Got a google alert this morning about an article that was just posted 'bout me in the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors' newsletter. I rather like it, so I thought I'd share...
Sphere Includes More Than Friends and Family
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 By Kim Shindle
Working a "sphere of influence" business is not about pestering friends and family to help you get leads, according to Jennifer Allan, owner of Sell With Soul, a real estate consulting company based in Florida.
"Your sphere of influence (SOI) is more than friends and family," Allan said. "To categorize your friends as to whether they'll make a referral and to bombard them with sales material is an uncomfortable way to do business."
Allan defines "sphere of influence" as "everyone who knows you and knows that you sell real estate. That includes people you like, don't like, people you meet every day, new contacts - whether or not you think they'll make a referral."
"Many agents use an SOI business model as an alternative to prospecting strangers," Allan said. "They ‘warm' call their friends when it's clearly a sales call; they send mass mailings to their friends and they spam them with e-mails, all in order to avoid cold-calling strangers.
(This is JA now, not the article)... I've been thinking a lot about my beloved Sphere of Influence strategies and philosophies... and I have some new things to say... stay tuned...
To read more of my SOI ramblings... check out my SOI blog
www.Sphere-of-Influence.com
Thanks for sharing. I agree that doing a superior job is the best form of advertising. Having your name in front of people when it's time for them to buy or sell is important too. There is an art to tapping into your sphere of influence for referrals and repeat business. A combination of both points--and certainly not pestering them with requests for referrals.
Quality work with the occasional card/ facebook post/ check in call after the transaction. Staying fresh in the past client's mind is critical if you want future referrals.
What happens if you don't have family or friends??? You will starve to death unless you get out there and meet people!!!
My goal is to be so daggone good, my name will automatically be on the tip of everyone's tongue when someone says, "i have a house to buy or sell." LOL
Nicholas - Even if you HAVE family and friends, you'd still starve if your entire business model depended on them... SOI is so much more...
Susan - BECAUSE you're a fantastic real estate agent, not just a fantastic stay-in-toucher...
Doug - Yep - it's just about that simple... well, sorta!
Buki - Exactly.