Not every inbound lead call or inquiry is “bookable” on the first attempt. Even when your agents’ perfect the Revinate 7 non-negotiables or alternate recommended call flow, a caller may still need additional time to check with travel companions, check airline schedules, etc. before booking. The goal is to have the agent control the follow-up steps by setting an appointment with the caller to call them back. A lead set in follow up merely because the agent has a “hunch” the caller will call back and book is falling short of the goal. Agents should note their “action plan” clearly in their lead notes so that the follow-up plan is clear to all members of their team.
Anticipating the Follow Up
The more skilled and experienced the agent, the better they will be able to anticipate and prepare for a follow-up scenario when a customer is clearly not ready to book during that first call. If the agent has asked discovery questions throughout the call and learned what is most important to the guest, they have valuable tools to use to help them set up a follow-up call. For example, if the caller has shared that they are coming to golf (or ski, or attend a special event), the agent can offer to email additional information of specific interest to the caller immediately following the call to assist them in their vacation planning.
Email templates, images, PDFs and hyperlinks to your website are all tools that can be used to send callers additional information. Managers and Administrators can create additional templates and easily load image files into the system so that virtually any information requested by a guest that can be obtained via the web can be sent via lead form email.
Setting the Appointment
As they offer to send that “gift” of valuable information, the agent should ideally fold in the follow-up plan as part of a confident closing proposal, rather than a hesitant question. Unless the customer requests otherwise, setting a 2-hour window for the appointment time is recommended to offer some flexibility for the agent, as well as the caller.
After the caller agrees, the agent should assign the lead to themselves using the reminder tools in the lead form. The lead can also be assigned to another team member in the case of a schedule conflict or specific request to speak with another agent. In the example below, Tim is the assigned agent. He will be sent a reminder email via his corporate email account on 8/14/2024 at 11:45 AM to remind him to follow up with this customer. That reminder comes with a hyperlink to take him right to his lead notes so he can quickly scan his action plan and complete his task.
An example script to use is:
“I completely understand that you’d prefer to discuss with [your spouse] before booking. Why don’t I do this – why don’t I send you some additional photos and details of the accommodations we discussed today via email so you can have those at your fingertips tonight when the two of you review the options? I’ll also include an overview of [our most popular golf courses in the area with contact links] to save you some additional time. As a courtesy, why don’t I check back with you on Thursday about this time – say between 10 and 12 pm - to see if you have any additional questions? If not, I can help you secure your reservation at that time. If by chance [your preferred option] has been booked, I can recommend an alternative that will meet your needs.”
Recommendations for Leaving a Voicemail
If you are unable to reach the caller during your follow up time, leave a brief, targeted voicemail, but do not repeat the entire initial sales call. We recommend reminding the caller that their hold is about to expire. Or, if your company doesn’t hold properties, remind them that the property is still available but could book anytime. For example:
“I wanted to let you know that the property we spoke about is still on hold for you but that hold is going to expire _____.”
Or: “I wanted to let you know that the property you are interested in is still available but because we cannot hold properties during our high booking season it could be reserved at any time.”
Continue with: “I’ve also put a list of activities together for the area that <personalize based on your conversation> would enjoy.” For example, “Hi Matt, I just checked on your property and it is still available. I was thinking about our conversation yesterday…. Since you are coming for the Spring Break you may want to check out XXX. I can tell you more about it when I speak to you next.” The whole idea is to leave an enticing message that will make the caller want to call back.
After you leave a message make sure that you Add a Note to your lead. Adding a note provides visibility to the rest of your team regarding your correspondence with the caller. Also, this updates the “Last Follow-up Date” in the system.
Live Call
The agent should ask if the caller was able to follow up with X. For example, “That property is still on hold for you, would you like to reserve it? Okay, well that is a busy time of year and I would hate for it to get booked while you are waiting…” Again, add a note if you are not able to book.
How Many Times to Follow Up
We recommend that you call 2-3 times before they change the follow-up status to “Not Booked”, depending on the rapport with the caller.