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

On January 6th, in the SWS Virtual Studio, we did a little show on Using Contact Management to Sell with Soul. Judging from the post-show questions, comments and generally positive feedback, the topic is of much higher interest to the real estate community than I gave it credit for!

So...on January 27th (tomorrow), we're going to pick up where we left off and SHOW you (not just tell you) how to use your contact management system to generate business and referrals from your sphere of influence - that is - how to use the conTACT management features of your system to soulfully reconnect and stay in touch with the people you know... and the people you meet.

If you don't have a contact manager yet, don't despair! The show will still be helpful and informative and might just inspire you to take that next step and commit to getting a contact management system of your very own. I hope it does, anyway. It really is important.

Using webinar technology (that is, you'll be able to follow along on the computer screen as I demonstrate various techniques), I'll walk you thru how I use contact management technology to, to put it bluntly, make money. It's pretty simple stuff, actually, but in so many cases, simple is ... simply better.

We'll talk about acknowledging birthdays and other important dates; how to group and categorize your sphere without overdoing it; how to set up action plans and tasks to stay in touch your sphere of influence both on an individual basis and with mass-communications projects. Stuff like that.

Again, we'll be using webinar technology, so you'll need to be in front of a computer with a high-speed connection to get the most out of the show.

Oh, one more thing. If you don't have a contact management system and are looking for one, try mine. It's called Ixact Contact and you can get a 60-day free trial by signing up here: http://www.ixactcontact.com/JALM. I highly encourage you to explore the site a little before the show so that it looks familiar to you, which will make it easier to follow along.

Join us?

THE DETAILS
Date: Thursday, January 27th, 2011
Time: 8:00am Pacific / 9:00am Mountain / 10:00am Central / 11:00am Eastern (you'll need to show up a few minutes early to download the webinar software!)
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
Equipment Needed: A computer with a high-speed connection and speakers. 
Cost: Free to attend live, but you must register, HERE.

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR HERE!

THE CONTACT MANAGEMENT WITH SOUL SERIES
Part I - The Unanswered Questions
Part II - The Two Things a Contact Manager Should Do Very Well
Part III - Creating Reasonable Expectations for Your Contact Manager
Part IV - "But I Can't Afford a Contact Management System!"
Part V - Contact Management Pays for Itself - if you use it!
Part VI - Which System do I Recommend?

(Maybe THIS post will get me over that 300,000 points mark!)

So, the burning question! Which system do I recommend...?

Well, I'll tell you what I use and therefore, feel comfortable recommending. It's not the only option, obviously; there are gazillions of (well, maybe a few dozen) real-estate-specific contact managers, and I'm sure some of them are fabulous (and I'm equally certain that some of them aren't).

Let me disclaim that I'm not an expert on contact management from a choose-the-best-one perspective. However, I am a bit of a power user of the two "jobs" I believe a contact manager should do well, and I have test-driven enough systems to know that all CMS's are not created equal in performing those two jobs (to read about the two "jobs" I think a CMS should do well, go here.)

I'm using and loving Ixact Contact. It's a Canadian company, but I haven't found anything in it that makes it "foreign" for USA'ers. It does (almost) exactly what I want it to do, (almost) exactly how I want it to do it, without much muss, fuss or extensive learning curve. I've been using it about two months now and have only found a few issues to, complain about gripe about mention to Ixact Contact management, some of which they've already addressed and others are on the list to address. But even these issues are pretty easily worked around in the interim.

What I like about Ixact Contact (well, one of the things) is that it does a lot of things without doing A LOT of things if that makes sense. No, it probably doesn't, so allow me to explain.

Anyone who has used Top Producer is aware of its steep learning curve. But once you've mastered the program, you probably love it because TP will do almost ANYTHING you can think of, if you can just figure out how to make it do it. But that's a big IF for most users. A huge IF. And many new Top Producer users throw up their hands in frustration after a few hours of messing with the program and kick themselves for agreeing to a one year contract on a program they don't understand.

Well, Ixact is what I call "Top Producer OFF Steroids." It does a lot of things, but not so many things that you can't figure out how to do the basics. As a former Top Producer power user, I do get a little befuddled occasionally with Ixact because it doesn't do some obscure thing I want it to do, but I'm realizing that's part of the beauty of it.

