If your team isn’t directly reaching out to people to try to connect with them, all the fancy AI and tools in the world aren’t going to help you turn more leads into closings.
The key tools to drive production on your team are already at your fingertips in your Smart Lists, Smart List Collections, and with Smart List Zero. Use our tools and guides to help your team to understand and utilize these tools so that they are set up to reach out to the right person at the right time, with the right information to increase your chances of winning the trust and business of those looking to buy or sell in your community.
Watch the below video for a run down of Follow Up Boss Smart Lists, suggestions on how to effectively group them into collections, and how to help your team achieve Smart List Zero!
Want a proven Smart List and accountability system that works? Check out our FUB System Builds and other services here and we will do all the heavy lifting for you!
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, some of the largest collections of items ever recorded have included Star Wars Memorabilia, unopened Coca-Cola bottles, salt-and-pepper shakers, and rubber ducks.
For a lot of us humans, it’s in our nature to collect or group things together. And while I would hope that you don’t have so many Smart Lists that your agents are thinking about calling Guinness – and if you do call me so we can help you – being able to collect our Smart Lists together is the next phase of organizing our work well so that we can turn more leads into closings.
Lee, Jake, and Tiffany got together and went on a deep dive into this new Follow Up Boss feature that allows us to standardize our processes easier, give more context to the lists so that our agents can trust them, reduce clutter, and establish better workflows for leads.
Watch the video below to learn all the ins and outs of this fantastic new feature!
We have three ways to help you level up your Smart List game this week!
🚀 Follow Up Boss’ Smart List Collections Follow Up Boss has made an incredible new leap in helping us organize our Smart Lists! Smart List Collections allows you to group related Smart Lists to allow you to structure your team’s work and manage your leads more efficiently.
🚀 Watch our new YouTube Playlist of our deep dives on how to use your Smart Lists to convert more leads into transactions by clicking Play All below.
🚀 Get to know our new Follow Up Boss Companion app, Smart List Zero, to identify your top performers at a glance, monitor your lead reassignments in real time, and turn your FUB data into real converting action. Watch the video below!
A well-utilized CRM is the backbone of an efficient, high-performing team. It’s one thing to have the latest tools and tech, but convincing your team to embrace it and be excited to use it is another ball game. Success starts with buy-in and getting your team excited about using a CRM is all about positioning it as a tool for them—not just the business. Show them the value, make it easy to use, and celebrate every step forward. With these strategies, your CRM will go from a “necessary evil” to the MVP of your team’s success.
Here are some steps to help you overcome resistance and get your team fully on board with using your CRM and seeing the vision of how it will benefit them.
Start with the Why: Show the Big Picture
People resist change when they don’t understand the “why” behind it. Begin by explaining how the CRM isn’t just another tool—it’s a game-changer for their productivity, lead conversion, and client relationships and be sure to ensure that you are explaining how it will benefit the individual agent, not the company as a whole. Personal benefits are much more motivating than being told to use something so that the company can make its goals.
Try this: Share success stories from other teams or agents who saw real results by using a CRM. Highlight how it can make their daily grind easier and more rewarding.
Choose or Optimize the Right CRM
If the CRM feels clunky or doesn’t align with your team’s workflow, resistance is inevitable. Make sure the platform you choose is intuitive, integrates seamlessly with existing tools, and offers mobile functionality for agents on the go. If you feel as though you are under-utilizing all that your CRM has to offer, as a trusted advisor to give you some guidance or overhaul your system for you.
Try this: Involve key team members in customizing the CRM. When they feel like they have a say in the process, they’re more likely to embrace the tool. If you need a second set of eyes on your system, we offer a free assessment of your account that can inform you of where to look to make improvements!
Make Training Practical, Regular, and Hands-On
Simply saying, “Here’s a new tool—go figure it out,” is a recipe for frustration. Provide clear, engaging training that demonstrates how to use the CRM in real-world scenarios. Training once isn’t going to be effective, ensure that you are regularly covering the various ways to use your CRM so that everyone stays fresh on the process.
Try this: Host live demos and walk through everyday tasks like adding a lead, setting reminders, or tagging contacts. Provide cheat sheets or short tutorial videos for quick reference and one place that houses all the CRM rules and training so that they are set up to help themselves should they get stuck on what to do.
