In June I introduced you to the idea of spotted leads, and last month’s “Art of Canvassing” article I side-tracked a little to address the questions I received on the blog regarding compliance with the federal DNC. This month I want to get back to the spotted leads and discuss following them up on the telephone, specifically the script to use calling spotted leads.
Spotted Leads Defined
Let me take a moment to define what I mean by spotted leads. The industry standard is that 40-50% of canvassed leads result in a demo, where the company’s policy is that all the homeowners are there for the presentation. But what happens to the other half of those leads? They usually drop off due to the following:
- You’re never able to reach the homeowner to confirm the demo
- The homeowner cancels the appointment, or
- The homeowner cancels the appointment and asks to be called at a later date to reschedule
A successful canvassing department (regardless how many people are in the department) must follow up all their leads. One of the 5 reasons home improvement companies fail at canvassing is because of the phone room, and how they handle the leads. The key is in the scripting (I know I’m getting off the subject a little, but it’ll all make sense – just keep reading).
There are a percentage of homes you’ll canvass where no one will be home (often a good-sized number). Just because no one’s home doesn’t mean the home isn’t an opportunity for home improvements; many times it’s the opposite. In most developments the homes are built around the same time and usually following the same specs, which means chances are good if one home needs replacement windows, most of them will need replacement windows (scouting and identifying these types of neighborhoods is very important, which I address in another portion of my program, which phone coaching clients learn about).
Therefore, if you’re finding a lot of the homes on the canvass route need your products and services yet no one’s home to answer the door… don’t discount them; capture them. Your canvassers should document the addresses and a brief description of the homes they canvass but don’t connect with a homeowner (refer to my June 1, 2010 article/post for the canvasser “Spotted Lead” sheet I provided). You can then follow up on these leads by telephone. These are the leads I consider “spotted leads.”
Making Contact on those Missed Canvass Contacts
Once you’ve captured spotted leads, follow them up by telephone to schedule for a demo (the same objective as canvassing). I see a lot of companies trying to reinvent the script when calling the leads. The truth is there’s very little difference on how you handle these leads compared to those you present to at the door. The only difference is in the introduction. Everything else is exactly the same. Once you present the introduction to a spotted lead you move directly into step 2, 3 and so on of my program depending on the homeowner’s response to your introduction. You have to treat the spotted leads properly, because it’s a unique lead source (just like canvassed leads). The key is in the introduction.
Here’s the traditional introduction script I teach canvassers. For this example, we’ll presume the company doing the canvassing carries a line of several products. Additionally, they’re not currently installing in the area.
Canvassing Script: (Step 1 – Introduction)
Canvasser – Hello good evening we’re just dropping off a notification that we’re going to be doing some work in the neighborhood and that there might be some noise and dust. Here you go (Hand off flier or door hanger to the homeowner). We do windows, siding, roofing and leaf protection gutters.
In the mean time, since we are going to be out here we have scheduled several appointments for FREE ESTIMATES with many of your neighbors. So with that in mind off that list (Point to flier or door hanger the homeowner is now holding) what might be the next home improvement you might look into for your home?
If the prospect responds with, “We’re not interested”, the canvasser moves to Step 2 in my program. If the prospect doesn’t object, you’d move to booking an appointment.
Here’s the script for calling spotted leads.
Spotted Lead Script: (Step 1 – Introduction)
Phone Rep – Hello, Mr. Homeowner?
Prospect – yes/ hold one second let me get him or her/etc.
Phone Rep – Hi, good evening this is Chris with XYZ Home Improvement Company and we are doing work on homes in your neighborhood and we recently handed out notification fliers to you and all of your neighbors notifying that there might be some noise and dust. Now I understand that you have the gray house with the red shutters, correct?
Prospect – yes
Canvasser – Ok good, just in case you didn’t get the notification flier and that you’re aware, we’re installing replacement windows, siding, roofing and leaf protection gutters.
In the mean time, since we are already going to be out there we have scheduled several appointments for FREE ESTIMATES with many of your neighbors. So with that in mind out of the windows, siding, roofing or leaf protection gutters what would be the next home improvement you might look into for your home?
If the prospect responds with, “We’re not interested”, the telemarketer moves to Step 2 in my program. If the prospect doesn’t object, they’d move to booking an appointment.
If you compare the canvassing introduction with the spotted lead introduction you’ll notice subtle differences. In the canvassing script you use the door hanger or flier as a tool to get the door opened and involve the prospect.
In the spotted lead call you reference the door hanger or flier to connect the prospect with you (based on something they received), but it’s not critical to the introduction that they received it. If your tie-down question were, “Do you recall receiving it?”, meaning the flier, they’re likely to say no (to try and get you off the phone) and you’ll waste valuable time explaining it… it’s not important. The tie-down question in the script is very important, “Now, I understand that you have the gray house with the red shutters, correct?”
You know the answer to this will be yes because you have the information from the “Spotted Lead” sheet. This question does 2 things. It adds credibility to your call; it’s not a “cold” sales call. And it establishes a positive response from the homeowner, setting up an important pattern in getting the appointment (identical to my “Rule of 6”, used later in the presentation – not shown here).
From this script you move the prospect through the rest of the presentation identically to that if you were at their front door.
On a side note; I’ve found canvassers who know the presentation script inside and out, yet they struggle to close appointments at the front door. They’re able to role play the script flawlessly in the office, but they’re just not able to put up the numbers in the field. I’ve taken those people and moved them to the phones to follow up booked leads and spotted leads where they find great success. I don’t have an answer why other than some people are better on the phone than in person. Some of my best telemarketers came up through the ranks as a canvasser.
If you’re capturing spotted leads now, but have been struggling to convert them to appointments, implement the script I’ve provided you here.
Next month, I’ll cover the kind of numbers you can expect from capturing and following up on spotted leads.
If you have questions regarding the information in this article, or how to handle spotted leads you’re capturing now, feel free to leave a post here on the blog and I’ll answer your question(s).