Jennifer Allan's Selling to Your Sphere of Influence - No Sales Pitch Required!

"What's the best way to get my name out there?"

I hear this question a lot. Agents, particularly newer ones, ask it wanting to know how they can best spread the word that they're open for business.

Usually, they're looking for advice on the best places to advertise - should they take out an ad in the newspaper? Issue a press release? Buy a promotional panel on the side of a bus or a magnet for their car? Or maybe they've been offered a great "opportunity" to include their personal brochure in a neighborhood mailer or door-hanging promotion. One guy wanted to know if he should pony up $1000 to advertise on a banner at his health club.

I always ask the same question of these hopeful agents. "What do you expect to accomplish with your investment?"

They always answer: "I want to get my name out there."

Um... Out WHERE? Out there in the universe of people who don't know you, don't care about you and wouldn't dream of remembering your name, much less calling you for real estate service? Seriously?

Would YOU call a total stranger whose face you saw plastered on the side of a bus or smiling out at you from your shopping cart? Would you run screaming for the phone to hire someone who hung a HIRE ME brochure on your door? Do you really care that so-and-so just joined such-and-such firm and is now happily accepting referrals?

Of course not. And even on the off-chance that someone might respond to this sort of thing, the chances are far too slim for someone on a limited budget to risk the expense.

My point is that "getting your name out there" is a concept promoted primarily by the industries who have something to gain by helping you "get your name out there." And they prey on the "young" (i.e. the rookies) and the desperate.

If you're wondering how to "get your name out there," you probably don't have the budget to do it effectively. And that's okay! Getting Your Name Out There is overrated anyway. Focus your efforts (and marketing dollars) closer to home, literally and figuratively. Before you spend a dime on self-promotion-to-strangers, make darn sure everyone you know knows you sell real estate (without pestering them for referrals, of course). Every day, go forth and smile - that is - go out into your world with the sole intention of making others' days brighter.

Don't worry about competing with the heavier-hitters in your market; there's no need. Real estate business comes in one client at a time. When you run into someone who has a real estate need, all you have to worry about is being the Best (Wo)Man for the Job, which has nothing to do with advertising or marketing or branding... it has everything to do with knowing your stuff - and knowing you know your stuff.

THAT's the best way to get your name out there!

Pretty much everyone agrees that one's sphere of influence can be a great source of business. But lots of agents hesitate when it comes time to actually implement a sphere of influence campaign - they don't know how to take the first step without coming across as phony or even mercenary.

I mean, really, you have this list of people - some friends, some acquaintances - to whom you've never, ever written, and most haven't heard boo from you in years... and suddenly you're just supposed to start communicating with them out of the blue?

Seriously?

I hear ya. Even I struggle every time I send something out to my sphere - worried they'll "see thru" my attempts to communicate with them and <gasp> realize I'm doing it to subtly promote my business. And I've BEEN in touch with my sphere on a fairly consistent basis!

But here are a few thoughts to, perhaps, get you past this emotional hurdle and back in touch with your SOI.

First, ask yourself how you'll feel if you find out that five old friends hired someone else to be their real estate agent because they hadn't heard from you lately? Or, shoot, just one old friend?

Or how you'd feel if you heard that someone you "used" to be really good friends with referred a sweeeet listing in your favorite neighborhood to someone else because she wasn't sure you were even selling real estate anymore?

Or if, as scrolling thru your MLS Hot Sheet one day, you see a new listing come on the market - one you sold to your buyers a few years back, but-never-got-around-to-following-up-with-and-now-it-feels-weird-to-do?

Does that motivate you a little bit?

If so, consider this... the holidays are a GREAT time to reconnect! And you can do it without much fear of being held in suspicion by your audience (as long as your reconnection attempt has nothing to do with begging for referrals!)

Just do one of those tried-n-true annual family newsletters - make it interesting, authentic and include pictures (and this can be done after the holiday season if you're overloaded with holiday stuff before). Or, personally signed and short & sweet-noted holiday cards, if that's more your style. Or a customized photo-postcard with a cute & clever message will do the trick. Or, of course, your annual doo-dad (calendar, magnet or whatever) delivered with a card with a nice note.

Then... the trick is... once you've reconnected, keep up the good work throughout the year so you aren't in this position again next holiday season.

Hey, I know it's a busy time, but since we're all making plans to ensure a sweeter 2011, this seems like a great place and time to start making that happen!

Join us tonight for the "Secrets of Successful SWS'ers?"
Details and Registration Here!

A few months ago, an agent wrote to me saying something like - "I love your book <thank you> and I can't wait until I'm successful enough to be able to do things the Sell with Soul way. Until then, I guess I'll have to keep doing all the Old School things my broker tells me to do."

No, no, no! You don't have to do things ANY WAY BUT YOUR WAY, even from Day One! Selling with Soul (to read more about Selling with Soul - just download the ebook below) is not a luxury enjoyed only by those who have already "made it!" Not at all - in fact, the sooner you figure out what works for you, what feels right to you and what you enjoy doing, the sooner success will find you.

And that's the topic of our next show which is this Wednesday afternoon/evening (tomorrow, December 8th). We'll be chatting about succeeding in real estate without selling your soul to do it. In other words - how to do it YOUR way, whatever that way may be, even if it doesn't involve pestering strangers, harassing your friends or spending a fortune (unless, of course, THAT's your thing!).

I'm bringing on three successful SWS'ers (that is, agents who Sell with Soul) who are willing to talk to me (and y'all) about how they've succeeded in their real estate careers without Selling their Souls to do so. How they've done it their way, using techniques and strategies that feel right to them, that don't make their skin crawl or reduce them to smiley-faced, cheesy real estate hucksters. How they've resisted the pressure of their brokers, trainers and associates to Suck it Up and Just Do It in the interest of generating business... if that "it" is something they don't feel comfortable doing.

Join us?

THE DETAILS
Date: Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
Time: 4pm Pacific / 5pm Mountain / 6pm Central / 7pm Eastern
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
Equipment Needed: Nothing fancy - just a phone and/or computer
Cost: Free, but you have to register HERE!

Be assured, this is not a sales-pitch for any SWS program or product. Just an hour or so of intelligent, common sense discussion on ways to succeed selling real estate without becoming someone you don't recognize... or even much like.