you have an established relationship with people.
Virtual marketing assistants can work with you to design your email with relevant content. It should be formatted right (for mobile) and well spaced out. Change the design and do it over and over again until you get the right touch to develop trust in the prospect.
Some ideas for your email newsletter are:
• Monthly open house invites and personalized open house invites
• Weekly/monthly deals, news and events of your local community
• Case study of clients – what did you do to promote their property?
• Single property blasts and why you think it’s a good investment
6. Start using social video to generate more online shares
One of the most effective real estate marketing ideas over the years is the use of videos. Social videos have been shown to generate far more shares on social media sites than text and images combined.
You can use videos to create stories. Do you have clients who were thrilled with the home you sold them? That’s a great video story right there. Are there exciting new things going on in the community where you’re selling homes? Record a video and upload it to YouTube, and then include a link to that video in your email.
7. Millennials will keep contributing to the increase in first-time buyer demand
Odeta Kushi, senior economist for First American says, “The housing market in 2019 will be characterized by continued rising mortgage rates, making housing less affordable. But there will be a surging demand, as the largest cohort of millennials will be turning 29 this year, entering peak household formation and home-buying age.”
Millennials will continue to make up the largest segment of buyers this year, accounting for 45% of mortgages, compared to 17% of Boomers, and 37% of Gen Xers.
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Overall, demonstrate who you are and why you stand out among other real estate agents. Make buyers feel they can trust you and let them know how you are going to make the entire home buying process simple and efficient.
If you need help in hiring virtual assistant, our talent pool of VAs can help with prospecting, outbound telemarketing, and putting up ad listings online. CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 and discover how our highly qualified and trained virtual assistants can help in your everyday tasks and objectives.
Virtual Assistant Talent is a top-notch virtual assistant staffing agency helping professionals from different industries such as the real estate, insurance, small business, coaching/consulting, and executive leadership.
Reference:
rehrealestate.com
www.realestateexpress.com
magazine.realtor
www.chatterbuzzmedia.com
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Real estate agents and realtors know for a fact that it’s essential to do their business on-the-go to keep up with the real-time transactions. Check out these trending real estate apps that should be on every agent or realtor’s phone.
Top 30 Real Estate Agent Tools to Boost Your Business in 2020
1. Refresh
Refresh mobile app can be very helpful for you to keep track on who’s who with your everyday interactions. It allows you to connect everything from your social networks, contacts, calendar to give you insights before each meeting.
How it works:
- Refresh is one of the top real estate apps for agents if you want to know more about someone.
- You can search their name to locate background info across multiple social media profiles.
2. Zillow Premier Agent
Zillow is a lead generation app used widely by real estate professionals making it by far the largest real estate website in the USA. It is said that In order to be competitive, you NEED to be on Zillow. It’s the go-to resource for more than 70 million buyers and sellers each month.
Image from: fitsmallbusiness.com
How it works:
- You can submit new rental and sales listings.
- You can also “claim” listings you created that were uploaded to Zillow straight from your MLS.
- When a buyer encounters your listing from Zillow or Trulia, you have a much greater chance of receiving their inquiry since your name appears exclusively on your listings.
A virtual assistant for real estate can also market your properties in Zillow, among other online listing sites like Craigslist, Backpage, Kijiji.
3. QCards
This real estate software creates and mails marketing postcards right from your iPhone or iPad to help you attract more leads and local listing opportunities.
How it works:
- Use photos and select contacts from your phone, or let QCards generate a nearby mailing list for you.
4. RPR Mobile
Image from: rprblog
RPR Mobile delivers the data and reporting found on the RPR website, directly to your phone. It is one of the best apps for realtors, as the system is 100% covered by your NAR member dues.
How it works:
- Realtors can use their location to search both on and off market properties, while also knowing:
- Mortgage
- Historical and distressed data
- Flood zones
- school info and more
- You can then create one of 5 different property and neighborhood reports, each branded with your photo, logo and contact details.
5. Contactually
This is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) app that helps you manage your relationships, your contacts and leads.
How it works:
- Automated follow up reminders.
- Advanced automation and pipeline management.
- A letter grade to tell you how well you’re doing with your follow up.
6. Animoto
Animoto is highly popular among real estate agents who always aim to provide superb presentation of their properties. The great thing is that you can right from your smartphone.
How it works:
- Create high-quality, HD video slideshows on mobile or the web version.
- Background music is provided.
This app will help your marketing stand out – be sure to hire virtual staff to make all your presentations professional and more appealing.
7. Vert
This handy app makes conversions simple – basic version is free, and Pro is $2.99.
How it works:
- Tap on the measurement and then swipe to convert metrics, such as size, weight, length, or currency.
8. Placester
This one is an IDX Website Builder for real estate. Placester uses WordPress, and you can get a fully featured website from it for as low as $69/year.
Image from: fitsmallbusiness.com
How it works:
- Placester pulls listing data from your MLS, so your visitors can search for properties on your site.
If you’re looking a properly maintained website where you can customize step-by-step, a web designer real estate assistant can create one for you by following your desired specifics.
9. Open Home Pro
This app is a top choice among agents for open houses and broker opens – you can manage the contact info of your walk-ins!
How it works:
- Select contact options and automatically follow up with new leads in your next marketing campaign.
10. Scannable
Scannable is the newest app from Evernote, and makes saving and sharing scans easy.
