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How to Stop Struggling with Lead Generation

May 12, 2011

Posted by

Maya Bailey




Every week I hear from dozens of real estate professionals who are asking themselves “Why can't I get my pipeline full of prospective clients?”  Now, more than ever, people are struggling with lead generation and looking for solutions.

Is it any wonder that most real estate agents feel blocked when it comes to picking up the phone and calling prospective clients?  Think about it for a moment.  None of us were trained from our childhood to do anything like that.  In fact, our conditioning trained us to do just the opposite.  We learned things like "Don't talk to strangers;” "It's not okay to ask for what you want;" "If you call people you're bothering them."  The list goes on.

Let's face it, You didn't really get into real estate so that you could call up strangers on the phone to see if you could interest them in your services.  You got into real estate because you love to help people buy and sell homes.

Several years ago, there wasn't such a big problem.  You could attract clients in a number of different ways, such as open houses, farming an area, sending out thank you notes, floor duty.  Remember those days?

Those days are gone.  That's a reality.  In his new book SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times, Gary Keller states, "You can't sit back.  You must be more rigorous and resolute in your lead generation than ever before—and more so than anyone else."  He goes on to say that now the name of the game is that you have two businesses. The first business is the one that's easy for you, helping people buy and sell homes, working with contracts, negotiating with buyers and sellers, and so forth.  Your second business—the one that you haven't wanted to address—is the business of lead generation, sometimes referred to as “prospecting.”


Most people don't want to address this part of their business because it's just plain scary.  The idea of setting aside two hours a day every day to call people you don't know makes most real estate agents get very anxious.  Then they find things to do instead of lead generation, like busy work.  This is called AVOIDANCE.

Maybe you've noticed this in yourself.  It goes something like this:  “I don't really need to prospect today; I've got plenty of other work to do.  Maybe I'll get around to it tomorrow.  I have some leads to follow up with, and I don't mind that.  But when I look over to the phone to call up complete strangers, it seems like the phone weighs a ton.”  What happens after that inner conversation is AVOID, AVOID, AVOID.  So the first step is to be honest and admit to yourself that you've been avoiding the very action step that could make all the difference in your business.

The challenge is for you to admit that, but without judgment or blame.  This is where a lot of people get stuck.  When I coach my clients, I help them to find the balance so that they are accountable for themselves in a compassionate and encouraging way.   I love to teach clients ways to inspire and encourage themselves so they create success with ease.

Common Misconceptions

Here are some common misconceptions that most real estate agents carry that keep them from effectively generating leads.

1.  Time:  the first misconception that real estate agents have is that they don't have enough time to add lead generation into their schedule.  By working on your time management skills, perhaps getting up a bit earlier, or re-arranging some of your routine, you can find two to three hours every morning for prospecting.

2.  “I won't know what to say,” coupled with “I'm afraid of making mistakes.”  Keller remarks that, "Prospecting is nothing more than a set of tasks and skills that are well documented.”  In other words, you can learn what to say; it's not a mystery.  You just need to have scripts for different categories of people.  A little rehearsal with a coach goes a long way here.

3.  “It takes money to make money.”  Some are afraid to go 100 percent into lead generation, because they're afraid that it will cost them money and they're already feeling strapped.  This misconception is based on a kind of advertising model that a lot of real estate agents have learned in the past.  There's no doubt that advertising is expensive, and a few years ago it may have paid off.  The beauty of prospecting is that it does not require an outlay of cash.

4.  The “telemarketer” misconception.  This misconception is usually stated like this:  “I really don't like it when telemarketers call me.  I always feel interrupted and disturbed. How can I do to someone else what I don't like done to me?”  You are not a telemarketer, because when telemarketers call you, they are calling to sell you something.  In contrast, when you call a client, you are calling to see if they might need some help from you. 

Furthermore, as a real estate agent who is doing lead generation, you are not likely to call in the evenings during dinner.  You're likely to call in the morning, between nine and 11 AM for example, and people are much more receptive at that time.

Being There

How can anyone hire you, unless they know you exist and that you're capable and interested in helping them?  It's your job as a real estate professional to let clients know that you exist and that you have a desire to be of service.  In fact, the more your leading motivation is to help people, the more that will come across in your conversation.  If you are in alignment with your purpose, this will be reflected in your voice.  Your voice won't sound abrasive, it will sound invitational.  It will have a lilt.  People will be attracted to your voice and your energy, no matter which exact words you use.

Don’t worry about rejection.  Instead of being worried about the reaction you will get on the phone, think of it this way:  you are looking for someone who matches the services you offer.  You have an expertise in helping people to buy and sell homes.  You can be proud of that expertise.  When you do lead generation, you're exploring to see if you can find a match for someone who's looking for your expertise.  If someone is interested in your services, you’ve found a match.  If they are not interested in your services, they are not rejecting you.  It simply is not a match.  Thank them and move on to the next.

One of the most effective things you can do is to invest in a coach or mentor who will help you to discover any self-limiting beliefs that are holding you back,  then help you to move forward in lead generation with a new positive outlook.