Anyway, I've gotten rave reviews from the agents I've sent to Ixact Contact, so I feel pretty good recommending it to anyone who doesn't yet have a contact management solution they're happy with.

It's $35/month (no set-up fee or contract required - woo hoo!). If you'd like to get the Friend of SWS 60-day trial (as opposed to the "regular" 35-day one they offer standardly), just go here.

And, join us on Thursday morning for the first ever SWS Webinar on Using Your Contact Manager to ‘SOI'!" Details and Registration HERE!

THE CONTACT MANAGEMENT WITH SOUL SERIES
Part I - The Unanswered Questions
Part II - The Two Things a Contact Manager Should Do Very Well
Part III - Creating Reasonable Expectations for Your Contact Manager
Part IV - "But I Can't Afford a Contact Management System!"
Part V - Contact Management Pays for Itself - if you use it!
Part VI - Which System do I Recommend?

A few days ago, I posted a blog about how I don't buy the argument that a real estate agent can't afford to purchase a contact management system because that extra $10 or $20 or $35 or $39/month just ain't in the budget. You can read it here.

Today I'll be a little more upbeat and a little less preachy and explain why I made the claim in the above-noted blog that good Contact Management can and should pay for itself, many times over.

There are two general ways a CMS pays for itself, both, not coincidently, based on the two general things I believe a contact manager should do Very Well (those would be contact management and conTRACT management).

Managing Your Contacts
First, a CMS should enable you to create and maintain a database of everyone you know. But it's what you do with that database that will make you money.

What can you do with your database to make money?

You can remember and acknowledge birthdays of the people you know. You can print out a list of your Group One (your social network) and ask two people from that list to lunch every week. You'll have a handy place to enter the contact information of new people you meet and add them to your go-to-lunch-or-coffee activities or send them your monthly mass-email and annual calendar. You can take notes on conversations you've had with friends and acquaintances and set a reminder to follow-up with them in a week or two to "see how it went" (whatever the "it" is).

Simple simple stuff! Yet, without a contact manager, even a rudimentary one, most of these easy, friendly, stay-in-touch activities simply won't get done. And I guarantee you'll forget all about 90% of the people you're meeting out there in the world...and they'll forget about you. A year goes by... and two... and three... and then you wake up one morning and realize you've lost thousands of dollars in commissions because you lost touch with most of the people you know, and never followed-up with all those people you've met. You didn't mean to, of course, but without a CMS, it's tough to do even a marginally good job of keeping track of those Very Important People In Your Life who can send you business.

If you don't have (and use) a CMS, I'll bet $100 that you've lost over $10,000 (at least) in potential paychecks every year you've been a real estate agent. Probably more.

Managing Your Contracts
The second way a CMS will pay for itself is by helping you stay on top of your transactions - that is - conTRACT management. And this will pay for itself in multiple ways as well!

When you're on top of your business, your clients are being well-taken care of - and they will notice! When you do the things you promised to do when you promised to do them; when you contact your client with updates before they have to contact you; when you head off problems before they even arise; when you always appear to be on top of their transaction - you'll have yourself one (or a dozen) impressed client(s) who will be delighted to spread the word of your impressiveness to the world.

But what's really sweet about having and using good conTRACT management is that you won't screw up - at least - not nearly as much as you might without it. When you have fully customized checklists and action plans keeping you on track, things don't slip through the cracks. And when things don't slip through the cracks, you don't have to open your checkbook to fix problems nearly as often. For example, once I got to pay for a thorough housecleaning on my listing after the seller moved out because he "forgot" to do it. So, my Listing-Under-Contract checklist now includes "Verify that seller has arranged cleaning after move-out."

Another time, I got to write a check because I hadn't verified that the HOA fee advertised in the MLS was correct... and it wasn't. We didn't find out until we were all sitting at the closing table and my buyer was, to put it mildly, annoyed. The listing agent (who made the error) wouldn't ‘fess up to his mistake, so it fell to me to make things all better. Which I did, to the tune of over $500. Now, right there on my Buyer-Under-Contract checklist is a line that says "Verify the HOA Fee."

