Consistency is More Vital Now Than Ever Before
By Six Figure Real Estate Coach Roberta Ross
There was a program on the radio the other day that featured a lot of what people would call, “one-shot-wonders”. Those artists that knocked it out of the park with one song, then were rarely, if ever heard from again. It makes you think, “what happened?” These people were clearly talented, had what it took to reach the top, so why just the one hit? It reminded me a little of some real estate agents I’ve met. Eager, talented, and full of action – ONCE. They showed up strong once and got a listing. Awesome-right? Absolutely. But every day is a new day in this business. There’s no resting on your laurels, ask any top producers out there. They’ll tell you that no one, not even the heavy hitters have the luxury of not showing up day after day, year after year.
“But Roberta, it’s hard!” I know, but it doesn’t have to be as hard as some make it. Not when you put the right systems in place and treat your business like the business that it is. And those same top producers I just mentioned will tell you that it gets easier the longer you stay at it. Why? Because you will develop that brand name awareness that will help drive referrals month after month. They will tell you that they no longer have to wonder where their next commission is coming from or IF they have another commission coming in. They can count on referrals and business from their sphere of influence and farm because they are actively engaged in reaching out to those VIPs on a consistent basis.
Step one: Get your database of friends, family, past clients, and in a manageable system so you can market to them. This is where most agents break down. They feel as if they have to start with a giant, end-total number. To which I like to pull out this gem from Arthur Ashe, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” If your goal is to have 1,000 people in your database but you currently only have 120 in, don’t wait for the 1,000 to be inputted. At least get SOMETHING out to the 120! Then make it a goal to add people in manageable numbers and start the process to them as well. Once you have your database filled, then your next goal can be to add a person for every day of the year. It’s really not hard when you get the hang of it.
Step two: Decide what to send. There are so many great services out there for sending personalized direct mail affordably and easily. There are also some terrific and fun email services that provide content for agents to send via email as well.
Some recommendations would be:
Step three: Commit to sending out something once a month for a whole year and do it. When you do you will be creating a habit that will grow your business in such a powerful way.
Step four: Follow up. You should be reaching out to every member of your sphere of influence at least twice per year. The direct mail or email you send will warm that call and make it easy for you to connect – not to SELL them on anything or pressure them to list, but to build that relationship with them and let them know you are a resource that is there for them WHENEVER they might need assistance.
Step five: Get out there! Meet fresh faces, make new contacts, and start building relationships with those new people so that they will soon know you, like you, and trust you enough to do business with them – that moves them from “prospect” to sphere of influence. Remember – you’re adding one per day – or 365 new people per year to your base!
Statistics tell us one in every twelve will refer business or do business with you themselves each year. That sounds like great motivation to me to build and maintain that list!
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave them here or find me on Facebook! Happy listing!