Need Ideas - 10 new contacts a day

Hi folks,

I need ideas on this topic. As a 1-year old real estate agent (albiet middle-aged) I have heard and read all the basic concepts. The one I struggle with is adding 10 new contacts a day to your database. Note I said contact -maybe, maybe not actual "leads." Adding contacts and building my database is one of my key goals this year.

Where do they all come from? I do geographic farming(postcards), SOI farming (monthly newsletters), website (~ 8 months old), joined a couple of local service organizations. I do NOT want to buy a lead service, phone book ad $$$$, newspaper$$$$.

I need some networking ideas on how to/where to find "x" number of contacts daily.

Originally Posted by WayneR Hi folks, I need ideas on this topic. As a 1-year old real estate agent (albiet middle-aged) I have heard and read all the basic concepts. The one I struggle with is adding 10 new contacts a day to your database. Note I said contact -maybe, maybe not actual "leads." Adding contacts and building my database is one of my key goals this year. Where do they all come from? I do geographic farming(postcards), SOI farming (monthly newsletters), website (~ 8 months old), joined a couple of local service organizations. I do NOT want to buy a lead service, phone book ad $$$$, newspaper$$$$. I need some networking ideas on how to/where to find "x" number of contacts daily.

For "Networking" as I view it 10 new contacts a day is bold.

For real estate "Prospecting" 10 new contacts a day is as easy as finding 10 new FSBOs or Expireds.

Agent Smith makes a good point distinguishing between propsects and contacts. One strategy is to ask your current customers or past customers for 4-5 people that they know that could benefit much like they have. This is a referral strategy that can generate prospects or leads as you are referring to them. Of course there are many more components to a referral strategy but the first and foremost is that you have to ask for them. People generally like to help others and asking for referrals could give you plenty to follow up on. Another key is once you make contact, keep the marketing going. In your business timing is important and you want your prospect to think of you when they need or want your service. They will only do this if you are communicating with them on a consistent repetitive over and over focused basis. Good Luck.


Al Lautenslager - Author, Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days

Originally Posted by Guerrilla Marketer Another key is once you make contact, keep the marketing going. In your business timing is important and you want your prospect to think of you when they need or want your service. They will only do this if you are communicating with them on a consistent repetitive over and over focused basis. Al Lautenslager - Author, Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days

This is an excellent point.

From the other end of transaction; however, I cannot stand when a sales person asks me for 4 or 5 referrals. That is over the top IMHO. Again, I am speaking from the consumer's point of view. It is probably great for the salesman. If you asked me for 1 (and I liked your poduct or service), I would gladly give it to you, or maybe even a second--if a second came to mind. If you ask me for 4 or 5, I stop listening.

Good point. One of the points I left off of my referral points is the best time to ask for a referral. The best time is when your customer is at the peak of their enthusiasm about you. I have delivered services where the customer shouts with joy. You ask them then for referrals and you will get them. Ok sometimes 4 or 5 might not be good but one are two are very workable. Ill take one paying one vs. 5 suspects. good point. Al.

Al Lautenslager - Author, Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days

I had someone call me one time and tell me they were friends with my cousin and she had put her in touch with me. The only reason I granted the appointment was as a favor to my cousin (whom I thought had some connection to this woman). She gave a hard sell pitch on over-priced knives and part of me didn't want to offend my cousin by turning her down. Later I discovered my cousin didn't know her. She had been strong armed into giving a bunch of names and phone numbers after her presentation. Then I was not only mad that I suffered through the whole stupid thing for no real reason, but I was irritated with my cousin for giving out my unpublished phone number.

This is an example of referral-asking gone amok :st.

To Wayne R:

Many years ago I joined a new firm in Manchester, Lancashire, the sales trainer invited everyone to throw ideas on the table on how to get leads, find business and obtain orders, from the 6-8 men present you had a variety of suggestions, none of them worth the MISPLACED ENTHUSIASM they were written on. To be honest the whole wasted day had put me off completely on the idea of working for that firm, to make matters worse the sales trainer had no real experience and you could detect he'd borrowed a few books from the library to provide his flimsy knowledge of selling [most sales books are rubbish-all apart from Frank Bettgers RIP, the Insurance man USA]
To show my dissaproval, I said that all they had to do WAS LOOK OUT OF THE WINDOW, and before them was 1 million prospects laid out at their feet, earlier on someone had said I'd go to Blackpool - now that would be a good area, another had said No, Your Wrong, we should all go to Liverpool, so I said out of pique [anger] Look if you want orders - then we should knock the street outside. No one in this firm had ever done this before or even thought about it, they'd always operated on the greener grass is somewhere else principle. My little talk was not exactly well received, so I picked up an order pad, went outside and started knocking on doors, you can guess what happened, strike, strike, strike, I then returned with 2 orders to intense silence and embarrassment. Please read and digest this post and tomorrow take a VOW that your sales TERRITORY IS 1000 YARDS in any direction of your home. Stick at it, and by Saturday 16 Dec you should be the top rep. Let the Astronauts go to the Moon, your staying put.

Originally Posted by Incidentally Please read and digest this post and tomorrow take a VOW that your sales TERRITORY IS 1000 YARDS in any direction of your home. Stick at it, and by Saturday 16 Dec you should be the top rep. Let the Astronauts go to the Moon, your staying put.

Your post hits the nail on the head Bob.

Wayne,
I'm not sure whether or not they have this in Albany, but there are several downstate in NYC... Have you considered looking into a networking group? If you can't find one, perhaps you can consider starting one up.

Many people have heard of LeTip, which is the ultimate structured networking group. However, smaller, more informal groups are also becoming popular and are extremely effective. The idea is that you have in the group one of each profession.... 1 lawyer, 1 florist, 1 residential RE Broker, 1 Commercial RE Broker, etc.... And you're able to share leads.

However, the key is the networking events.... These get opened up to contacts of the members. So instead of having 40 people meet, each person invites 3 or 4 people, regardless of their profession. This enables people to network with contacts they don't already have.

I imagine starting such a group in Albany if there isn't already one there will increase your contacts quite nicely.

Waynes 10 new contacts approach is wrong, so he should scrap it: You see sales is a fast, moving numbers business, and in some respects you own a quarry or goldmine [yourself] and have to move, and crush 25 ton of ore just to find one nugget.

Lets discuss leads, If I take a lead by door knocking, I make an appointment to call back that evening to discuss the offer and make a sign up. Now what you need to understand is that a lead as only got a lifespan of 3 days - if you initiated it, and 8 days if the client initiated it BY PERSONALLY WRITING IN REQUESTING INFO, or wanted literature. [I don't rate internet obtained leads very highly - these need telephone contact, and a 911 call IN PERSON to their house] Door leads lose 50% of their value on day 2 if unattended to, 35% of their value on day 3, and 15% of their value on day 4. A lead taken at the door over five days old is not worth the paper its written on.

And I argue this applies to Waynes 10 contacts a day programme. Wayne if your selling Real Estate then go to any supermarket, or baseball game and put up a foldaway table AND SELL your services, you must say to yourself I need sales today, actual orders, not worthless goodwill making promises or empty gestures. Just remember Money Buys Houses all the rest is b--------s ------t