So, the moral of these stories is to assure you that if you commit to using a contact management system in your business, it will pay for itself. Over and over. I promise.

THE CONTACT MANAGEMENT WITH SOUL SERIES
Part I - The Unanswered Questions
Part II - The Two Things a Contact Manager Should Do Very Well
Part III - Creating Reasonable Expectations for Your Contact Manager
Part IV - "But I Can't Afford a Contact Management System!"
Part V - Contact Management Pays for Itself - if you use it!
Part VI - Which System do I Recommend?

p.s. On January 27th, there will be a live webinar in the SWS Virtual Studio on the topic of using a contact manager to, well, make money! Unlike previous such programs, this will be a show-n-tell demo (that is - there will be visuals associated with the show) where I'll demonstrate various ways you can use a contact management system to get in touch and stay in touch with your sphere of influence. Details and registration here: www.sellwithsoul.com/cms2. I'll be using Ixact Contact for the demo, but the principles will likely apply to any contact management system you already use or are considering.

First things first... I'm an old married woman as of Saturday! Yay!

Second things next... hoping today's blog puts me over the 300,000 points mark...

And now onto today's message...

After my first contact management teleseminar show on January 6th, I got a bunch of emails from attendees telling me they appreciated my passion for contact management, but simply couldn't afford it right now. Many asked if I knew of a system that was free or very low cost since, they reiterated, they couldn't afford an additional $35/month.

$35/month.

Okay, I totally 100% understand that times are tough. That budgets are tight. That every dollar coming into the household (or not, as the case may be) must be accounted for and spent wisely. Oh, how I get that and frankly, I'm proud of my listeners that they aren't just jumping on a bandwagon to spend spend spend just ‘cause I told them they should buy something!

BUT

Two things.

First, you should never purchase a system, tool or program that will not cover its cost, either in hard dollars or by saving you time (with which you can go out and earn some hard dollars). I will never recommend that you purchase anything for your business that won't, at the very least, pay for itself (assuming you use it), with the goal, of course, being that it pays for itself many times over.

So, rest assured that when I recommend that every real estate agent purchase a good contact management system, I do so with the expectation that they will make money from their investment.

Second (brace yourself, this might sting a little), you are in business for yourself. You are self-employed. You made the leap of faith into selling real estate knowing (hopefully) that you would no longer be protected by that regular-salaried, benefits-included, vacations-paid J  O  B you left. Selling real estate professionally is not a hobby. It's not (hopefully) a side gig that you do because you have a little spare time. It's your career; it's your profession. And it's up to YOU and YOU only to invest in the tools you need to be successful. And if you're at the point where $35/month breaks the budget, it might be time to re-evaluate whether or not you're doing the right thing by you and your family by being self-employed at this time.

Oh, sure we all have tight months - myself included - where we truly don't know where the money's gonna come from to pay for our Rainmaker blog or send out that month's marketing postcard or, shoot, feed the dogs. But that shouldn't be your reality month-to-month-to-month. If it is, it may be time for a little soul-searching. But that's a topic for a different day.

Back to contact management, is that $35/month you'll pay for contact management the magic bullet? No, not at all. ‘Specially if you don't use it! Do you HAVE to have Contact Management to survive as a real estate agent? Again, no, not at all. But in this gal's opinion, having good contact management in place can change your professional life and should be on your list of investments to make in yourself and your business, preferably sooner than later.

Next time, I'll expand on what I mean by contact management paying for itself...

THE CONTACT MANAGEMENT WITH SOUL SERIES
Part I - The Unanswered Questions
Part II - The Two Things a Contact Manager Should Do Very Well
Part III - Creating Reasonable Expectations for Your Contact Manager
Part IV - "But I Can't Afford a Contact Management System!"
Part V - Contact Management Pays for Itself - if you use it!
Part VI - Which System do I Recommend?

p.s. On January 27th, there will be a live webinar in the SWS Virtual Studio on the topic of using a contact manager to, well, make money! Unlike previous such programs, this will be a show-n-tell demo (that is - there will be visuals associated with the show) where I'll demonstrate various ways you can use a contact management system to get in touch and stay in touch with your sphere of influence. Details and registration here: www.sellwithsoul.com/cms2. I'll be using Ixact Contact for the demo, but the principles will likely apply to any contact management system you already use or are considering.