Lead by Example
As a leader, your actions set the tone. If you’re actively using the CRM and showcasing its benefits, your team is more likely to follow suit. This will also help you discover challenges before they have a wide effect and discover new ways to identify the hottest leads within your CRM.
Try this: Regularly highlight wins that come from using the CRM. For instance, share how an automated follow-up helped you close a deal or how the database streamlined client outreach.
Gamify Adoption
Competition always spices things up and, for us real estate nerds, it seems to motivate a lot of us. Turn CRM adoption into a game by rewarding those who engage with the platform consistently.
Try this: Tie rewards to activities that drive results, such as completing tasks, updating contact info, or tracking follow-ups in the CRM. Offer prizes for milestones like “Most Contacts Added This Month” or “Fastest Lead Response Time.” Create a leaderboard to showcase top performers.
Address Resistance with Empathy
Some team members may feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the CRM. Instead of pushing harder, listen to their concerns and offer support.
Try this: Acknowledge the learning curve and celebrate small wins along the way. Building confidence will go a long way toward breaking down resistance. Schedule one-on-one sessions to troubleshoot challenges or answer questions as they may be reluctant to speak up in front of the group. Frame the CRM as a tool to support them, not replace them.
Make It a Habit
The best way to ensure CRM adoption is to integrate it into your team’s daily workflow. The more you talk about how to use it, how it works, and how it benefits the agent, the better. By creating universal rules and a CRM Handbook for your agents to follow, you will help them build a strong foundation of habits to use for prospecting to grow their business and yours!
Try this: Set non-negotiables, like logging every new lead into the CRM. When the system becomes part of the routine, it feels less like “extra work.” Encourage agents to start their day by checking tasks and leads in the CRM. Build CRM updates into team meetings and one-on-ones.
Evaluate and Adjust
CRM adoption isn’t a one-and-done effort. Regularly assess how the tool is being used and gather feedback from your team. If something isn’t working, tweak it or consult with those in the know to find a better solution.
Try this: Conduct quarterly “CRM tune-ups” to ensure the system is aligned with your team’s evolving needs and goals. This will help to remind everyone of the basics and ensure that bad habits aren’t having a chance to form, leaving you with clean, reliable data that you can trust to help you find the next person to help buy or sell a home.
The Teams Report is something that we are excited about because it uncovers critical insights on how top teams structure their organizations, manage lead gen, compensate team members, and much more. It’s a must-read for anyone looking to understand the future of real estate teams.
It Includes:
The spending habits of teams and how they drive top-line growth
The untapped potential of Sphere of Influence (SOI) marketing, which remains underinvested by most teams
Why teams are optimistic about growth despite current market disruptions
Also watch our latest episode of Powering Real Estate, in which we dive deep into creating a handbook for your CRM to ensure full adoption from your team. Be sure to click the link to the free template so that you can make a copy and easily begin creating one for your business!
The June 1 mark has passed and you are likely seeing changes within your inbox with how emails are delivered and facing some challenges with your attempts to reach your audience. Never fear, Dear Reader! We have the tools and strategies to help you stay informed and confident in this new territory and keep your computer out of the dumpster. Use the links and strategies below to learn more about what is going on and how to combat those ever-evolving spam filters from blocking your valuable information from reaching its destination.
Re-authenticate your custom domain. Yes, even if you’ve already done this! Small shifts have happened since the February calls to authenticate your custom domain and it may have altered the authentication without your knowledge. Pop back in and make sure that this is done properly, and our friends at Follow Up Boss have updated the process to make it even easier for you to do!
Make sure you are considering all strategies available to you to fight spam blockers. This includes reviewing your content for keywords that may be flagged and regularly reviewing your numbers to make small tweaks that improve your credibility scores. You can consult our guide here!
Segment your database to ensure that you are only sending messages to the right audience. This means to separate your contacts using stages, tags, custom fields, and Smart Lists so that you can better understand who is receiving your content and for what reason. We teamed up with Follow Up Boss to teach you how to do this during this video.
Search and learn about implementing email authentication protocols like Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) which add an extra layer of security to your emails.
