soi: Adding to… and deleting from… my sphere of influence contact database… - 02/05/08 12:04 AM
My SOI* has always been around 300 warm bodies, which is more than enough to get plenty of business and referrals without much outside effort on my part.
However, as many of you know, I'm getting ready to launch a major SOI Reconnection Campaign, so I'm looking closer at my contact database as part of the getting-ready process.
There were a lot of names in there of people who... well... don't make me feel warm & fuzzy. Either they were a total PITA and I'd never want to work with them again or I have a sneaking suspicion they don't like … (23 comments)

soi: You Won't Win 'em All with Your SOI... and that's okay - 02/03/08 05:38 AM
I'm pretty darn good at SOI'ing - that is - staying in touch with the people I know so that they remember who the heck I am and why they might want to think of my name when the topic of real estate comes up. My SOI enthusiastically supported me in my rookie year and throughout my real estate career... and I have no reason to doubt that they will continue to do so.
But, alas, even I'm not perfect. Sigh.
I just did an annual review of my mailing list to see if anyone hired someone other than me to sell … (20 comments)

soi: "Prospecting" to Strangers Without a Sales Pitch - 01/27/08 12:09 AM
The other day I wrote a blog, basically admitting that I've lied all this time when I said that virtually all of my real estate business came directly or indirectly from the people I knew, otherwise known as my sphere of influence (SOI).
As part of my re-entry into the wonderful world of real estate sales, I've been more closely analyzing where my business came from the first go-around and had an AHA moment of... "wow - I got a lot of business from strangers!" Now, don't get me wrong, I hadn't forgotten about these Very Important Clients; I just kinda … (46 comments)

soi: A Lack of Sleep and a Huge SOI Aha Moment - 01/25/08 10:36 AM
For over a year now I've been extolling the virtues of an SOI business model - that is - basing your business on the power of your personal relationships instead of the power of your marketing budget. (If you don't believe me check out my tag cloud under "soi").I've claimed that I ran a nearly 100% SOI business literally from Day One - a business that was very successful by anyone's definition - in which virtually all of my business came directly or indirectly from the people I knew. I've implied (or outright said) that I never pursued business from strangers.
(18 comments)

soi: The SOI Reality Show FAQ's - 01/23/08 04:01 AM
As regular readers of my blog know, I'm getting ready to launch the first-ever-in-the-history-of-real-estate SOI* Reality Show. Because this has never been done before, I've had a lot of questions from interested agents about the structure, process and expectations.
How is your program different from the other referral-based programs out there?
The primary difference between my SOI philosophy and that of the other relationship-based prospecting programs is that I show you how to attract business to you, without ever asking for it. Systematically prospecting to the people you know with outright requests for referrals is uncomfortable for many agents (myself included) and is … (14 comments)

soi: Wanna SOI* with Me? - 01/14/08 10:07 PM
Sherry Spengel made the following comment on my blog from yesterday... "Give us a blog about your March 1st 12 week journey!!  I would love to read more!" Of course, I'm happy to oblige...But, be forewarned... it's a bit of an info-mercial;-}
* * * * * *
My life is about to change... and if you want, maybe yours can, too!
On March 1, 2008 I will reactivate my real estate license and head back into the trenches with all of you. That is, I'm gonna sell some real estate! And guess who I'm gonna sell it to? Yep, my Sphere of Influence (my SOI).
But … (17 comments)

soi: OBLIGATION - a Dirty Word When You SOI* - 01/08/08 04:54 PM
I recently read on another forum where a new agent was heartbroken (and subsequently outraged) that his brother-in-law hired someone else to sell his home. Because he was brand new, he felt his B.I.L. owed it to him to give him the listing so that he'd get some much-needed experience. The new agent was bad-mouthing his B.I.L. to the rest of the family and swearing to avoid him at the next family get-together.
OUCH!
How fast can you say "Kiss Your Family's Business GOODBYE!?"
No one on this planet is obligated to work with us, regardless of any personal relationship. Instead of whining … (37 comments)

