The Reluctant Prospector

Earlier this week, I spoke on the subject of Selling to Your Sphere of Influence - No Sales Pitch Required! at the Colorado REALTOR Convention.

As I usually do, I did my best to debunk many of the sacred cows of the SOI- business model training industry, such as how important it is to ask for referrals, why it's a great idea to categorize your friends based on their history of referring to you - stuff like that.

The crowd seemed to accept my protestations that this behavior is not only obnoxious, but that it's not terribly effective. Cool.

I closed my presentation by encouraging the audience to evaluate every prospecting strategy that crosses their path from their gut... to ask themselves if the strategy they're considering is one they're excited about and proud of; to be honest with themselves as to how they would respond to the strategy if used on them and whether or not it would annoy them, if used on them. And to trust what their guts have to say on the matter.

A woman in the back of the room raised her hand and asked if I "approved" of Client Appreciation parties. I asked her if she would enjoy holding such an event and she said she would. I responded with "then absolutely - have that party" with the explanation that if you enjoy doing something, it's probably a good prospecting activity for you. Me? Nah, I'd be too afraid no one would show up and it wouldn't be worth the pre-party stress!

But later I gave this some more thought and wish I had just another 45 seconds in that room to share the rest of the story...

Which is... I just can't get excited about the phrase "client appreciation party." Oh, it's not the worst thing in the world, but to me, it sounds like an event specifically held to make me feel obligated to the host with my future real estate business, as opposed to a party where I'll have a great time. I dunno - there's just something about that title that gives the introvert in me the heebie-jeebies - even more so than a run-of-the-mill party invitation might evoke.

Am I saying not to have the party? Heavens no! Party on, my friend! But call it something else! Have your party in conjunction with an event of general appeal - Oktoberfest, Halloween, your or your spouse's birthday, the World Series or Super Bowl, your housewarming celebration (even if you moved over a year ago!), or just your "first annual wine and cheese tasting" party.

Don't approach your precious Sphere of Influence as a real estate agent first and foremost, as if that's all you are to them. Be a friend or pleasant acquaintance, who throws a good party, and oh, yeah, also happens to sell real estate.

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Deep breath. "Good morning, thank you for coming today...!"

Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, I'm doing my very first REALTOR Convention speaking gig. In Colorado. At the Broadmoor Hotel & Resort, in case you'll be in the neighborhood. My topic? Oh, you can probably guess - "Selling to Your Sphere of Influence, No Sales Pitch Required!"

2.25 hours of scintillating discussion as to how to generate business and referrals from your Sphere of Influence without spending a fortune, jeopardizing your friendships or pestering a soul. If you follow my blog, you've no doubt read a thing or two about my feelings on the matter (NEVER beg, bribe or even remind for referrals, the best way to GET referrals is to EARN them, obligation is a dirty word when you SOI, etc., etc., etc.), but I'm pleased to say that almost all of the material I'm presenting is new. That is - I wrote it specifically for the convention, so while the philosophy hasn't changed, I'm presenting it in a fresh way.

My presentation was not marketed using my "subtitle" of "No Sales Pitch Required" so I'm mildly concerned my audience will be expecting a program espousing the use of formal systems, aggressive stay-in-touch campaigns or some other sort of agent-centric prospecting philosophy that completely disregards the feelings of the prospectee. Hopefully not too many will walk out in protest when they realize that I'm adamantly opposed to such nonsense and instead, propose a softer approach that attracts business rather than pursues it.

Ah well. We shall see.

I'm really excited about the opportunity, actually. And... I'm READY!!!!

I'll let you know how it goes... and thanks in advance for your good wishes!

You didn't think I'd forget about your Sphere of Influence (SOI) in my Pipeline 2010 series didja'? Of course not...

If you've followed my blog at all, you might have noticed that I'm a big fan of an SOI business model, as long as it doesn't include any begging, bribing or pestering those Very Important People Who Know You. At last count, I've written over 200 blogs & articles on the subject and there are three whole chapters in my upcoming book on it. It's my thang.

So, what can you do with your Sphere of Influence TODAY to fill your pipeline for 2010?

Well, just about anything, really. Except begging, bribing or pestering. If, today, you begin making a concerted effort to reconnect with the people you know, by the end of the year, you'll have made a real impression on a lot of people. And I'll bet you'll have met a lot MORE people to include in your sphere to make a real impression on.

What do I mean by reconnect? Well, it depends on how formal you want to get with it. If you've been hankering to change up your business model away from traditional prospecting and into something a little more fun, then you might want to explore the various programs available to walk you thru doing just that (and yeah, I have one of those).

Or, just set some easy goals to have a couple lunch dates every week, to pick up the phone and call a friend if you have a bona-fide reason to. Accept invitations to parties you might normally decline. Have your own casual dinner party or afternoon BBQ. Organize a girls night or boys night out. Go through your email inbox and look for old conversations you can pick back up. Oh, heavens, there are a gazillion things you can do to get back in touch with the people you know and increase the likelihood of making new friends.

Just promise me you won't beg, bribe or pester anyone for business during your reconnection efforts. Or, ever. If you do, your friends and acquaintances won't appreciate being reconnected with and not only will your Sphere of Influence business model fail, you'll likely lose some friendships over it.

And that's bad.

Next up: The Very BEST Way to Fill Up Your Pipeline