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Understanding Bark
How do I contact a customer through Bark?
You can respond to the customer directly through the email we send you with their job details.
If you have the App, then the push-notification will tell you about every new lead and allow you to respond.
You can go directly to the website should you prefer and go to Leads.
In Leads, select the lead you wish to contact.
When ready, click the blue ‘Contact’ button.
Your profile information is then sent to the customer automatically.
The telephone number and email address for the customer are made immediately available on-screen and the lead you have just access will then be stored in the My Responses section of your account.
In My Responses, you are then able to see an activity log with prompts to work through such as ‘Send estimate, ‘Send email’, ‘Call’ and ‘Send SMS’. Each time you contact the customer, your activity is stored so you can look back and see at any time.
You can also write notes in the ‘My Notes’ section to remind you of any important details.
What should I do first – message the customer through Bark, call or email?
Once you have clicked ‘Contact’ on the lead you have chosen, your details and Bark profile will be sent to the potential customer however we would always recommend calling them directly to introduce yourself, let them know you’re interested and make a great first impression.
If they don’t answer your first call, that’s O.K, try ringing them again at a more convenient time such as lunch time or when a typical working day would end i.e. 6pm.
We would then recommend heading over to My Responses and Sending them an email or an estimate. You will very clearly see the options to do this in your My Responses section, under the leads contact details.
We have a great feature that allows you to create and build different email templates for different kinds of leads. You can learn more about making those here.
When you click ‘Send Email’ you will then see the option to send an email from your list of pre-written templates, or to write a brand new custom email.
If you’re unable to reach them at first, then don’t worry. You should continue to follow up using the different contact methods you have available.
How should I decide which leads to respond to?
It is important to be selective about the leads you respond to on Bark. You can pick and choose the leads you respond to as needed.
Some customers give more information than others and all the information we have will be displayed to you so you can make an informed decision.
Many customers provide additional information and attachments in their requests which is helpful when deciding whether or not to respond.
Before responding to your chosen lead, always double check when the lead was sent to you. It’s important to respond to customers quickly, as responding late reduces your chances of securing the business.
To stand the best chance of getting hired, respond to your chosen leads within a few hours of receiving them, if not sooner.
We highly recommend you let us know exactly which customers suit your business the best. You can do this by going to filter questions here. Here you can tell us the customers you want based on the answers they provide when placing their request.
How quickly should I respond to my chosen lead?
To stand the best chance of getting hired, respond to your chosen leads within a few hours of receiving them, if not far sooner.
Responding to a lead within half an hour of receiving it is ideal, because you are far more likely to be the first professional to contact the customer.
The customer is also more likely to be receptive to the first professional that contacts them.
Our research shows that the first professional to contact the customer is on average 50% more likely to get hired.
In general, we do not recommend responding to old leads. If you do so, keep in mind that the chances of getting hired are significantly reduced.
What does a great first message look like?
A great first message is so important to catch the customers attention and stand a good chance of getting hired. We have now made this easier than ever to do by creating easy and eye-catching email templates or newsletter style responses.
You can have photos, logos, banners, you can write in columns or normal text and you can build this out to be as colourful or as simple as you like as well customise each email template to suit different kinds of leads (and then save them for future use!) See more here:
Your first message should include key points about your business and what you offer; a short, clear description of how you can help the customer; a basic quote or estimate and your contact details.
It is also crucial that your message is well written and clearly formatted with no spelling or grammatical errors.
Always include your direct contact details so the customer can contact you directly.
Despite sending a great first message, we would still recommend calling the customer unless they have stated otherwise.
How can I encourage the customer to respond to me?
Whilst you are unlikely to hear back from every customer you respond to, there are lots of things you can do to encourage a customer to reply.
Firstly, a customer’s response is largely going to be based on your profile and their assessment of how good a fit you are for their request/project so ensure your profile is completed to a good standard. You will need to have spent some time filling this out, including a company description, uploading photos and videos where appropriate and ensuring that you have positive reviews from your previous customers on your Bark profile. More information on doing this here:
Ensure you have made use of all of the contact details provided, calling the customer and sending an email via our site.
Trying to call the customer outside of standard working hours (but not too early or late) is also a great way of reaching them to pitch your services.