How it works:
- This app immediately identifies business cards, receipts, and other paper items it’s pointed at. So just aim the camera and it will detect the document edges and then capture it.
11. DocuSign
DocuSign is the world’s most trusted Electronic Signature/Transaction Management software. It offers the best platform for getting documents signed and deals tamed.
How it works:
- Agents can keep track of all documents in a transaction from agency disclosure to contracts.
- Brokers can set up advanced approval processes and workflows to be as hands off, or hands on.
12. Hootsuite
Hootsuite social media publisher allows you to manage all of your social network accounts in one spot.
How it works:
- Schedule status updates in advance and respond to followers.
- You can choose to upgrade for analytics and other features to integrate your marketing strategies.
13. Adobe Photoshop Express
How it works:
- Photoshop does the basic image editing like cropping, rotating, red eye and blemish removal.
- It also makes it easy to correct contrast, white balance, exposure, and also apply filter.
14. Dotloop
This app is another Transaction Management Software that lets you easily create, capture and store all the paperwork required to close even the most complex deals.
Image from: fitsmallbusiness.com
How it works:
- Create custom templates, send documents out for e-signature, and track, collaborate, and store documents for review and compliance.
- Dotloop helps simplify the paperwork, faxing, and in-person signings in your deals.
15. MagicPlan
Take a photo and use MagicPlan to showcase your current properties or wow your potential clients.
How it works:
- Create custom 3D floor plans – this app records room dimensions and produces floor plans in multiple formats.
16. Box
Box is the ideal app for realtors who are looking for more security and control.
How it works:
- View, download, edit and annotate files, and then securely send those files to anyone, anywhere.
- You can also mark a folder for offline viewing.
17. Showing Suite
Showing Suite Software lets you finally toss the pile of notes—showings, email addresses, phone numbers and lockbox codes—in the recycling bin where they belong.
How it works:
- The app integrates and automates showing schedules, buyer agent feedback, and any notes that you want to store along with your listing.
- It also syncs with your Supra EKey or Sentrilock lockbox software.
18. BizKinetic Real Estate
How it works:
- Manage your sales and marketing efforts by coordinating leads, follow-ups, contacts and client requests.
- You can also sync your tasks and calendar, and set up mail templates
19. IFTTT
IFTTT stands for “If This Then That” which aims to automate tasks between Internet-connected services. The app has more than 160 channels for you to create connections between.
How it works:
Set up configurations such as:
- If you want new comments on your blog to send you a text message.
- You want to backup each new contact you add to your phone in a Google spreadsheet.
- Or maybe even log how much time you spend at home or the office.
20. Real Scout
Another Lead Nurturing app is the Real Scout.
How it works:
- This app scours your MLS for new listings that match any of up to 400 criteria your leads select such as the following and automatically sends them the listings in an email:
- waterfront location
- high ceilings
- number of bedrooms etc..
- It will also make the generated emails look like they came directly from you.
21. Todoist
This real estate tool can save you time hunting email through your inbox.
How it works:
- When you are logged in your email account, you can add any email as a follow up task.
- When you select a particular task, the app brings up the email originally referenced in the task.
22. Home Value Leads
Image from: fitsmallbusiness.com
How it works:
- This lead generation system offers agents a customizable home value estimator that you can use on your IDX website or Facebook ads.
- It also provides lead follow up via built in drip campaigns and instant lead notification
23. Deductr 2
When it comes to tax time, Deductr 2 is an app that will aid you in tracking tax deductions.
How it works:
- Use the app to add business income and expenses, log receipts, even track mileage using your phone’s GPS.
- When tax time comes, use the Deductr website to create a profit and loss report, tax summary, mileage summary, etc.
24. Citymaps
This Custom Mapping App answers the never-ending client question “Where are the best ________in this neighborhood?”
How it works:
- With Citymaps, you can send your clients custom maps of a neighborhood tailored to their interests.
- This real estate software also helps plan locations for retail stores and other commercial listings.
25. Videolicious
How it works:
- First record yourself talking into the camera.
- Then, add any photos or videos over the top as b-roll.
- Next, add background music and cinematic filters to your photos and video footage.
The completed videos can be saved, emailed and shared via social media channels like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
26. Matterport
If you have read our previous article Real Estate Marketing Trends, we mentioned Matterport as one of the most trending apps for real estate agents that create 3D Virtual Tours.
Image from: fitsmallbusiness.com
How it works:
- Create 3D tours for high-end properties.
- Ask your photographer about Matterport or look for a 3D tour company in your area.
27. Buffer
The Buffer app provides a great interface for managing multiple social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.
How it works:
- Schedule what you want to share and when you want the posts to be shared.
- Don’t forget to engage with any replies or comments that come in.
28. Mojo Dialer
This auto dialer app is intended for all For Sale By Owner (FSBO) cold callers to build up momentum and get appointments.
How it works:
- Mojo Dialer integrates with your FSBO lists and dials numbers automatically while pulling up pertinent information on your screen.
29. Lastpass
Secure your different passwords hassle-free. Lastpass is a powerful cross platform password manager that enables you to access and manage passwords wherever you are, and syncs those passwords between your devices.
How it works:
- For iOS 8 users, Lastpass integrates directly into Safari as an extension.
- If you access password-protected sites regularly, you might choose their premium service ($12 annual fee).
30. BombBomb
“Video Email” BombBomb app lets you record and send video for delivering a personal message. It also gives you metrics to track who is viewing your content.