soi: "Rely on My SOI? I don't know anyone who wants to buy or sell right now!" - 01/07/08 10:38 PM
The other day I presented seven deadly objections to running an SOI-dependent business (SOI = Sphere of Influence = People Who Know You) and asked for your comments. THANKS for all of them! JMac pretty much summarized my thoughts on the matter - actually he nailed them - eliminating the need for this follow-up blog! But I'm in the mood to talk SOI, so I'll do it anyway. 
Here are seven objections I listed and my responses:
1.       "I don't know anyone who wants to buy or sell right now and even if I did, how can I base my entire … (19 comments)

soi: SOI* for You in 2008? "But... but... but...!!!" - 01/06/08 03:54 AM
As my beloved regular readers know, I'm passionate about SOI - that is - *generating business and referrals from the Very Important People Who Know You.
A lot of you share my passion and have experienced great success in your own SOI business models. But many agents object to the concept of "SOI'ing" (yes, to me, "SOI" is also a verb, as in "Do you SOI?"), because they've either heard or experienced horror stories of working with "friends."
Here are seven objections to SOI'ing that I hear frequently:
1.       "I don't know anyone who wants to buy or sell right now and … (23 comments)

soi: I Don't Market My Listings to My SOI... Unless... - 01/02/08 10:01 PM
Thanks to everyone who responded to my question yesterday "Do You Market Your Listings to Your SOI?"
I used to. As Susan H. said, I wanted my SOI to know that I was active and successful, and heck, who knows? Maybe one of them would want to buy the house or know someone who does. Couldn't hurt, right? Besides, I was one of the first agents in Denver to do my own virtual tours (as opposed to hiring out IPIX - yech), so I was able to really WOW my SOI with such advanced marketing techniques!
But today... eh.... I dunno. The last … (22 comments)

soi: Do You Market Your Listings to Your SOI? - 01/01/08 11:57 PM
Let's say you just got a shiny new listing on this second day of 2008. You take your photos, create a virtual tour, write up a snappy description and....
...send it out to everyone you know (that is, your SOI) -- just in case someone might want to buy it or know someone who does?
How do you feel about this marketing technique?
I'll share my thoughts tomorrow, but I'd love to hear yours today...
http://www.sellwithsoul.com/
Subscribe toThe Daily SeductionTips & Inspirations to Generate Business from the Very Important People Who Know You!
Wanna SOI with me in 2008? Check out the SOI Reality Show, beginning March … (17 comments)

soi: Does Your Spouse Refer Business to You? - 12/09/07 11:47 PM
Does your spouse confidently and cheerfully refer you to everyone he knows who has a real estate need? Yes? Good for you! You can move onto the next blog on your list. You don't need me today!
But if you answered "no," do you know why he or she doesn't? Do you know the real reason?
Neither do I. But I'm going to throw something out there that you are free to accept or reject.
Do you come home every night complaining about your real estate career? Do you... um... whine about how awful the market is, or about how little … (13 comments)

soi: ANOTHER Excuse to Contact Past Clients - Use that Camera! - 12/03/07 10:44 PM
Yesterday, I wrote a blog.... about a reasonably good excuse to contact your clients from years past. You can read it here if you wanna. It's just about checking in with your clients at the five year anniversary of their real estate transaction with you.
Anyway, my good friend Allen Wright commented that I should send them a photo of the home they either bought or sold five years ago, just to add a little zing to my message. Great idea! Of course, that means that I'd actually have to HAVE a photo of the property from that time period, but, being the … (15 comments)

