During the past quarter we have witnessed a steady increase in booking inquiries. Our automated systems provide the inquiries directly to our partners and if the inquiry is generic or involved multiple homes, we will intervene and send personal notes to our partners.

We must advise, please respond immediately, even if it is just an acknowledgement of their inquiry. With the immediacy of the Internet, attention spans are limited and there is a lot of competition out there.

We strongly suggest responding within three (3) hours or less. Otherwise there is a good possibility the person who inquired has “moved on”. Consider every inquiry a lead. Consider the following:

1) Pre-made Reply: Thank them for the inquiry and advise you will be in contact again within 24 hours or less. Provide a phone # and e-mail address for any questions in the interim.
2) Up-sell: If the home inquired about is not available or you have a better option at the same price, up-sell. Everyone appreciates an upgrade. Do not dismiss the value of such an opportunity.
3) Home Not Appropriate: Advise accordingly and offer a substitution. Nothing in your inventory? Advise you will make a few calls on their behalf and get back in contact. First, you have built a relationship for future activity and second, you may have an opportunity to earn a commission on a booking you could not execute.

At TheSociety.com we track most inquiries and follow-up with those who make the inquiry. It dismays us when a client advises “I never heard back from the manager/owner”. No matter the market conditions, we are here to assist and close deals. Each inquiry that is ignored is 1) a money-losing proposition and 2) just provides your competition with additional opportunities.