Interested in real estate marketing but not sure where to start? Check out our real estate virtual assistant services and see how our highly qualified and trained VAs can assist in your everyday tasks and objectives. CALL 1-866-596-9041.
We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any Real Estate related success stories, please leave a comment below.
Reference:
fitsmallbusiness.com
southbayaor.com
blog.narrpr.com
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Selling would even be more effective when you set appointments and speak to a prospect first. This is especially true to start-ups and small businesses. But did you know that outsourcing appointment setting services can make a whole lot of difference in your business?
Find out what appointment VAs can do and the benefits of using remote or outsourced virtual assistants.
What Do Appointment Setters Do?
Independent contractors can be hired from appointment setting services company that can do the following:
- Make cold calls
- Generate leads
- Schedule/reschedule appointments
- Make follow-up calls
- Provide general overview/info about the company or business
- Discuss the company’s products or services
- Deal with the confusion that can sometimes occur with setting up meetings
- Free up a business owner’s resources for other important matters
Advantages of VA Appointment Setting Services
1. Save time
Outsourcing appointment setter jobs free up a lot of time for your internal sales representative to exert more effort in closing sales and making strategies to support your company.
2. Expanding the sales force
Virtual appointment setters are not just telemarketers. They are an extension of a business sales team. He or she can develop a customized script that focuses on the client’s products and services. These VAs can also do a research as to what types of companies should be contacted, and connect with the key decision makers.
3. Cost-effective solution
Your in-house cold-calling tasks will require management either from you or from a supervisor, which can only add up cost to the company.
Working with an outsourcing company that provides appointment setters telemarketing services is indeed a cost-effective solution. They can manage their own virtual team (such as your appointment setter) so you don’t have to worry and manage additional staff.
4. A way to promote your business
Marketing yourself and your business and getting noticed in the market is a no-easy task because of thousands of competitions.
Professional virtual assistance companies have trained people to be experts in cold calling. They even have gained more experience and knowledge than regular employees because of the diversity of client base that they handle.
This information can allow a business to look at what areas need to be altered to increase the effectiveness of its overall sales strategy.
5. Generating and nurturing leads
There are different stages of the buyer’s journey that require different approaches. Having a proper nurturing system in place can tremendously help in nurturing leads and converting them into cutomers/clients.
An appointment setter VA can create a list of warm and cold leads (top/bottom of the sales funnel) and hand them over to sales department for follow-up.
Lead nurturing can lead to a 20% increase in sales opportunities.
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If you don’t have the resources to run full-funnel marketing, you may need to outsource to a virtual assistant who can generate some highly-qualified leads to jumpstart your revenue.
6. Data and analysis
As mentioned, a lead list must be developed to prioritize the most interested prospects. A qualified list will more likely to succeed with setting an appointment that will result in a closed deal.
To do this, a virtual assistant can gather and analyze the relevant data to determine the right people who are responsive in a company’s product or service, as well as those who are the appropriate decision-makers.
7. Dedicated skills
Statistically, an appointment scheduler is much better at setting up qualified sales appointments than sales representatives who prefer the limelight of presenting, negotiating and closing deals.
8. Avoid what you dislike
In numerous surveys, salespeople say cold calling is their number one dislike. Some say they plain hate it and avoid it at all cost. If this is you, then it’s definitely time to outsource rather than lose a sales lead.
9. Perform other tasks on the side
Sales appointment setting virtual assistants can also be invaluable in surveying your customer base, introducing new products and performing data base marketing.
10. Easy to track
Appointment scheduling services provide a trackable and much improved ROI over traditional sales approaches.
11. Taking it a notch-higher
Top 2% of companies are doing the new paradigm of separating prospecting and appointment setting from selling.
12. Building client/customer loyalty
Appointment setting VA companies are better able to call on the most profitable leads—those most likely to buy from you soon.
Ready to hire your Appointment Setter Virtual Assistant? Virtual Assistant Talent can help! CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 and see how our highly qualified and trained VAs can assist in your everyday tasks and objectives.
We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any Real Estate related success stories, please leave a comment below.
Reference:
business2community.com
technologyadvice.com
idea2result.com
business.com
intelliverse.com
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And because it’s necessary to protect your assets and finances, make sure you have the right type and amount of policy and understand the following Common Insurance Mistakes to Avoid.
10 Most Common Moves to Avoid When Buying Insurance
1. Not Knowing Your Policy
Etti Baranoff, associate professor of insurance and finance at Virginia Commonwealth University says that one of the biggest mistakes is not knowing what’s in the fine print of your policy.
Clients may not even know what their deductibles are and don’t realize what’s not covered until disaster strikes. Baranoff says they need to talk to their agents to find out what’s not covered and do an evaluation each year.
2. Choosing Not to Have Basic Insurance
This one is a no-brainer. Being stingy by not having basic insurance can be a costly mistake as the years go by. For instance, you should have…
- Car insurance that covers accidents and thefts
- Renter’s or homeowner’s insurance to cover thefts and fire
- Basic health insurance to cover medical bills as these can add up quickly
- Disability insurance to protect you if you become seriously injured or ill
Many people struggle to afford health care even with health insurance, and going without may financially cripple you if some unfortunate event happens. If you cannot afford a comprehensive health insurance policy, you should at least get a high deductible or catastrophic health insurance plan.
