Find & Feed Your Maven
1:49 Minute Read.
Sitting around waiting to be loosed from the chains of quarantine?
Today, take a minute to find the mavens hiding in your list of contacts. Spend time talking with them. Remember, they’re bored too and would enjoy a good conversation.
Sure, it’s important to keep in touch with your entire list of former clients and sphere of influence. However, the real goal of all that communication is to ferret out friendly mavens. The moment you catch a maven, your business will change forever.
By definition a maven is a skilled expert, a connoisseur, an accumulator of knowledge, someone who knows their stuff and can speak confidently about any topic that interests them. Literally, the word means “he knows”. A maven gathers knowledge. But more importantly, they love sharing their knowledge and experiences with others.
“Finding a maven is like finding a winning lotto ticket.”
Ask the average guy who serves the best pizza, and he’ll share his favorite restaurant. Ask a maven and he’ll likely probe for more clarification. Thick or thin crust? Old world or Avant-garde gourmet? Then, he’ll share where to get it. “If you’re ever in New York City, you should try so & so’s pizza. Take the E train to Greenwich Village, walk to Houston St…they have the best…” You know the type. How in the world do they seem to know something about EVERYTHING?
We all know mavens. Some are lovable and fascinating to talk with. Others can be well, know-it-alls. Either way, mavens will help build your real estate business if you let them. Imagine your favorite maven sitting at a dinner party. Someone mentions they are thinking of buying a new home. A maven cannot resist being in-the-know and dropping your name as "the only Realtor you should talk to! I'll text their contact info to you right now.” ka-ching!
Over the years, I’ve heard the same names repeated when someone tells me who referred them to me. These are my mavens. I love them and they love me. And here is my advice on how to handle them:
Find your maven. Meet new people. Ask lots of questions. If you’re at a listing appointment, ask about favorite places nearby and what’s so good about them. Mavens make themselves obvious. Move heaven and earth to get their listing. They’re worth it.
Earn their respect. Show them the absolute best side of your service. Let them see your professionalism, expert communication skills and sincere care for them and their transaction.
Continue your relationship. After the transaction is complete, keep in regular contact with them. Let them know they are still valued and appreciated.
Ask for help. Referrals are the life-blood of our business. Ask them if they know anyone needing your service. Promise to offer extra special care to their referrals. Know this, every referral you receive is a test to see how well you’ll handle it.
Feed your maven. Mavens don’t need much. You don’t need to send them gifts. Their fulfillment comes by knowing their insight and experience was beneficial to someone else. Send a hand-written thank you note. Receiving the acknowledgement that they were the source of your referral and a simple thanks is enough.
Next Step: Review your sphere of influence and client lists. Identify potential mavens. Schedule time to take them out for coffee or evening drinks…after we’ve climbed out of our caves.