Don’t call the customer too much within a short space of time, as this could make them less likely to reply to you positively.
For some more great tips for responding to leads which increase your chances of hearing back from customers, click here
Your Bark profile plays a huge part in whether a customer decides to respond or not. They will look at your profile and the links/information/pictures etc that you attach to help them assess whether your business is a good fit for them. See more on why your Bark profile is important below.
If you would like direct assistance and advice from Bark to help you increase the number of customers you hear back from, please contact our customer success team here.
Should I send a quote or estimate when responding to a lead?
Sending a quote or estimate is a powerful way of catching the customers attention and we strongly recommend it.
We do appreciate in some industries it is not always possible. For example, if you’re a builder you may not be able to send an accurate quote before you see the property.
It may not always be possible to send a quote to every customer without having further details first, so in these cases providing a ballpark figure or general price range based on previous work you have done is recommended.
If you really cannot provide a quote or estimate up-front, use your first conversation with the customer to get the details you need to calculate your quote, then provide this to the customer as soon as possible.
Why have I not heard back from a customer?
As much as we would like to, we cannot guarantee that every customer you contact through Bark will respond to you.
It is important to use all of the available contact methods when responding to a customer to stand the best chance of speaking to them.
Because customers receive different responses from competing professionals, it may be the case that a customer only replies to the professional they want to hire or the professionals they have shortlisted.
To increase your chances of hearing back from customers, please read some great tips for responding to leads here.
If you would like direct assistance and advice from Bark to help you increase the number of customers you hear back from, please contact our customer success team here.
Can I ask a customer for more information before responding to the lead?
We try to ask as many relevant questions as we can to each customer before they submit their request on Bark.
We also encourage you to be highly selective about the leads you respond to.
There isn’t a way to ask a customer for more information without responding to them.
If for any reason you feel a lead is not suitable, there is no need to respond.
If a customer does not receive a single response after a period of time, we will reach out to the customer ourselves to try to get more information and update their request, before sending it out again for you to consider.
Can I see if a customer has already received a response?
On all of your leads, you will be able to see how many professionals have already responded to each customer. You can use this information to make a decision on whether you wish to respond to that particular customer as well.
We cap all leads at 5 responses. That said, the average request receives 2 responses from professionals, with the first response often within one hour after the request is submitted on Bark.
We aim to get the customer 2 to 5 responses so they have enough choice but don’t feel overwhelmed and of course ensure that professionals are not competing with too many others.
Can I see how many responses a customer has received?
On all of your leads, you will be able to see how many professionals have already responded to each customer. You can use this information to make a decision on whether you wish to respond to that particular customer as well.
However, the average request receives 2 responses from professionals, with the first response often within one hour after the request is submitted on Bark.
We aim to get the customer 2 to 5 responses so they have enough choice but don’t feel overwhelmed and of course ensure that professionals are not competing with too many others.
How many responses can a customer receive?
The short answer is 5. In addition to this, on all of your leads, you will be able to see how many professionals have already responded to each customer. You can use this information to make a decision on whether you wish to respond to that particular customer as well.
Currently, most requests receive two responses or less. Our internal target is for requests to receive between 2-5 responses.
This seems to be about the right level of response for most customers, as they can then feel they have enough options, without feeling overwhelmed.
It also seems to be about the right level for most professionals, as there is a healthy level of competition, without there being too much.
Can I receive exclusive leads just for me?
Unfortunately not. Bark is an online marketplace designed to help customers find the best professional for the job. We know that our customers like to have choice and see different options.
At the moment the average request receives 2 responses.
We aim to get the customer 2 to 5 responses so they have enough choice but don’t feel overwhelmed and of course ensure that professionals are not competing with too many others.
What is the estimated value on a lead and how is this calculated?
We introduced this feature to try to give professionals a better understanding of the quotes being provided on Bark. We do not show the potential customers an estimation or any information on pricing.
It’s designed so that professionals can see what quotes are considered “normal” based on the questions the customer has answered and previous quotes we’ve received from Bark professionals like yourself.
We never put in any information ourselves and in most cases, the estimates are pretty accurate.
The estimated value takes into account the answers a customer has given. However, on some occasions, we may not have enough other requests with the same answers to give an accurate estimated value.