3. Only Comparing Insurance Company Rates
It’s important to compare insurance companies and select one with competitive prices. However, be sure the insurer you choose is financially sound and provides good service.
Check out the financial health of a company with how they rank with independent or third-party insurance rating agencies such as A.M. Best, Moody’s, Fitch Ratings, and Standard & Poor’s.
Ask friends and family members about their experiences with insurance company and choose one that will respond to your needs and handle claims fairly and efficiently.
4. Under/Over Insuring Yourself
The insurance you get could either be too much or not enough. It can be difficult to determine how much basic insurance you really need. When you are younger, you will not need as much insurance, since you do not have as many assets.
On the other hand, when you are stable and established, you should consider the maximum amount your insurance will cover needed expenses. You should talk to an insurance agent about your assets and how best to protect them.
Independent or company agents rely on the help of insurance virtual agents to handle activities that are too time-consuming so they are free of distractions when communicating with their clients.
5. Buying the Wrong/Unnecessary Insurance Policies
In connection with #4, avoid buying too many policies or the wrong types of insurances. Make sure you understand the insurance company policies that you are getting. You will not be surprised when it comes time to file a claim if you understood exactly what you signed up for.
For example:
- Getting unnecessary life insurance – Most people don’t need life insurance on their kids. While the death of a child is tragic, financially it’s not as detrimental as a breadwinner passing away.
- Getting specialized insurance – Be wary of buying too-specific variants of broader types of insurance. You may need life insurance, but you shouldn’t buy it at the car dealership.
6. Not Shopping Around for a New Policy
Every two or few years, shop around for a basic insurance policy. This can help you to keep your rate low and save you some money by switching to a new policy.
J. Robert Hunter of Consumer Federation of America says that these two actions can make a huge difference in the price you pay for your policy:
- Read the insurance buyers guides offered by state insurance departments
- Call all around to a few different companies
7. Failing to Ask for Discounts
Let your insurer know that you qualify so you can get credit for some discounts. You should look at policies that offer discounts for where you work or where you went to college.
The list varies from company to company but often includes installing a home alarm system, adding storm-proof shutters, taking a job with a shorter commute / not commuting anymore, carpooling and even working at certain occupations.
8. Relying on Life Insurance Rules of Thumb
The general advice is to buy enough life insurance to equal 8-12x your annual income. But two people who earn the same income may need very different amounts of coverage.
If one is the sole earner in a family with several young kids and the other has a working spouse and children in college—you need to consider what your family’s income and expenses will be after you die.
9. Ignoring a Bad Complaint Record
Avoid companies with a higher-than-average complaint ratio. Look up the insurer’s customer-service rating through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Consumer Information Source, and.
10. Giving in to Inertia
The insurer that offered you the lowest rate a few years ago may no longer have the best deal. Get price quotes from several insurers whenever you experience a major change like the following:
- You get married
- Move to a new state
- Buy a new car
- Or your teenager starts driving
Also go shopping if you’re hit with a rate hike. Get quotes at www.carinsurance.com, www.insweb.com or insurers’ sites (such as www.allstate.com, www.statefarm.com and www.progressive.com). You can find an independent insurance agent at www.iiaba.org.
Whether first-time buyer or have had insurance coverage for years, you can keep insurance costs under control by avoiding these ten common mistakes.
Selling insurance? Find out how Virtual Assistance can help you in prospecting, do research, find deals and other daily admin activities – CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 and see how our highly qualified and trained VAs can assist in your everyday tasks and objectives.
We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any Real Estate related success stories, please leave a comment below.
Reference:
https://www.thebalance.com/
http://www.kiplinger.com/
http://www.msn.com/
https://www.aol.com/
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In this post, you will discover why hiring real estate virtual assistant services will help you to work more at your full potential and take your business to the next level—and how cost-effective it is compared to using in-house employees.
Related reading: Hiring Virtual Assistant VS. House Employee – How to Save $46,000 a Year
1. Low cost option to run your business
Real estate agents live the fast and busy life. Most mornings are spent checking through e-mails and phone messages while eating breakfast. You need to organize your day and every transaction, but you must likewise be efficient with your finances.
The smart move is to hire a real estate virtual assistant over an in-office employee. She is an entrepreneur like you, being an independent contractor doing a variety of tasks. Thus, she takes care of her own business expenses.
Hiring a real estate virtual assistant can streamline the labor cost of your business by 40%. ~ChicagoAgentMagazine
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2. No benefits or insurance
With a VA, you don’t need to pay for social security benefits, health, dental. and unemployment insurances.
3. No vacation, holiday, sick pay
Moreover, you don’t have to think about any labor laws and be obliged to provide them vacation and sick leaves, or even overtime fees! The VA takes care of all this because he or she can work virtually, and can manage his or her time efficiently.
Matlin, a Realtor for more than 20 years, made the decision to employ a virtual assistant. She said that with real estate increasingly moving online, she needed help keeping up with new social media platforms.
“The business is changing, and I wanted a fresh look,” Matlin said.
She needed someone with specialized skills and knowledge of social media, and how Matlin could use those tools to stay in touch with clients and her sphere of influence – Facebook, LinkedIn and her personal web page. She also needed help writing and sending a monthly electronic newsletter to her database.
4. No payroll taxes and paperwork
Hiring real estate virtual assistant services is truly one of the greatest investments you can make. Outsourced assistants can pay their own local taxes.
5. No extra office space or equipment costs
Unlike in-office employees that you have to provide office equipment such as computer, office supplies, and electricity.