Okay, picking up from yesterday's blog about using contact management to Sell with Soul, let's talk today about creating reasonable expectations for your contract management system (aka CMS).

There's a natural desire among us human being types (‘specially us self-employed creatures) to be as efficient as we can with our money and our time, and, apparently, the space in our purses or pockets. Thus, the evolution of the All-in-One printer/scanner/fax/copier/sandwich-maker, the smart phone data device and yes, the contact management system.

I wrote a blog last month about how I tossed my Palm Pre smart phone out the window and went back to having two devices - one to make phone calls and one to handle emails when I'm on the road. After trying out several all-in-one devices that promised the world, I found that, fancy as they were, none of them did much of anything to my satisfaction. Once I fired back up my old LG flip phone and my vintage Blackberry Curve, my life improved exponentially. I've never looked back!

Well, I think it's the same with Contact Management. Most claim to provide a kitchen-sink level of features and services; from email management to newsletter creation to market snapshots to CMA's to contract preparation.

Impressive.

But I'm not impressed. All these extraneous features, in my experience, are clunky and imperfect. Yes, they will do newsletters, but, oh wait, the ability to track opens or include your fancy signature isn't available yet, but will be in the next upgrade "sometime next year!" Yes, it will create a CMA for you, but not in all markets and, no, that particular report isn't available, but will be in the next upgrade! Yada yada yada.

Here's the thing. We claim to be professionals; therefore, it only makes sense that we choose to use the BEST systems, tools and programs to run our businesses. And it's highly unlikely that one system, tool or program can possibly be the BEST at everything you need a system, tool or program to do for you.

A CMS is simply one tool to help you run your business, and, as described in yesterday's blog, it needs to do contact (and conTRACT) management Very Well. If you can find a CMS that you are happy with in those two areas, you're golden.

Don't expect it to do everything else for you - does a surgeon have only one-size scalpel? Does your family doctor only prescribe one drug? Does your hairstylist only have one pair of scissors?

No, and as professional real estate agents we should search out and commit to having the best tools and systems, both to build our businesses with and to serve the clients we're honored to be hired by.

If I were selling real estate today, here are the various tools/systems/programs I would have, all (or most) provided by different companies:

• Contract preparation software
• Remote document-signing software
• Off-line MLS software
• A contact manager to keep track of my SOI and manage my transactions
• A mass-email/newsletter program
• A CMA program
• A listing presentation "program" (this would just be Microsoft Word and Publisher)
• A Blackberry or other mobile data device
• A good cell phone, separate from the Blackberry
• An internet aircard, in addition to my cable internet at home
• A good printer
• A scanner (hopefully I could use the one at my office when I need high-level scanning capabilities)
• A GPS
• A website with IDX and lead capture
• A blog (or two or three or twelve)

Do all these systems/tools/programs cost money? Yep. Most anyway. Am I made of money? Nope. Not these days. But they are the tools of my trade, so it's my duty to have them.

And that's the subject of an upcoming blog - "But what if I can't afford...?!"

Until next time...!

THE CONTACT MANAGEMENT WITH SOUL SERIES
Part I - The Unanswered Questions
Part II - The Two Things a Contact Manager Should Do Very Well
Part III - Creating Reasonable Expectations for Your Contact Manager
Part IV - "But I Can't Afford a Contact Management System!"
Part V - Contact Management Pays for Itself - if you use it!
Part VI - Which System do I Recommend?

 

Last Thursday, I did my first-ever contact management teleseminar show in the SWS Virtual Studio. The goal of the program was to do a general overview of what *I* think a contact manager ought to do for you, and provide some solid ideas of how to use your contact manager to do those things. (if you missed the show, you can purchase a recording of it for $3.99 HERE).

Had great attendance and terrific feedback. And lots and lots of questions, some of which I answered yesterday here. However, many of the questions asked during and after the show have inspired me to do a little series on contact management! Isn't that the most exciting thing??

