Try Our 3 Step Marketing Plan
1:33 Minute Read.
I can admit when I’m wrong.
For years I’ve encouraged agents to take a shotgun approach to their marketing efforts. You know, spray and pray. Like a shotgun that spreads tiny pellets over a large area, I thought doing the same with marketing would somehow create enough forward momentum to kick start a real estate career.
But, here’s the truth.
History has taught us that for real success, each agent must focus their marketing efforts with greater precision. Here’s 3 absolute “must do’s”.
“While others are buying their clients,
you should be earning them.”
You must communicate regularly with all of your contacts. This is known as your sphere of influence. Real estate is a “know you, like you and trust you” business. So, it makes sense to start your marketing efforts with folks you already have a relationship with. On average, agents have around 250 people in their sphere of influence. Sending them personalized, hand-addressed notecards (no, not postcards, form letters in business sized envelops or calendar magnets) every 6 months for the first few years in business is the smartest thing you can do. A word of advice: Use the notecard to update friends about your business or the market they live in. Always include 2 business cards and NEVER ask for their business. Always assume you have your friend’s business. Instead, ask for referrals. Try, “if you know anyone needing to buy or sell a home, please pass my card to them”.
Let your marketing efforts reflect your personality and the needs of perspective clients. One size does not fit all. What works for some agents will not for others. And the reason for that is simple. You are an individual with distinct personality traits. Trying to force any marketing effort when it doesn’t fit your style of relating will never work.
Let’s start with you:
Decide which quadrant fits you the best. Do you lean introvert or extrovert? Do you lean more relational or professional?
Once you understand your relational style, you’ll need to determine what marketing efforts are best suited for you as well as what kind of clients will resonate with you. Those are the people you need to reach. In our ConEd class, Master Marketing we go into more detail on the subject, but I think you get my point.
I am an introvert/professional. That means you’ll never see me at a Chamber of Commerce event or talk much about subjects I don’t understand. I earned most of my clients in the early years of my career by teaching foreclosure/investment classes through local community education courses. It fit my personality perfectly. My wife Ruthie on the other hand, is an extrovert/relational. She is warm and friendly and her clients love her. Because we have vastly different styles, she reaches people I cannot and visa versa.
Feed your cheerleaders. As your business grows, keep your ears open. Learn who your best cheerleaders are. Who is referring business to you? You won’t need many people passing along your business card. Only a few folks doing that will be enough to create a lifetime of income. Take good care of them. When someone calls, ask, “How did you hear about me?” Always send a thank you note to those people. Recognize them as the source of the referral. Thank them and promise special attention and care for their referral. If you take good care of that referred client, they’ll send another one.
Manage your marketing. Give it the time and energy it deserves and your business will grow.
By the way, in another month, NAR, MAR and GRAR membership fees will be due. For those thinking about shelving your real estate license for a while, consider our new license holding brokerage designed perfectly for you! Click below for more details…
