The system is flawed and a bit tacky!

Let me explain…

I want to share with you a phone call I received the other day and I’m sure as you read over you’ve experienced this same thing at least once or twice. Sadly, it’s a scenario that plays out all to often across the globe in various industries and down-right doesn’t work.

So here goes…

A guy called me yesterday out of the blue.

I knew him briefly from a referral network I belonged to 4 years ago.

He wanted to know if I was in the market to buy or sell real estate.

I said I admire your tenacity, but over the last 4 years have you ever engaged in conversation with me, gotten to know me or even reached out on social to say HI? Then why would I give you my business?

Then he goes on about some contest and he’s trying to connect with as many people as he can to win.

Oh, so I’m just another notch in your quest to win. He replies…well, nice talking to you. Then hangs up.

Yup, a flawed system!

And yet, real estate companies all over are teaching this tactic to all those interested in learning how to make BIG bucks as a licensed real estate professional. Their whole sales approach is based on a numbers game…I get that. But honestly, it doesn’t work. You see, the premise is to cull your lists working from your present circle of friends and family and then expanding out to those that you knew 4, 5, 8 even 10 years ago.

Yet, if you personally haven’t keep in contact with those people, why on earth would they all of a sudden based on phone call where you admitted you were calling them based on a contest want to do business with you? They wouldn’t. And you would spend all day, all week and possibly all month calling people on your list, hopefully for a nibble of some kind. Yeah, no!

The simplest way to get people to take you serious, while also having them line up to be clients…

Listen!

Do you want to sell more, make more money or otherwise have a huge list of people ready to refer you? Then you have to be willing to stop talking and actually listen. Take the time to get to know the people on your lists. Call them up just to say “HI” instead of trying to sell them something. Give them a reason why they should trust you.

So, if someone says you must contact 100, 200, 500 or even 1000 of your past friends to be successful…think about the last time you spoke to each one. How long has it been? Can you even remember where you knew them from? Whether it’s been a month, a year or even several years, the first call to them shouldn’t be a sales call. It should be a “I was just thinking about you” type of call. Where you spend a few minutes to reacquaint yourself with them, get to know them and discover how you can better serve them.

It’s not rocket science, and it has nothing to do with “numbers” – it’s a common sense approach to actually making more money without using outdated sales techniques that don’t work.