So, let's get started, shall we?!

<By the way, every single word that follows is based on MY opinion of and experience with the subject at hand. While I may sound as if I'm some big smarty-pantz know-it-all, well, I really don't know it all. I'm just telling you how I see things and you can take or leave my words as you see fit!>

I believe a contact management system should do two things well. Very well. If it doesn't do these two things Very Well, I don't care what else it does, Very Well or otherwise.

These two things are:

•  Managing Your ConTACTS, and

•  Managing Your ConTRACTS.

Your "conTACTS" are the people who make up your database, aka, your sphere of influence or SOI. Your "conTRACTS" are your active listings and pending sales.

Managing Your Contacts
A good contact management system (let's use CMS from here on) will allow you to easily and intuitively enter contact information for everyone you know, including data for their spouse, partner, children and other relatives, including different last names and individual contact information. It should allow you to track the birthdays of all members and notify you of an upcoming birthday (and other special dates you want to acknowledge). It should allow you to categorize your contacts into various groups, and the names of such groups should be fully customizable. It should allow you to include a person in more than one group and sort accordingly. It should allow you to link conTACTS with conTRACTS.

Managing Your Contracts
Speaking of contracts, a good CMS should allow you to create checklist  templates (also known as action plans or activity plans) that are fully customizable, to apply to your real estate transactions.

For example, the CMS should make it easy for you to create a "New Listing Checklist" with all of the to-do's associated with a new listing from Day One to the date it expires or goes under contract. When you get a New Listing, you simply apply the New Listing Checklist template to that contact profile and BAM! You have an auto-populated to-do list for the listing that reminds you to do all those things you need to for the seller, on the day you need to do them.

Those are the two things a good CMS must do. The rest - all fluff. I don't care if it creates fancy splashy newsletters, I don't care if it has a gazillion drip campaign emails or marketing letters, I don't care if it creates CMA's or listing presentations, I don't care if it blows your nose for you. If it doesn't do the two things I just described Very Well, it's not a good contact management system.

Okay, that's today's show. Tune in next time for more opinions, ramblings and advice on the scintillating topic of Contact Management!

THE CONTACT MANAGEMENT WITH SOUL SERIES
Part I - The Unanswered Questions
Part II - The Two Things a Contact Manager Should Do Very Well
Part III - Creating Reasonable Expectations for Your Contact Manager
Part IV - "But I Can't Afford a Contact Management System!"
Part V - Contact Management Pays for Itself - if you use it!
Part VI - Which System do I Recommend?

Over 350 people signed up and about 75% showed up for last Thursday morning's show about Using Your Contact Management System to Sell with Soul. Wow - I guess it was a Hotter Topic than I expected it to be - I figured it would just me and a handful of other technologically-curious agents who had nothing much better to do on a Thursday morning. (If you missed the show, you can purchase a recording of it HERE for $3.99)

Anyway, lots of folks showed up and asked lots of good questions - 30 pages worth to be exact. Couldn't get to all of them during the show, so, as promised, here are some of the Q's (with A's) that went unanswered during the show.

(Oh, before I proceed, several listeners asked questions about the specific contact management system I recommended at the end of the show. I didn't have all the answers, so I've referred those Q's to my contact at Ixact Contact to answer for me... so... if you attended the show and don't see your unanswered question below, that's probably why! Stay tuned.)

Q from Loreena
Why wouldn't you use a contact manager as your sole contact management tool? That is - why do you use a separate email system? (I mentioned during the show that I use Windows Live Mail for my general email, not the email program in my contact management system.)

A from JA
I believe that you should use the best tool or system for the job, so I use a lot of different task-specific systems in my business. Windows Live Mail does email - very well, and doing email very well is probably more important to me than anything else. It's not worth it to me to sacrifice function for the simplicity of only having one "all-in-one" system. In my experience, contact managers are not fully-functioning email programs.

 

Q from Sabrina 
What program do you recommend for CMA's? I use Top Producer, but that is all I use it for. I would like to switch to Ixact, and cancel with TP, but I do like their CMA's.

