Podcast: Download
One of the most common things we hear from grizzled veterans in the business is that they wish they had learned to work their database sooner! Think of all the hours spent cold calling that you can cut out by working the list of people who already know and love you? The problem is that most agents don’t know what to do to capture their loyalty. If you’re doing it right, 10% of your entire database should be sending you a referral OR doing business with you directly every year. If they’re not, we’ll help you identify what you’re doing wrong.
The first thing you need is a plan; a plan for expanding your center of influence and past clients. Every good plan needs a purpose to start, and the central purpose of your expansion plan is always acts of kindness and being of service. Base your expansion plan on these two themes and you’ll have an ever expanding database to do business with.
The first mistake many agents make in expanding is relying on email campaigns or drip systems to do all the ‘work.’ Electronic communication is not going to work if you’re aim is to build life long partnerships and be the agent thats always top of mind. We have some awesome pointers for you on how to set up your database correctly to maximize efficiency and make it so easy to reach out to those contacts.
Other classic mistakes are leaving out-of-state sellers off the list or never adding those ‘adopted’ clients to your list. Your out of state sellers may be far in distance, but if you stay in touch they will treat you like family with referrals to their friends and COI in the area they just left. What’s an ‘adopted’ client? It’s the buyer or seller from the other side of the deal. Whose to say how the relationship ended between them and their agent, and if it wasn’t a strong one, they’ll remember how professional YOU were and you’ll have a chance at their future business.
So grab your FORD script, your list and let’s drill down on what it takes to win over your database and get results!