soi: Where to Find Quality Content for Your Newsletter - the Active Rain Blog Exchange! - 11/25/07 01:09 AM
There's a new group in town... specifically for those who want to rev up their Sphere of Influence (SOI) campaigns for the new year, or simply take some of the hassle-factor out of their current efforts...
The Active Rain Blog Exchange is an Invitation-Only group that requires members to contribute newsletter-worthy blogs on a regular basis so that other members can use the material in their own SOI communication efforts. Full credit and contact information MUST be included in any material used and only actively participating members of the group will be allowed to remain members.
By "newsletter-worthy" I mean that the material should … (11 comments)

soi: SOI Gone Bad -- 21 Ways to Blow it with Your Sphere of Influence - 10/27/07 03:13 AM
I love SOI*. It's my thing... it's my passion. I think every self-employed salesperson oughta include a little SOI in their arsenal. Or a lot. During my real estate days, my business was nearly 100% SOI with a few random floor calls, walk-ins and web leads tossed in as gravy.
But if you're gonna SOI, you better do it right! Not everyone does. In fact, most don't. Not because they're stupid or incompetent or insensitive, not at all! Rather, because most salespeople have never been shown the right way to do it. When done right, an SOI business model actually changes the way … (30 comments)

soi: Real Estate Myth #3: You Have to Pester (er, cold call) Strangers to Build Your Business - 10/23/07 11:44 PM
MYTH #3: You Have to Pester (er, Cold Call) Strangers to Build a Successful Business
Some people have it, some don't. The desire and willingness to cold call, door knock and network, that is. I'll bet many competent future real estate agents have been deterred from their calling, thinking that they had to spend their lives bothering people to get their business. Not true! I am living proof of that and so are countless other successful real estate agents.
Strangers are probably not your best source of business anyway. Many real estate agents primarily prospect to strangers with newspaper advertising, web … (16 comments)

soi: My Friday SOI Success Story - 10/20/07 09:53 AM
I had a little SOI* fun yesterday. Didn't mean to, just worked out that way.
I have a rental property in Denver that needs ... well... a renter. I no longer live in Denver, so it's kinda inconvenient for me to show the place. But I don't want a property manager, don't need one. I just need someone reliable and presentable to talk to pre-screened applicants on the phone, make (and keep) appointments, open a lockbox, hand over an application and lock up.
I couldn't think of a soul who might want the job.
So, I get the bright idea ask my SOI for … (11 comments)

soi: "Hi, This is Jim at ABC Realty" - an SOI Tidbit - 10/07/07 01:22 AM
Hopefully I'll think of a better title for this blog, but I probably won't. It's not going to be one of my best anyway. Just a little tidbit for my 99th post!
Found an article today on iSucceed.com about Calling your Sphere of Influence. Here's the link.
It's the typical "call up your friends and remind 'em you're in real estate" stuff that I often advise against. This particular article provides ten opening lines to help you make those calls ranging from: "I'm doing an open house in your area today; can I send you a brochure?" to "I was driving through your … (22 comments)

soi: Is SOI* Right for You? - 09/28/07 10:55 AM
*SOI = Sphere of Influence = People Who Know You
I'll bet you're thinking this is going to be a looooong blog, full of sappiness, self-serving propaganda and holier-than-thou pronouncements.
Nope. Not in the mood to be sappy, self-serving or even holier than y'all today.
So, I'll cut to the chase.
SOI might be right for you if: 
You are willing to put the needs of your clients first. This means that you have the TIME and DESIRE to go above and beyond what's expected, not just provide "good customer service."
Your real estate career is your priority career (see above).
(28 comments)

soi: Was Jake Lucky? - 09/26/07 07:20 AM

 
 
In my last blog, I left you with the question posed to me by Loreena Yeo about Jake's success:
"Is Jake running on a stream of good luck? Say, he started in the mid-90s and had his 5 years into early 2001? I do not deny that Jake probably worked very hard. But do you feel that a good momentum for an agent also depends on timing of when he enters into real estate? Would you say that in a down market, that it is probably harder to get the gears rolling? Even for an experienced agent, getting … (10 comments)

 
Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul)

Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn

Author of Sell with Soul

Pensacola Beach, FL

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