A from JA
I'm not familiar with TP's CMA's, but in my experience and opinion, the best CMA's are done through your own local MLS. I prepared my CMA's using reports from my MLS, not the actual CMA program because I was never quite satisfied with the information the CMA-specific program came up with. Just my opinion. But if the only reason you're using TP is to do CMA's, I'm sure there's a better solution locally!

Marie in Canada comments - Prospects is a relatively simple CMS with a great support system and it's FREE....covered by our fees with our Board

Q from Connie
Can you recommend a contact management system to install on your computer? (she's referring to a contact manager that is housed on the computer as opposed to accessed online.

A from JA
I've heard good things about Advantage xi and REST. I've never tried any of them, though. Any other feedback is welcome! 

 

Q from Dee
If my Group 1 and Group 2 are very small should I start using a contact manager? (for the uninitiated, Group 1 is my social network; Group 2 is everyone else)

A from JA
Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps if you're using and paying for a contact manager, you'll be inspired to increase the number of contacts in it! But regardless of whether you use a CMS or not, the size of your contact database is directly related to the size (or rather, number of) your paychecks. The more people who know you, like you, and know that you sell real estate, the more real estate you'll sell. So, perhaps the first step is to meet more people, with a plan to keep them organized and stayed-in-touch with... which may very well include a contact management system.

 

Q from Sarah
What do you think about gifts for past clients around the holidays or new year to stay in touch? I make homemade chocolate sauce each year and I am not sure if is something to continue. It's personal..they like it....but is something like this tacky? I dont want to be the tacky realtor who gives gifts that people don't really want. Should a realtor ask a client if they are enjoying it?

A from JA
I think that's a perfect holiday gift and I don't see anything tacky about it at all. But if you're wondering if it's appropriate...ask yourself... would you enjoy receiving homemade chocolate sauce and/or would you think it's tacky? And give (or don't give) accordingly! (You might want to read my related blog: "Doo-Dad unto others..."). But no, don't ask people if they like it. It'll either sound like you're fishing for compliments or feeling insecure.

Q from Sarah 
I'm in a book club. We never talk real estate..everyone knows that I am a realtor...I want them in my SOI.....I would love to meet them for coffee...it feels a bit "awkward" to meet them for coffee when the only reason I would meet them at the time is because I am in real estate, but I will do it and be good at it.....what is the end result of this? Is it keeping my name in their minds? or just keeping in touch?

A from JA
Great question! I advise that you go out for coffee with people you'd enjoy having coffee with. Period. If you stick to this strategy, you'll find plenty to talk about without begging for business (ugh). Don't try to be friends with everyone in the club unless you truly feel friendly with everyone! Just take it slow, one relationship at a time... and, as I'm sure you know, leave your sales pitch in the car and just be YOU.

Q from Maureen
How often do you suggest contacting people in our SOI? And, do you suggest contacting them with the same means in a row?? i.e. postcards each time, letters.

A from JA
First, you might want to read my series on this topic which begins here: "How often does your SOI need to hear from you?" Personally, I send a mass-email every month (of interest to them, not about real estate) and 3 postal mailings a year to everyone in my SOI. I also try to touch base with everyone in my Group 1 at least once a quarter with a coffee date, phone call or personal email exchange. But as you'll see in the comments of the series, everyone has a different opinion on the matter!

Q from Jennifer (not JA)
Should you house/store prospects you meet from Open Houses? Would these be Social Network/Group 1?

A from JA
I would enter contacts from open houses into my database if we made a connection and there seemed to be some mutual interest in pursuing a professional relationship. I would not add people who simply signed in (if I required sign-in which I don't) and left without a good conversation. In all likelihood, the folks I do add to my database would not be in my social network (Group 1) at this point, although that could happen later of course! Here's a short series I did on the topic of getting contact information from open house visitors.

Q from Brian
Do people in Group 2 move into Group 1?

A from JA Absolutely! Not all the time, but sure, if someone isn't a "friend" today but becomes a friend later for whatever reason... that's great!

Karen from Canada comments: I tried Agent Office and Top Producer...and recently changed to a system in Canada called Prospects that is so intuitive I don't even know where the help button is!

Q from Anonymous
What do you do if your contact doesn't have an email address?