6. No administrative costs
And on top of that, you don’t have to plan, arrange, and spend a single dime on company outings and recreations.
7. Increase level of productivity
A real estate VA’s primary purpose is to organize time so you can focus on the functions that matter more to your business. Instead of handling incoming calls and paperwork, you can focus on preparing for your appointments and meetings.
You can divert emails to the work from home real estate assistant. He or she can oversee all communication so you do not have to spend valuable time to these basic tasks like attending to inquiries, taking messages, setting appointments and taking notes of important details.
The real estate Virtual Assistant becomes your work filter so the path toward your day’s objectives will be cleared. Ultimately, you will notice that you are able to be more punctual in your meetings and accomplish more activities in one day.
8. “On-call” basis work
Pay only for “time on task” or by project. Unlike having an in-office employee that you have to keep busy, virtual assistants can work anytime upon your request. This gives you more flexibility in terms of budgeting and delegating tasks.
9. Extra staff during seasonal or peak activity time
Unlike the VAs, you must hire and train any additional in-office staff needed during peak seasons.
10. Fast turnaround time
And because a fully trained real estate VA works by the hour and is monitored by a time tracking software, you can expect a fast turnaround time in terms of output or call quotas.
Amy Kite, a Realtor with Keller Williams Premier Properties in Lincolnshire, knew she needed to hiring an assistant.
“I was too busy to handle everything,” Kite said. “I was losing leads, and I could tell that business was slipping through my fingers. I should have gotten my first assistant sooner.”
Her real estate VA, Denise, has helped accomplish just that by helping Kite prospect, schedule appointments with prospective clients, close transactions and maintain client relationships.
11. Weekend and evening assistance available
It’s difficult or expensive to hire admin staff for weekend and evening work—another thing that you can appreciate a virtual assistant for because again, #8 and #9-he or she can work upon your request.
12. Increase sales conversion
In real estate, lead generation such as prospecting is an important function. However, generating leads takes time and requires effort. Experienced VAs can call and follow-up prospects through online and traditional methods.
13. Improve quality of work
Real estate virtual assistants are not just your average “assistant”. They have varied skills. For example, almost all of the VAs in the Philippines are degree holders and have acquired higher training and certification in their respective core competencies.
14. Specialized skills available
As mentioned, virtual executive assistants are not limited to a single skill or talent.
- Are you looking to organize your listings of properties, contacts and clients? He or she can help manage or create a CRM program for you and can regularly update it so you can lead prospects into a sale.
- Do you need a presentation to an important client? There are VAs who are savvy in MS Office programs and can create professional looking Power Point presentation slides for your proposals.
- They can also prepare well-organized and detailed spreadsheets for your financial projections.
- Do you need more content for your real estate website? A VA can write relevant and keyword-optimized content for your page so that you can attract more visitors.
- Need someone to manage and maintain your website? A web designer/programmer VA is perfect for you.
15. Reduce Stress
Last and probably one of the major reasons for outsourcing services to a real estate virtual assistant, is to open up more time for yourself and your family.
By taking some time off to recharge, you will come back better and more productive. Thus, having a real estate virtual assistant on-board is a valuable asset by making you enjoy a luxury many often overlook: time.
Do you have any questions about virtual office assistant services? Call us at 1-866-596-9041 and see how our highly qualified and trained VAs can assist in your everyday tasks and objectives.
We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any Real Estate related success stories, please leave a comment below.
References:
outsourceworkers.com.au
chicagoagentmagazine.com
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The ultimate goal of course is to implement your marketing strategies for maximum impact at minimum cost and to find out what’s new and useful and see if it aligns with your objectives.
So here’s our list of some of the top real estate marketing trends to watch out for this year.
6 Real Estate Marketing Trends and
How a VA Can Assist You
1. Marketing Automation and List Building System
In 2017, more real estate agents will adapt marketing automation because it saves a lot of time and money, especially when you are busy with closing deals, communicating to clients or taking care of your family.
However, often times, real estate professionals don’t know how to do it, or don’t have the resources to pay for real estate marketing automation software.
What a Real Estate VA Can Do:
- MLS & CRM Management – Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA) are experienced and familiar in maintaining top database systems like Salesforce, InfusionSoft, Top Producer, E-Edge, etc. When a new lead comes in, you don’t have to spend time transferring it to your CRM because the REVA will do it for you.
- Database and Property Software Management – For Property Management Firms, the virtual assistant will update your database to make sure you have complete tenant info such as payment transactions.
- List Building and Prospect Management – For Real Estate Investors, the VA can perform lead generation tasks according to your preferences (Probates, FSBOs, Foreclosures, etc.)
In this way, the leads are automatically contacted and added to your ongoing marketing strategy system.
Related Reading: How a Real Estate Marketing Assistant Can Take Your Company to the Next Level
2. Efficient Ads Targeting for Better Conversion
Creating meaningful targeting ad campaigns take extra work but you will definitely love the results. First thing to do is to segment your audience based on whether they are buyers, sellers, investors and other sub-categories. The trick here is to maintain that your ads are not flagged down when you post in sites like Craigslist.
What a Real Estate VA Can Do:
- Posting Ads – The virtual assistant will create and manage ad postings online and make sure your ads are not taken down.
- Update Property Listing – He or she can also update your listings to include only recent properties that are available for rent, lease or for sale. Task them to tag or remove those properties that are no longer available in the market.
