The recruiting process is fun, exhilarating, and a lot of work. Trying to keep contacts and prospects organized is a challenge, to say the least. According to Dunbar’s Number theory, the human brain can only hold about 150 names and faces as relationships or primary contacts.
When you are in full-blown recruiting mode, getting a handle on all the new information will prove itself a critical component if you want to have an agent sign over to your brokerage.
If you haven’t started using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, there are so many available out there and it’s a lot to take in. Learning which one works best for your needs will be a total recruiting game changer.
First steps
One of the first things you need to do is find a CRM that works best for you, your needs and your agents’ needs. Develop an action plan that addresses all of your business needs. What do you need your CRM to do? Did you want to use it for scripts? Coaching? What to do with a new lead or existing clients? Will you be sending emails or texts?
Did you need a CRM to track the status of your prospects or to track communications?
Here are the top reasons people have looked into a CRM software for their business.
A CRM opens up a world of organizational potential for you and your team. Improving organization within your brokerage will allow agents to do what they do best. It improves any growth or transitions that need to happen as it stores the necessary information to make movement a smooth process. As you grow your team, this will be an important asset to their training.
Knowing exactly what you need means that you can find the tools that work best for you.
What a CRM can do
There are so many things that a CRM can do for you that you might not know about yet.
Not only can a CRM automate a lot of your communication but it can track the activity you and a prospect have. It can track emails, notes and even phone calls. You can create tasks and reminders for that imperative follow-up that could secure you a new agent. Tracking also helps monitor engagement and the quality of leads over time.
The above features are the ones that are most requested for CRM and for good reason. With the ability to keep everyone’s information in one location, contact management is the key feature to CRM that will help your business and your agent’s business. Setting up tasks and alerts will help you and your team stay on top of a growing business.
You can also create buckets or groups. Perhaps you have a set of prospective agents or clients who are nearly ready to switch and require a small text or email to follow up. You might also have a group of prospective recruits that require a bit more of a long game approach, which we write about here.
CRMs can be used for a lot more work than organizational and communication purposes. It could be a great tracker for lead generation. Providing an information capture page on a website or on your socials means that prospective agents could trickle into your pipeline without you have to go out and actively scout for them.
After you get agents in the pipeline, a CRM can also lead nurture through automation and drip campaigns. Although it sounds so impersonal, drip campaigns are a great way to stay top of mind for warm leads who are still thinking about making a switch.
Although many of these CRMs function with email, don’t forget the power of the text message. We also delve into the difference between following up with either and assess which one is more effective.
And don’t forget: a CRM isn’t just about lead generation. It’s creating a connection between you and a prospective agent or client, whether they join your brokerage, do business with you, or not. With their information stored, you can help celebrate their wins, whether they are with your brokerage or not. It’s not just a software, it’s a strategy and tool to improve your business.
Where to get prospective agent information
One of the biggest challenges to the recruiting process is finding warm leads in a sea of agents. One option is to compile a database of agents in your area and spend an outrageous amount of time cold calling them. The challenge is to come up with a fresh approach to asking the same questions every single time and just hoping that you find someone who has been thinking about making a switch to a different brokerage.
Word of mouth is a great way to find prospective agents to join your brokerage. However, that process is lengthy and timely.
On average, without any assistance, the average brokerage hires 1.19 agents per year.
If you are looking to expand your brokerage quickly and effectively you’re going to need help. Finding a service that offers a way in which to find warm leads is the best way to leverage your time and money.
Shameless plug, SmartSetter provides exactly the service you need. On average, our clients are able to hire 1.19 agents per month, or 19 agents a year based on our medium growth plan. It’s an investment that has yearly returns.
By using a service that makes the cold calls for you, you instantly add dozens of names into your CRM tool. You will have more to work with, and with time, more people to connect with in the future.
Leading with CRM
If you are a broker/owner, having a CRM will show your current and prospective agents that you are on the leading edge of client management. Using these tools will not only help your business, but help theirs as well.
Using and providing CRM for your agents will also help them manage their own clients. It will keep their own prospective buyers and sellers organized. It will help them stay top of mind and to set reminders for those all-important follow-up emails and texts. All around, getting yourself and your agents familiar with a CRM tool will not only help your business, but it will also allow it to flourish.