Your Sphere of Influence List
Your sphere of influence list or personal contact list is entirely different from any of your other potential customer lists. It is a blend of personal and professional contacts and built from a variety of resources. This list consists of everyone you know. I’ve always liked the label “Sphere of Influence” attached to this group of people because it describes them so well. It clearly defines the people with whom you have the most influence.
Every Real Estate Broker I’ve ever met has instructed their agents at one point or another to begin their real estate marketing at home. The advice is to contact everyone you know and ask them for business because a) they may not know you are in the real estate business yet, and b) they may be thinking of buying or selling real estate or know someone else who is. Wonderful! Possible sales right in front of your nose with people who already know and trust you. It sounds like a great place to start! So, who do you know?
If you’re anything like me, you sit down with a pad of paper and start writing your list. You get your family and immediate friends written down and then… painfully… as if by magic… your brain stops… and the list comes to a screeching halt. Wait a minute, I know more than twenty-five people!
WHO ARE THEY? Pull out the obvious sources:
- Christmas card list
- Address book
- Business card holder
- Rolodex file
Here’s another option to help get your brain in motion again…
A technique that works for me is not to think about “who” I know, but “where” I know them from. As soon as a place comes to mind, the names of the people that I like there start popping into my head.
- Past Employment – think back and list all of your “life before real estate” jobs!
• Who did you enjoy working with?
• Who are you still in touch with?
• Who were your bosses? Do you like them? Did you EVER like them?
- Hobbies
• Where do you do them?
• Who do you buy your supplies from?
• Who do you do your hobbies with?
- School/College
• Not just yours – your children’s schools too!
- Coffee shops
- Church/Temple
- Sticky notes on your computer
- Sports
- Gym
- Professional organizations
- Favorite restaurants
- Grocery store
- Doctors or Dentists
- Crumpled napkins from your last trip to Timbuktu – you know… the man on the airplane that you met and talked to during the whole trip home. He lives here!
There, is that better? You should be well on your way to getting your Sphere of Influence list in order. Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?
Oh, don’t forget to categorize your contacts. Each of your contacts should be classified in some way which will make your marketing efforts easier later.
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