Most of us know that fishing is about much more than pulling in that 30-pound Muskie. It’s about being alone with nature, breathing fresh air, and taking some “me time” out of your busy schedule. But it’s hard to appreciate it as much when the fish just ain’t biting. It can be even more frustrating when you get a nibble every hour or so, but that dang fish just won’t take the worm.

Your bait needs to be more alluring. Such is the nature of real estate lead conversion.

Perhaps you’ve got a website and a drip e-mail system that’s generating tons of leads for you and your partners, but these leads don’t follow up. It could be you just need to entice them by jiggling the lure. Use your drip e-mail campaign to send your leads weekly updates on homes that match their criteria. Send them headlines that relate to real estate in their areas. Remind them to contact you if they need help with anything in the buying and selling process

There are a lot of reasons people don’t follow up. They might not really be interested in finding a home, or it’s not their top priority. Other times, they may be nervous about the process. So make sure to assuage their fears and concerns by focusing on the positive. Don’t say “Negotiating the right selling price takes a lot of work and commitment.” Say “Our professionals will take the hard work out of your hands while negotiating the best price possible.” Focus not on the hard-line details of the mortgage applications, but on the fact that they can get pre-approved for a mortgage right on your website. Parting the clouds of doom with rays of sunshine is a sure way to get on someone’s good side.

If after months of inactivity there’s still no bite, it may be time to check the bait. Send a more personalized e-mail, something like: “I noticed you haven’t followed up with any of the properties I’ve been sending you. I hope the home hunting process is coming along smoothly. Please contact me if you have any questions or need help finding the right property. If you’ve already found a home and no longer need my services, you can click the link below to stop receiving my e-mails. Thanks, and good luck!”

If nothing else, they will appreciate your checking up on them and your honest offer to remove them from the mailing list. On the other hand, they might see how serious you are about helping them and decide to take the bait.

In keeping with the metaphor, make sure to take care of that fish, give it a good home, and nourish it, even if it ends up in your belly. Okay, maybe that’s a little too far. But don’t make promises you can’t follow up on. Otherwise you’ll be sitting at the bar telling your fellow Realtors stories about the one that got away.