- Listing Coordination – For investors, a REVA can manage accurate and timely updates of your property information. They can also assist in finding agents or brokers where you list your properties either for lease or for sale.
- Online Marketing – Additionally, the VA will use the following sites to market your properties online: Craigslist, Backpage, Kijiji, Zillow, Trulia etc.
This approach will help you get more leads and conversions from your targeted ads. Remember that once your prospects are tagged properly, you can then launch customized ad campaigns to attract them.
3. Real Estate Agents/Investors Will Do More Personalized Content Marketing
This year, you’ll discover more that personalized content is one of the most effective real estate marketing ideas to generate organic traffic to your website. Agents and investors need to focus more on user experience and create custom CMA reports and presentations for clients.
Target audience factors to consider:
- Types of clients: First-time homebuyers, upsizing, downsizing, relocation, investors
- Hyper local areas: zip codes, neighborhoods and subdivisions
- Types of homes: condos, lofts, townhouses, duplexes, lakefronts, estates
- Timing of the transaction: Moving now, moving soon, moving next year
What a Real Estate VA Can Do:
- Website and Social Media Updates – virtual content specialists can post relevant updates in your social media channels to increase engagement and update property listings on your website.
- Create Graphics and Marketing Materials – they can also provide you visually enticing images and graphics for flyers, brochures, leaflets and ads.
4. Website Live Chat and Customer Support
According to Forbes, online live chat support is going to be huge this year in the real estate industry. A live chat platform on your website means clients can visit your site and not only browse your properties but also have the opportunity for a person to person interaction.
Virtual real estate services include chat support agents that can answer questions in real time and provide further details people want to know about your business.
63% of consumers are more likely to return to a site that offers live chat, as opposed to one that doesn’t.
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What a Real Estate VA Can Do:
- Phone/Chat/Email Support and Customer Service – Virtual assistants will answer incoming calls from prospective tenants and will also handle maintenance calls from active tenants.
- Handle Inbound Calls – VAs can act as receptionists taking inbound calls. They will also answer phone inquiries and reply to emails.
- Appointment Setting / Follow-up calls – The executive assistants can also follow up with leads or with your prospective buyers and renters. They will also make outgoing calls for rent collection and payment reminders.
- Cold calling for Real Estate Agents and Brokers, Investors – Got an existing list of persons to contact? Real estate assistants can pitch them for your properties that are up for grabs.
- Meeting Set-up and Calendar Management – A dedicated assistant will set up your meetings and manage your calendar to ensure you are never overbooked and on schedule.
5. Virtual Open Houses and 3D listings
In real estate, virtual reality tours are becoming a more convenient option than the actual visit. This gives way for the buyers or renters to look at lots of houses quickly in their initial research phase.
One trending platform now is the Matterport 3D Tours that allows you to digitize your listings, helping buyers see a realistic 360-degree view of each of your properties.
What a Real Estate VA Can Do:
- Create Marketing Materials – Outsource virtual assistant to help you out with creating a virtual tour for your properties. He can also edit your existing videos or create other marketing materials such as flyers, brochures, leaflets and ads.
- Online Marketing and Website Update – as soon as you have your virtual open house ready, the VA can then promote it online such as in listing directories and include it in your website as an additional feature.
6. Mobile and Video Strategy
In this age of ‘on-the-go lifestyle’, more people conduct search and purchase right on their mobile phones. This can be one of your real estate marketing strategies where your content and ads can be optimized for better user experience.
73% of homeowners say that they’re more likely to list with a realtor who offers to create a video for them. ~Virtuets
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What a Real Estate VA Can Do:
- Create/Edit Video – VAs can use a service like Listing Videos from Vscreen and add 3D animation, professional narration and custom branding. This will help give consumers something extra, and keep their attention longer.
- Create Mobile-responsive Website Update – a tech VA can upgrade your website to include mobile functionality and improve user experience.
Need help implementing these strategies for your business in 2017? Take a look at our real estate virtual assistant services and see how our efficient VAs can assist you in your everyday tasks and objectives. CALL 1-866-596-9041.
We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any Real Estate related success stories, please leave a comment below.
Reference:
http://www.inman.com/
http://www.bostonlogic.com/
http://www.fortunebuilders.com/
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If you are a little rusty on LinkedIn marketing, it’s time to advance your real estate lead generation. Because of its trusted site status with Google, your LinkedIn profile will help boost your Google ranking and will often appear within the top results when people look for you online.
Currently, there are more than 7 million real estate professionals on LinkedIn so it does mean business—you need to have an active presence! Achieving success using LinkedIn is much more than just putting your profile out there. Take a look at the stats:
Image source: linkedin.com
When used consistently and properly, LinkedIn can help you spring top of mind and get the referral or sale. So let’s get on with it, shall we?
11 LinkedIn Real Estate Marketing Tricks
1. Reputation and Credibility
As one of the biggest decisions people make in their lives, buying a house will involve a great deal of trust confidence between two parties.
As a real estate agent, you want to reassure them you know what your talking about and have the experience to handle this important deal of their lives. Potential buyers will likely look you up online.
Mark Hawkins of Residential Leasing Group Inc says prospects use social media to research his company, as they do for potential tenants. In this step, your goal is to become one of the best realtor LinkedIn profiles out there.
Your profile page must have all the details of your experience and your specialties to help establish trust with a homebuyer and strengthen the relationship.
