Getting your Sphere of Influence set up
- Get your current list all in one place.
This is a big task, but it’s important and begs planning to avoid duplicate work later. You’ll be surprised at how large a list you can come up with when you start pulling in your friends, old classmates, sports team members, business associates, your doctor, lawyer and others.
What is important is to hopefully start with something more than a list on paper. If you use Outlook in your computer, use that contacts database or another like it to get these people into a system for management.
- Make contact the way you usually do.
This has to do with being effective, but also saving some money. There are plenty of advisors out there that will have you develop a really nice letter in envelopes and mail via first class mail. This may be how you do it for some of your list.
However, if you’re making a really large contact list, many of them will be people you usually talk to via email, text messaging or phone. It’s OK to contact them the way you always have. Just split your list into groups by contact method.
- Categorize by how you know them.
As you progress in your career and your knowledge of contact management, you’ll find that you want to have certain common types by which to identify contacts. Go ahead and start working toward that now. If you’re using Outlook, you can use the “Categories” function for this. Another choice is the Gmail database program.
When categorizing, also include family member names, and even pets. If they tell you their daughter is having eye surgery, next time to contact them, ask them how did it go?
You would have categories for Friends, Family, Vendors (doctor, lawyer, local grocer, etc.), Buyer Prospect, Seller Prospect, etc. The buyer and seller prospect categories are for those new ones you’re about to get.
- Develop your announcement content and send it out.
If you’re contacting via several methods, such as some email, some mail and some phone, develop scripts for each, letting them know about your new business. It’s as simple as : “Hi XXX, I’ve just signed my Real Estate Business with National Realty. Could you please give me a boost by thinking for me if you know anyone planning a real estate transaction or recommending me to those you know.” Don’t forget your contact info.
- Plan ongoing contact and do it!
Now that you’ve sent out your “new agent career” announcement to your SOI, make a plan for how often you want to contact them. This can vary by type, such as family will not need a lot of follow-up, etc. Follow the plan and make regular contact. There’s nothing worse than finding out a good friend bought a home elsewhere because they forgot about that first announcement a year ago.
- Do some quick list-building activities.
Get started immediately in adding to your sphere of influence list. Get involved in community activities, go to homeowner association meetings, give out your business cards to everyone, ie dry cleaners, pizza company, drug store, grocery etc. counter. If you go for coffee in the mornings alone, stop getting a table and sit at the counter. Strike up a conversation with the person next to you.
7) Set up a home office and client white board.
Be serious about this. Set up a location in your home that will be YOUR office. On the wall hang a white board labeled: Hot / Warm / Cold / Tickler and tickler across the top. Then under it, write in names of your clients. If you have none, the board will be empty. Being empty would be very motivating, but also serves as a constant reminder to stay in touch with any leads. If someone says in a year they may sell, write their name in the Tickler column with a date and telephone and keep in touch with them even though they said not now.