A from JA
Are you asking if they don't HAVE one or if you don't know it? If they don't have an email address then you'll just have to stay in touch the best you can via other methods they are comfortable with. Don't fret about it or make any big effort; just include them in your regular mailings, whatever those may be and if you're comfortable doing so, call 'em up every once in awhile or go out for coffee.

Q from Loreena
I'm on the hunt to find a system that is trackable (opens, clicks, etc.). What are your views on the importance of knowing the trackable information?

A from JA
I used to find it fascinating to see who opened my emails and clicked on what, but I rarely look anymore. I'm sure there's some value to that information, but aside from curiosity, I'm not sure what. I suppose if you have a big enough sampling, you'll get a feel for which topics are "click-worthy" or which subject lines inspire the most opens. I do look to see how many people open my newsletters and the subject line does make a huge impact, but I don't look to see who, specifically, opened them. I'm also not convinced that the data is all that accurate.

Q from Antoinette
How often do you need to do email campaigns?

A from JA
See my response to Maureen, above, and do take a look at the blog series referenced there!

Q from Heather 
I was wondering,,,I am having problems keeping track of who I have "touched" and how I "touched" them, Is there an easier way to do that?

A from JA
A contact management system will do that for you... if you let it! That is, if you add notes to your contacts' profiles after each "touch." You can also get a little fancier and set up action plans in a contact manager to remind you to do your touches, so you'll know that they're getting done. Curious - what sorts of "touches" are you forgetting about? Mailings? or more personal encounters?

Q from Kate
Will you talk about what is covered in the follow up class? Thanks!

A from Jennifer
Thanks for the nudge! I'm doing a follow-up show on January 27th (stay tuned for registration details) where I'll demonstrate on a live webinar the various ways I use my contact management system to generate business and referrals from my SOI. It's fairly simple stuff, by design, 'cause I believe simpler is usually better. Specifically, I plan to talk about acknowledging birthdays, setting up action plans to stay in touch, grouping your contacts without getting carried away; stuff like that.

If you'd like to comment on any of the questions and share your experience and knowledge, please do! And watch this space for an upcoming series on Contact Management - the topic has inspired me to write write write, it appears!

 

Contact Management! Woo Hoooooo! Now THIS is a topic you've been waiting all year (well, six days anyway) for, huh?!

Actually, I get more requests for recommendations on contact management than almost any other topic. Since I'm a big fan of running a Sphere of Influence (SOI) business, which naturally involves getting and staying in touch with one's Sphere of Influence, it seems obvious that I might be the perfect person to point you toward the perfect system for you.

Well, unfortunately, there is no perfect system and which one you choose will be a decision you'll need to make for yourself - which may involve some trial and error. However, part of the challenge agents have with choosing the right system for them is figuring out exactly what they want and need that system to do! They look at all the features and benefits and costs and platforms the various systems offer and get overwhelmed into inaction. I've been there... I get it.

But... good news! While I can't tell you with authority which system is best for you, I can help get you started sorting thru all the noise.

On January 6th, we're doing a little show about using your contact management system to run a Sell with Soul-style business. Managing your Sphere of Influence. Remembering to stay in touch without making your friends feel like a number. Not relying on a fancy system to do your staying in touch for you, but rather using it as a tool to help you do it yourself. Identifying who within your SOI is due for a coffee date or catch-up email. Grouping your SOI without complicating your life unnecessarily. Stuff like that.

We'll also touch on using your contact management system to organize your business, which, in my opinion, is one of the primary reasons to even have a contact management system!

This show will be an audio-only program - that is - I won't be demonstrating any of the contact management strategies I'll discuss during the show. BUT... later in January I'll be holding the first ever live SWS webinar where I will show you how to do the stuff I'm gonna talk about on January 6th! So, do try to tune in for both...

Join us? 

THE DETAILS Date: Thursday, January 6th, 2011
Time: 8:00am Pacific / 9:00am Mountain / 10:00am Central / 11:00am Eastern
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
Equipment Needed: Nothing fancy - just a phone and/or computer
Cost: Free, but you must register below! 

REGISTER FOR THE SHOW HERE
See you Thursday!