Comments on: Lead is a Four Letter Word But When Did It Become Dirty?

By: Teresa Boardman

Teresa Boardman — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:20:44 +0000

sofisticated consumers don’t become leads or take the “lead bait” on the aggregation sites. There are many places to look at listings where the consumer can keep their privacy and not have to give away email addresses or contact information. Once they sign in they get “dripped on” by lenders. The whole system is so misleading. They get an agent who bought a zip code. That agent may or may not know the area or have ever sold a home. Not a good way to choose an agent.

By: Missy Caulk

Missy Caulk — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:59:38 +0000

A lead is a consumer who visits one of my web sites and registers. They only become a client when we connect with them and start to help them. I have been following all the chatter and my take is the feeling people have that is negative is towards paying for leads.

I think some people TRIED lead generation companies and were not delivered on what they were promised so they are negative towards all companies. However, new people need all the business they can get and if it works for them they should not be condemned because they use ANY system to generate business that works for them.

No one should put all their eggs in one basket. Track, track, track.

Plato said, ” Be kind because everyone you know is fighting some battle”.

By: ARDELL

ARDELL — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 04:11:20 +0000

“These submission forms aren’t always because people want to be contacted. Often the site offers to give you information, but the catch is that you have to complete their form”

BINGO!

I shudder to think how many agent bloggers think that they can directly contact anonymous commenters who ask questions, just because the system provides an email address.

By: Brian LeBars

Brian LeBars — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:28:40 +0000

I think you may find this video interesting. I felt the same way until I viewed this site. Tom has some great view points.

http://tomsreblog.com/2008/01/29/are-you-like-these-people/

By: Denver Refinance

Denver Refinance — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:39:44 +0000

I noticed at some of the churches I used to attend they started calling people “seekers.” That was their word for leads. They would invite some unwitting “seekers” to play some hoops, then they would have a Bible study/arm twisting session after the game to try to turn the “seeker” into one of them. Not my brand of religious proselytizing, but the word always stuck with me. These guys were doing good, old-fashioned, lead follow up and lead conversion. They just called it by a different name.

These submission forms aren’t always because people want to be contacted. Often the site offers to give you information, but the catch is that you have to complete their form. Many of these people are just seeking information.

The form submitter is a “Need” from their perspective, but to the real estate professional, they are a “lead.” It depends upon perspective. I understand, however, the need for a new word. There is a slight difference between client and customer, for example. I can’t think of a good word, but “seekers” is out there for the taking. Hey, it’s working for the religious set.

By: Louis Cammarosano

Louis Cammarosano — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:22:48 +0000

There has been a lot of negative press around the term “lead”.

Use it in a sentence with “Generation” and “Company” and you get what we had here last night - comments about the “dark side” “lack of integrity” “no redeeming quality” “crappy” “pathetic” “horrible” etc.

The problem I have with leads is not the creation of them but rather how they are treated by real estate professionals.

1000 Watt Consultancy has a good video that illustrates a simple point - the person who fills out a form, or calls, emails or IM’s an agent does not what to be treated as a “lead” they want, as Joe points out to have their “needs” met. In the video the consumers say -”its all about me”. They just as well could be saying “its all about my needs”.