You are encouraged to quote whatever it is that you normally would. The pricing negotiation is entirely between yourself and the customer.
We do not show the customer this estimated value so please quote whatever you feel is appropriate.
What is the average amount of leads it takes to get hired on Bark?
We expect professionals to convert 1 in 5 of those leads they respond to. That said, the very best on Bark convert as much as 80% of the leads they go for.
In order to achieve this or an even better conversion rate, it is important to use Bark in the right way.
Please click here for great tips about how to use Bark effectively.
For further assistance and advice on how to achieve a great conversion rate, please contact the Bark customer success team here.
How does Bark screen and qualify the leads I receive?
We conduct a number of checks on every single request on Bark before we send it out to you.
1) We make sure the customer is serious about hiring someone by asking them a number of questions about their request.
2) We verify the customer’s contact details.
3) We remove users who abuse our system/don’t pass any of our checks.
Our rigorous screening process eliminates the vast majority of bad enquiries – so you can be confident we’ll only alert you to customers who are genuinely seeking your services.
If you ever have any doubts about the legitimacy of an enquiry we’ve sent you, we’ll happily check it for you so we can continue to improve our service.
In the rare event that a request is released and later identified as not genuine for any reason, we’ll immediately close it to ensure no one is charged for responding to it.
I have received a message saying a customer has expressed an interest, requested a quote or would like me to contact them. What does this mean?
We call this feature ‘Bark Match’. After a customer submits their request, our system suggests up to 5 relevant professionals already signed up with us.
The customer is able to view these profiles and express an interest, request a quote or ask to be contacted.
Because the customer has already interacted with one of these profiles and asked to be contacted specifically, these are warmer leads, and the credit price increases slightly.
You do not have to respond to these requests if you do not wish to, and you have the option on-screen to decline the lead.
If you decline a lead where the customer has requested you get in touch, our system sends a polite message to the customer for you, letting them know that you can’t help on this occasion.
How do I send a new message or attachment to a customer I have already responded to through Bark?
Once you have responded to a customer, it is free to send additional messages.
You can send an email to the customer through Bark or of your own accord (although we would recommend making use of our great email template function).
The Bark email template builder does not currently support attachments but it will do shortly. If you would like to share an attachment with the customer we recommend sending this to them directly with the contact details you have for them.
Should I expect to hear back from every customer?
As much as we would like to, we cannot guarantee that every customer you contact through Bark will respond to you.
Because customers receive different responses from competing professionals, it may be the case that a customer only replies to the professional they want to hire or the professionals they have shortlisted. This is normal when running a business. If you had a shop front, not everyone who walked in would buy something. If you’re advertising online, not everyone who clicked through to your website will convert. Do not worry, this is part and parcel of generating new customers.
That being said, there are numerous things you can do to improve your chances of getting hired. These include:
- Ensure you have a great profile! Potential customers will view your profile and use this to decide whether you could be the right professional for them. Ensure there are no spelling mistakes, you have a salesy company description and lots of information highlighting how your business is right for them.
- Set your lead preferences. You want to make sure the leads that are coming through are as relevant as possible.
- Respond to customers as soon as possible. Strike whilst the iron is hot!
- Try and get through to them in a few different ways. Attempt to call them, send them an SMS or an email. If at first, they don’t answer, that’s ok! Keep trying – they might be at work or doing the school run!
To increase your chances of hearing back from customers, please read some great tips for responding to leads here.
If you would like direct assistance and advice from Bark to help you increase the number of customers you hear back from, please contact our customer success team here.
What is ‘One-Click Response’ and how can this help me?
One-Click Response is a feature that ties in nicely with our email template function.
You can build multiple templates to suit the different kind of leads you tend to respond to for example ‘wedding photography with album’ or ‘wedding photography no album’ and then save them. Then when using your one click response or the ‘send email’ function you will be presented with a drop down menu where you can choose the most appropriate from your list of templates.
One-Click Response/Email Templates can also be combined with the Bark for Professionals App for super fast responses from your mobile device.
The option to send your One-Click Response and therefore the drop down list of pre-written email templates to your chosen customers will then be available on your Leads page.
To setup your One-Click Response, go to One-Click Response and follow the on-screen instructions.
For more information on how to set up your email templates click here.
