Talk to just about any Business Coach or Sales trainer and ask her about effective Lead generation and odds are (after all of the social media mumbo-jumbo) “Database” will surface.
Yet, I’m pretty certain there are a bunch of folks out there doing a reasonable amount of business WITHOUT a “working Database” through the use of Social Media on the internet . . . and/or good, old fashioned face-to-face social networking with REAL Friends, Family, and acquaintences.
Looking back in time, I remember having a database of over 10,000 people. Most of those folks were “Farm People” who lived in a geographic area in which I wanted to specialize.
I spent a LOT of time on my database keeping that farm weeded.
Nowadays, the farm doesn’t reside in my database because I can pull a fresh set of names and addresses from our On-line tax access each time I want to send out a direct mail blast.
So . . .
My database has shrunk in size (and grown exponentially in strength) and now consists ONLY of people who I KNOW and who KNOW me.
- Inner Circle (250) – Friends, Family, Prior Clients – Best referral sources
- Local Businesses (250)
- Top Local REALTORS (500)
- Out of Area REALTORS (500) for incoming and outgoing referrals
- Local Real Estate Firm Principal Brokers and Owners (200)
Yep! 1,500 people of which I direct mail monthly only to the 250 Inner Circle
How is what YOU are doing NOW to Lead Generate different than before?
First . . . If you’re one of those many folks out there who have abandoned regular use of a database (or have never gotten around to it), I think you’re missing a golden opportunity to amp your productivity UP significantly with relatively little effort.
Armed with a REAL database, you can make appropriate, INTENTIONAL contact with your peeps without anyone “falling through the cracks”.
More business opportunities will start showing up.
Where?
If you haven’t a clue where to put your database or how to set it up, grab yourself a gmail account and start building it in “contacts” . . . Categorize them in a simple way (only 4 or 5 categories) . . . From there, communicating with them is a breeze, and if you ever want to move to a more structured contact manager program (like Top Producer) the migration is relatively easy.
The key is to JUST DO IT!
As you build your database, develop a “Mantra of Communication” . . . a Rhythm of predictable and lasting communication.
Here’s what I do:
- Every Monday – Monday Morning Coffee blog post direct emailed to Inner circle and Local Businesses
- Every Tuesday – An email to my 500 Top Local REALTORS
- Every Wednesday – An email to my Out of Area REALTORS
- Every Thursday – an email to Local Principal Brokers and owners
- Every Friday – an up-date to my own associates at Pareto realty
- Every Friday – a Mastermind Session “Riding the Wave of transformation”
- A call or in-person visit to all Inner circle
- A direct mail Newsletter to Inner Circle
- Email the newsletter to all others
- Handwritten note to all Inner Circle and Local Business contacts
- Community event twice/year
- If you don’t have a database, BUILD ONE NOW!
- If you are not rhythmic with your communication with your peeps . . . find your flow and DO IT!
- “Winging it” because “all your friends are on Facebook” isn’t a great lead generation program.