Scheduling Leads through Social Media
If you're like most contractors running Facebook ads, your ads generate lots of leads, but you struggle to get them scheduled for appointments. The people you get on the phone seem uninterested or don’t remember filling out their information.
Or, worse yet, you struggle to get anyone on the phone in the first place - even when you call back within seconds!
You’re not alone. There’s a reason all this is happening. And understanding that reason could help you go from booking almost nothing to completely filling up your schedule with sales appointments.
Here’s why getting social media leads on the schedule is so challenging
Most of the leads you get, that aren’t from social media, are already at the bottom of the funnel. They’ve thought about it. They’ve done their research. Then filled out their information online.
Social media leads are different. They’re more mid-funnel, or middle-bottom.
That’s why people who submit their information on your website tend to have more urgent situations (e.g., their HVAC system broke down in the middle of summer) while a lead that comes from social media is more likely to have less urgent ones (their HVAC hasn’t broken down, but it’s getting old and they know they’ll need to replace it soon.)
A lead that reaches out through your website has also had time to do their research, read your reviews, etc., but a social media lead is being plucked out of the process early.
Are you starting to understand the challenge this creates?
Social media leads don’t have an urgent need to respond, and they also don’t know your company yet. To put it bluntly: your company is low on their priority list.
But here’s what’s important to understand: you can get these leads scheduled and sold! These are still real people who need your services. So these challenges don’t make it impossible, they just require a different process.
And that “different process” is exactly what we’ll be covering in the rest of this article - so keep reading!
How to schedule your Facebook leads over the phone
The greeting makes or breaks the call
By far, the most important part of the call is the first few seconds.
With the crazy amount of cold calls people get nowadays, it’s important to let them know your call is in response to their inquiry - it’s not a cold call. So when you call your leads, don’t say “this is John calling you from ABC HVAC” - say “this is John getting back to you from ABC HVAC.”
This is so critical for social media leads because they’re less likely to remember who you are, than a lead from Google who did their research on your company already.
Firmly set the agenda
When you call a Google lead within the first few minutes, you’ve gotten ahold of them while they’re still thinking about why they reached out. They need help with their HVAC unit, or their remodel, or whatever your company does.
That means you called them at a convenient time and they’re more likely to sit still, answer your questions, and set the appointment.
On the other hand, when do people typically use Facebook and Instagram? While they’re relaxing. And if you reach them a few days later, they’ve probably all but forgotten why they reached out.
So you’re less likely to reach social media leads at a convenient time. They’re more likely to be antsy and fire back at you with their own questions. But firmly setting the agenda can work wonders!
Once you’ve greeted them, let them know what you intend to do on the call. “I saw that you reached out to us on Facebook to get a quote on replacing your HVAC system, so I’m calling to get your appointment scheduled. I just have a few questions for you first, okay?”
When you say this with friendliness and confidence, people seem to go with it. It’s as if they see a train in motion and hop right on. On the other hand if you hesitate, sound nervous, or ask if they’re still interested, they’ll grab control of the conversation and derail your chances of getting them booked.
Give your prospects good vibes
On that note, tonality is another crucial aspect of your ability to set appointments. If your tone isn’t pleasant, and you sound like you don’t want to be talking with them, people probably won’t want to talk to you either.
People can generally hear a smile through the phone. Before you call your leads, take a deep breath and smile brightly. Record yourself and play it back until you’ve built up a warm and confident tone.
Make sure it’s a fit
Ask what you need to see if this person is a sales qualified lead for your business. Do they own the property? What is their address? What made them reach out in the first place? Is their unit currently running?
If the lead is outside your service area or not a homeowner, politely let them know that your business can’t help.
Show that you care
Empathize with people and hear them out. If they’ve had bad experiences before, ask about them. If the AC is broken down and it’s hot inside, say “Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that!” before moving on. Just listen and affirm.
When your customers feel that you care, it helps you build a connection with them - increasing your chances of getting the appointment and getting the sale.
Make picking a time easy
Suggest a few times from your calendar, don’t just leave it open ended. “Mrs. Jones, it looks like I have 10AM Tuesday or 1PM Wednesday available - what works best for you”? This makes the scheduling process smoother.
Scheduling appointments over text
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In our experience, sometimes 50% of the appointments - or more - get scheduled over text rather than over the phone.
Your social media prospects are already being inundated with cold calls, so getting people to answer the phone can be difficult. Plus, there’s a good chance they’ll forget they ever reached out to you within a few days, so if they don’t recognize the phone number, they’ll ignore it.
Having a good process to schedule leads over text is crucial - otherwise you’ll miss out on potentially half of your sales appointment opportunities!
Make it personal
Everyone wants to automate text. Automations can be a good supplement, but I don’t think it can ever fully replace human connection. It’s easy to ignore a machine, it’s harder to ignore a person.
When you text customers, let them know who it is, why you're reaching out, and be sure to use their name. You may even mention something specific they said in the contact form, or neighbors of theirs you’ve done work for.
Make it easy
Rather than add extra steps and ask people “if they’re still interested” in getting an estimate or design consultation, simply ask when they’re available for the appointment. Or, better yet, give them a few options as to when you're available.
You could say “Hey John! It’s Bill over at ABC HVAC. I saw you reached out to us on Facebook to get an estimate. When would be the best time for our appointment? I could do
1) 10AM on Tuesday
2) 1PM on Wednesday
3) 3PM on Friday”
All they have to do at this point is respond with a digit to confirm they want to schedule the appointment. From there, get their address and confirm the appointment!
Putting it all into practice
Calling social media leads can be depressing. If you’re only used to calling leads from your website, or leads who are at the bottom of the funnel, it might feel like these Facebook leads just aren’t interested.
You or your team might even start to feel guilty calling the leads - wondering if you’re bothering these people.
Here’s what’s crucial to remember as you run into this:
- These are real people with real needs
- They reached out to your business
These leads simply have less information about you, less urgency, and are earlier in the funnel.
So don’t let that stop you from implementing a process that will help you turn social media into a revenue-generating powerhouse for your business!
The key to getting your team on board is to help them focus on the actions, not the results. You can control your dials. You can decide to smile before you call. You can control what you say in a text message.
While all these things improve your probability of getting appointments scheduled, you can’t control individual prospects. So focusing on getting the actions right and staying consistent can keep the whole team more sane and help you get better results in the long run.
Make sure the right actions are celebrated consistently, and you may just find your calendar filled up every week with sales appointments generated from your Facebook ads!
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