Last Updated on April 7, 2017

Here’s an opportunity to capture business, and it’s right under your nose. Get it right, and it can be another spoke in your “prospecting systems” wheel: It’s your Auto-Responder Message with your email. Most agents miss a big opportunity to generate leads, clients and referrals from their Auto-Responder message. So here are some simple “Dos” and “Don’ts,” AND a ready-to-use example so you can grab every single lead that hits your email inbox. DO—Create a “Lead Generation Magnet”. Place multiple OFFERS for information your recipient will find valuable. Give them access to your special reports and other helpful consumer information by providing links to your online report. And don’t forget to leave your cell phone number or pager, or your assistant’s contact info. DO—Drive them to your site. Always include your web site in your email. DO—Be conversational and approachable. Make them feel comfortable by using familiar, every day language. DO—Thank them for contacting you. DO—Go easy on their eyes. Use a sans serif font. Studies show that fonts like Arial are easier to read on a computer screen. DON’T—Clutter up your email with your life story. They want you to help solve their problem. “Hello, sorry I can’t respond personally, but my dog is a finalist in the state poodle championships and I will be out of town.” They don’t care! DON’T—Choose an email address that looks like spam. They will get trapped in your client’s spam or “bulk mail” filters and the client will never see them. “Spammy” addresses are those with unusual punctuation, lots of colors and words like “investment” and “sale” in them. Take a look at the emails trapped in your own spam filter for more examples. DON’T—Load a huge .jpg file on your email reply. Some computers/servers can’t handle them, or the message will load too slowly for an impatient client. A small (in megabytes) picture of you or your logo is okay. DON’T—Make them guess whether they got the right agent. Identify yourself! One auto responder I saw had absolutely no copy in the body of the email. No name, no address, no nothing. Just the agent’s name in the “from” field. DON’T—Make them open an attachment to read your message. One auto-responder I got recently had a Word attachment called “message.doc.” When I opened it, it simply said, “I’m out of the office.” Sheesh!

Sample auto responder message:

(If you are out of the office) Hi, and thanks for your email. I’m out of my office today, but don’t hesitate to call me on my cell at 555-666-7777 [or my assistant at (number)]. (If you are out of town) Thanks for contacting me. I’m out of town until August 23, but I want to help you immediately. Please call Agent Sally Johnson for immediate assistance at 777-888-9999. In the mean time, you can search for homes, or receive helpful consumer information when buying or selling by viewing my website at www.MyCompany.com [link to your website]. And don’t forget to click on our helpful Consumer Guides and Resources below. Thank you for choosing “My Company” for your Real Estate needs. John J. Smith, REALTOR^® “My Company” Office: 222-333-4444 Cell: 555-666-7777

FREE Seller Reports-Sell Your Home Fast And For Top Dollar www.report1.com [link to your special report1]

FREE Buyer Reports-Get The Most Home For Your Money www.report2.com [link to your special report1]

FREE Neighborhood and School Reports www.report3.com [link to your special report1]