| One
of the primary reasons agents don't stay personally
connected to the people in their Sphere is
that they don't know what to say
when they call them. I have developed a simple
formula that is easy to use and works. These
calls should last about 5 minutes. There are
three components:
-
Connect - The
first step is simply being interested in
the person you are calling. Since you are
calling people who know, like, and trust
you, this should be relatively easy. You
can ask about the person's family, career
or hobbies. For example: "Hi Jim, this
is Stuart. I wanted to call and say hi and
see how things are going with you and your
family." Add a personal question specific
to the person you called (e.g. "How
was your son's graduation?").
-
Provide Professional Value - The
next step is to "put on your Realtor
hat" and provide value. There are many
ways to do this. Here is an example: "What
work are you doing on your house these days?"
If the answer is that they are doing nothing,
you can ask "What work would you like
to do on your house?" When they respond,
you can offer to provide the names of service
providers (plumbers, roofers, electricians)
that can help them. Or, you can provide
a brief update on the local Real Estate
market or highlight a property in their
neighborhood. The goal is to provide useful
information.
- Ask
for a Referral - The
last step is to ask for a referral, since
most agents want more of them. Those who
ask - receive; those who don't ask - don't
receive. One way to ask for a referral is
to ask: "Of all the people you know,
who is most likely to buy or sell a home
next?" If you would like more ideas
on how to ask for a referral, drop me an
e-mail at coach@stuartkaufman.com.
A
final thought - start calling today, even
if you just Connect (See Step 1 above). During
most conversations, people will ask you about
the real estate market, which gives you an
entree into providing professional value.
If you are uncomfortable asking for a referral,
get some help to understand what is getting
in your way. Successful agents routinely,
systematically, and comfortably ask and receive
referrals. You can too! Always remember that
if you don’t stay personally connected
to your past clients and people in your Sphere,
someone else will. |
What to Say