Bonus Tip: Make sure your profile data is100% Complete. Fill out all of the sections and reorder them from the most important information. The more you provide, the easier it will be to find you via LinkedIn search.
2. Powerful and Attractive Profile
First, pay attention to the most popular keywords related to real estate. For example, the fact that “real estate” is the most searched for is a hint that it needs to be somewhere in your headline.
Sure, you may do “home sales” but generally if you are a “realtor” or “real estate agent”, it’s best to put those terms first. Optimize your profile well and make it useful to a viewer so you could appear in more searches and get more visits to your website.
Bonus Tip: To help you in getting real estate leads, treat your LinkedIn profile URL as an online business card. So, if you are a realtor, broker, or agent, customize it to align with your business.
Example: Adding “realtor” to your name improves your profile’s ranking, i.e. http://www.linkedin.com/in/billsmithrealtor
Related Reading: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet in Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile in 2017
3. Make Your LinkedIn Company Page Stand Out
One reason why real estate agents use LinkedIn is to let people know right off the bat that they are legit and accredited.
Here’s how to make your company page stand out among other competitors:
- Add in every detail about your business
- Outline your experience in real estate
- Website URL
- Links to other social accounts
- Areas you specialize in (like selling certain types of homes or working within a criteria)
- Realtor certifications
Once you are done with the critical company info, create a professional-looking banner image for your Company Page header. If you don’t have or don’t know how to create one, you can select from virtual assistant services to develop one for you.
Regardless of how you get it, the important thing is it is high quality and showcases your business accolades. Here’s an example from Realty ONE Group:
Image source: placester.com
A great header image should include:
- Unique info about your business – Perhaps you…
- Had highest sales volume at your agency last year
- Helped close the largest deal in your company
- or have some top listings you have helped sell
- Anything that makes your business look like the cream of the crop
- An award or recognition in your marketplace or brokerage firm
Informative visual content that you can add in your LinkedIn page:
- Site/home photos
- Video documentary/recording
- Illustrations
- Infographics
- Slideshare presentations
Bonus Tip: Build your image showing that you are a tuned-in, experienced, hard-working real estate professional.
4. Create a Separate Showcase Page
You can create one or more Showcase Pages for posting real estate listings on LinkedIn; or to promote your offers, blog posts, referral programs, and other business information you want your audience to know.
Bonus Tip: The Company Page serves as your other real estate website while the Showcase Page is to your dedicated landing page, like your personal blog or “about me” page.
Here’s an example of one of Google’s Showcase Pages, Think with Google, which includes numerous posts linking back to its website:
Image source: Think with Google LinkedIn showcase page
5. Find and Connect with Real Estate Leads
How to get real estate leads on LinkedIn:
- Start by connecting with your old contacts, network of realtors and brokers, alumni, clients, organization members and friends.
- Once connected, you can then connect with their connections and so on.
- Use the search feature to find people that will fit your criteria.
Agent at Re/Max, Phil Lepage, says he found new clients and reconnected with colleagues using LinkedIn.
“These Individuals have been a great source of referrals as well as becoming my own clients when the time came for their real estate needs,” he said.
Bonus tip: Add connections from your existing email contact list or by importing a .csv file. Once you’ve imported these contacts, you can start connecting with them!
If you have multiple contact lists, a real estate virtual assistant can upload them all in your LinkedIn database and connect with them afterwards.
If you have multiple contact lists, a real estate virtual assistant can upload them all in your LinkedIn database and connect with them afterwards.
6. Stay Top of Mind by Posting Updates
Publish a significant amount of interesting content. Realtors are on LinkedIn often to get valuable information and see the latest market trends.
Picture LinkedIn as some kind of a black tie social media gathering—it’s more on the formal side—as most of your connections are from business relationships. So make your postings appeal to their professional interests.
What To Post/Share on LinkedIn
- Housing market trends and updates
- Financial or investment news and tips
- Construction projects in the community
- Local employment opportunities
- Helpful information on the neighborhood
- Marketing ideas in the real estate industry
- Update to celebrating a finished project (if you are working with one) or closing a deal
Post a variety of content:
- links to blogs
- curated pieces
- video/podcast interviews
- opinion pieces
- related articles
Once you get this posting routine going, publish each piece on your Company Page. People love great content and it’s an effective way to keep you top of mind with them.
Bonus Tip: Post frequently (3-4 per week) so you get more chances of profile views as well. View the status updates of other real estate members, liking and commenting the ones you find interesting.
7. Join or Create LinkedIn Real Estate Groups
Reach local community members and promote your business by joining real estate oriented groups. LinkedIn Groups is one of the best sources for social selling.
Be part of those that are full of potential customers rather than competitors. Once you become a member of these LinkedIn communities, check out the members to see if they fit the criteria you typically look for in clients.
Most of the time their profiles will give you insights into their personal lives, including if they’re in the market for a new home or ready to sell. Speak directly with these leads, answer their questions, and demonstrate your real estate expertise.
Attracting Leads through Asking and Answering Questions
- Ask questions – You never know when you might need a person’s help with a deal, or vice-versa.
- Express your personal and company brand – It is important to answer a question from your own perspective.
- Be helpful – Provide sincere and valuable information.
Bonus Tip: Give a unique voice on things that can help people remember you, making you a resource person for future questions they may have.
