As your business grows, the best way to continue that growth is by getting more deals from past client referrals and SOI referrals. Since these are people you’ve already worked with and are familiar with, you know they enjoy working with you and they’ll be talking to other people about their experience.
There are five ways to attract more business from this group:
1. Call every single past client from within the last 24 months. Update them with your contact information and make sure you have their current contact information. It’s easier to text, email, or send a Facebook message, but this isn’t the time for these types of communication. Don’t ask for referrals during your calls, either—this should be strictly a business call where you verify their contact information and offer your services if they ever need help.
2. Make sure you’re connected with past clients on your social media platforms. Make sure you’re friends with them and you have them set aside in a specific group so you can stay up to date with what’s happening in their lives. Engage with them and what they share on their feed.
3. Understand what they do for work and what they do outside of work. Be a connector for these areas of their life. If you know about their pastimes and hobbies, you’ll be able to connect them to other people. I keep a list of the top potential referrals for me, and if I know what these people are involved in, I can connect them to new people I meet based on what they have in common. If we take this step first, it will be easier for them to remember us when we have a conversation about real estate.
4. Send them three to four handwritten notes a year. Not everyone in your database is a potential referral, and that’s OK. Just pick 50 or 100 people and send them three to four handwritten notes per year. This is another effective way to make a personal connection. Again, don’t ask for a referral here. Just make the connection and stay top of mind so that they know you’re someone they can send business to.
5. Offer to give them a testimonial. Find out what they’re doing for their career or whatever else they’re involved in and ask them how you can help them grow their business. Depending on what they’re doing, there might be something you can do to help grow their business the same way a Zillow review platform helps us grow our business.
If you follow these tips and take care of the people who take care of you, you will see an increase in referrals and repeat business.
If you have any questions about this or any other real estate topic, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.