Check your business registration within Follow Up Boss. Ensure all your information is up to date and you have a physical address listed. If that is missing it will also affect your deliverability rates. Use this link to learn more about this feature within FUB.
Staying ahead of the competition requires innovation and adaptation. While traditional marketing strategies like flyers, open houses, and networking events still hold value, the digital age demands more dynamic approaches. One is podcasting, and there are a surprising number of benefits to this creative marketing.
🎙️Podcasting has seen a meteoric rise in popularity over the past decade. According to Edison Research and Triton Digital’s Infinite Dial 2023 report, over 60% of the U.S. population (approximately 212 million people) have listened to a podcast at least once. Moreover, 41% (approximately 144 million people) listen to podcasts monthly, and 28% (around 98 million people) are weekly podcast listeners.
🎙️ One of the key benefits of starting a podcast is the opportunity to establish yourself as an authority in the industry. By sharing insights, market trends, and expert advice, you position yourself as a knowledgeable and trustworthy professional. This can significantly enhance your reputation and make you the go-to expert for clients seeking reliable information and guidance.
🎙️ Podcasts allow for deep dives into topics that are important to your audience. Whether it’s discussing the intricacies of buying a first home, the latest market trends, or investment strategies, you can provide valuable content that educates and informs. This not only helps build trust but also keeps your audience coming back for more.
🎙️ Unlike written content, podcasts offer a unique opportunity to create a personal connection with your audience. The human voice conveys emotion and personality in ways that text alone cannot. This personal connection is crucial. Buying or selling a home is a significant decision, and clients want to work with someone they feel comfortable with and can trust. A podcast can humanize your brand, allowing potential clients to get to know you on a more personal level before they even meet you.
🎙️ Podcasts are easily accessible and can be consumed on the go, whether listeners are commuting, working out, or relaxing at home. This convenience factor means your content can reach a wider audience than traditional marketing methods. Additionally, podcasts can be distributed across multiple platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your own website, maximizing your reach and visibility.
🎙️ Podcast episodes can be repurposed into other content forms such as blog posts, social media snippets, and email newsletters. This not only saves time but also ensures a consistent message across all your marketing channels.
🎙️ Podcasts can be a powerful lead-generation tool. By consistently providing valuable content, you can attract potential clients who are interested in your expertise. Incorporate calls to action within your episodes, such as inviting listeners to visit your website, sign up for a newsletter, or contact you for more information. This can drive traffic to your digital platforms and convert listeners into leads.
🎙️ Podcasts can open doors to new business opportunities. Interviewing industry experts, local business owners, or satisfied clients can create networking opportunities and partnerships that can further enhance your business.
Staying organized and efficient is crucial to your success and there’s no better tool to achieve this than a solid CRM system. We install Ferrari engines into Follow Up Boss Accounts every single day, but our efforts would be lost if the agents fail to understand how to use the system that we installed.
One way we combat this is by building a manual for the team to unite behind, and we’re here to show you how to build a similar one for your team!
Understanding why you need a handbook for your CRM will assist you in creating one. It will ensure that everyone, from new hires to seasoned veterans, is using the same definitions for stages and tags and managing the database of leads in the same way.
Having this also streamlines your operations, reducing the risk of errors and missed opportunities. It also helps your team have the knowledge and confidence to work independently and excel in their roles. If they have a reference point for troubleshooting, they will experiment more with advanced features which fosters a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
Work to clearly show all processes, best practices, and tips so that your team is harnessing the full power of your CRM. Cover how you want your leads managed, follow-up protocols, and client communication strategies so that you can feel confident that no matter which member of your team receives a lead, they will know exactly what to do with it.
Do not assume that everyone will understand a basic description. Go into as much detail as you can, likely more than you think is necessary, and be sure to use screenshots and links to a quick video tutorial wherever possible.
Approach this project as something ongoing, it’s definitely not a set-it-and-forget-it scenario. With every change, new lead source, and tool you integrate you will need to go back to update the document and re-circulate it for your team. Best practice here is to update one live document and ask your team to bookmark it rather than having to circulate updated .pdfs over and over again. This will ensure that they are always viewing the most up-to-date information.