8. Private Messaging and Email Campaigns
Always send a personalized message when you find people of interest. The key to earning their trust is being genuine and honest. You can say something like…
- You are always looking to connect with locals
- You are intrigued about their own business or background
- You have known or have heard of them from a conference or event
- Ask who their ideal referrals are and you would be happy to send them their way
- Ask them to keep you in mind if they or people they know need your help
Bonus Tip: LinkedIn is a relationship platform so take at least three interactions before asking for something, like a referral. It shows a lack of a relationship and research when you make offers to people who clearly don’t need them.
9. Ask for Appropriate Recommendations
LinkedIn offers a built-in referral machine with its Recommendations feature.
Make sure to be specific about what you want to be included in your recommendations section.
It helps if you provide an outline or Q&A so that it would be easier for the author. This also increases your chances of receiving more recommendations.
10. Be an Authority on Real Estate
As discussed in #3, LinkedIn provides rich media options and the Pulse platform for you to share content and become a punlished authority on real estate in your network.
Increase your exposure to new and existing audience by posting images of exciting projects, PDF or Slideshare reports and whitepapers, link to downloadable files and other resources, as well as popular articles that could reach thousands of people.
11. Maintain a Professional Image
Many real estate agents and realtors use social media sites like Facebook and Pinterest to market their businesses and engage with customers.
There should be a strict line between professional and personal when it comes to controlling your brand reputation.
Personal issues and discussions should remain in social and casual sites like Facebook.
LinkedIn is a professional network, not a chat room for your friends.
One real estate agent reported he had little success with Facebook advertising as most people on there are not ready to buy a house. LinkedIn users on the other hand have an average household income of around $100,000, making it a more lucrative network for such purchases.
Limit Your Time on LinkedIn
Don’t spend all of your hours doing these strategies on your LinkedIn account and other social networks. The ultimate goal is to be getting leads, appointments, and getting face-to-face interaction with your prospects.
A virtual assistant (VA) can do all of the 11 LinkedIn tricks mentioned and all you need to do is spend a few minutes everyday to communicate and interact, then get out. It’s that simple.
Remember, social networks are used to open doors but your focus should be talking to leads and closing deals!
Amplify your LinkedIn marketing strategy and join our upcoming FREE Webinar Training!
- For Business Owners: Marketing on Linkedin.com for Business Owners (including Real Estate Agents/Investors, Entrepreneurs, & any small business owners)
Wednesday, March 15 at 8AM-9AM PST (11AM-12PM EST)
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8103839782577416449
- For Insurance Agents: Marketing on Linkedin.com for Insurance Agents
Thursday, March 16 at 8AM-9AM PST (11AM-12PM EST)
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2292007135618632961
- For Network Marketers: Marketing on Linkedin.com for Network Marketers
Thursday, March 23 at 8AM-9AM PST (11AM-12PM EST)
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6615289055o57175553
References:
www.davebyrnes.com
blog.resaas.com
www.linkedin.com
www.360agentblog.com
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Millions of consumers visit Craigslist each month, thus making this as one of the best free classifieds site online.
How you post a Craigslist ad will define how quickly your items will sell.
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That is, “if” they even sell at all. When you set out to write a Craigslist ad, you can use some simple suggestions that will help you sell what you are trying to unload quickly and to the right prospect.
There are many factors to consider when posting your ad so your listing will not get flagged.
Related: When to hire a virtual assistant
How to advertise on Craigslist:
- Advertise by geographical area
- Advertise
- Sell responsibly
- Check results
Even if you post legitimate ads, there is a possibility that Craigslist will still flag and your ads get ghosted. Why is that? There are a number of reasons why but before we go further let us know what is flagging and ghosting on Craigslist mean.
Flagging – is a system to quickly identify illegal and inappropriate postings. This is an option in which Craigslist users can flag ads of other users.
Ghosting – is the term used when you make a post on Craigslist and the system notifies you that your post has been published but in reality, your post, by no means did not appear on the front page of Craigslist.
Reasons for flagging:
- Wrong category
- Prohibited
- Spam or over post
Reasons for ghosting:
- Many ads before were flagged
- CL staff will decide if the ad is worth posting or not or by automated system
- Overposting
Don’t be complacent about your business’ ad posting just because you think your post went through and nobody is watching your back. Your competitor might be lurking and is there ready to attack anytime and flag your ad down once it is up on the list. A marketing virtual assistant knows exactly what needs to be done in order for your post to get approved on Craigslist.
Basically, Craigslist is trying to avoid marketers spamming the site with unwanted ads and wants to make sure the ads are legitimate and unique and from different people. Unfortunately, Craigslist staff knows how to verify if an ad is appropriate or not.
- IP Address. According to Craigslist’s terms, ads posted by a specific IP are only allowed to post once in one section in one city. If Craigslist determines one IP address is placing multiple ads or an ad in multiple cities, the ad or all ads will likely be flagged or ghosted.
- Email Address. There are a limited amount of times a user can post with the same email address or account. If they see that an email account is posting multiple times, especially within 48 hours, the ad or all ads may be flagged or ghosted.
- Title and Content. Craigslist has software that routinely compares content so that all posts are distinct and unique. If you are posting the same ad time and again, that ad and the other duplicates will possibly be flagged or ghosted.
Additionally, hiring virtual assistant can help you save time because a VA can monitor your ads as well as handle inquiries over the phone or via email. You can then focus on more strategies for your business and your virtual assistant can post and promote an ad or two on Craigslist.
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