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At our company-wide meeting last week, we focused heavily on developing our agents’ sphere-based business. I wanted to share some of the takeaways, exercises, and tips with you because the best way to build a self-sustaining business is to stay top of mind with the people who already know, like, and trust you. This is an info-packed email, so let's dive in.
First, what do we mean when we say sphere or SOI?
SOI is short for Sphere of Influence. This list includes everyone in your personal or professional network. At Pemberton Homes, we extend this to PCSOI, meaning we also include our past clients as part of that list.
How do I identify my sphere?
There's a ton of different ways to do this, but here are a few to get you started:
Go through your phone contacts. If someone means enough to you to have a contact card in your phone, they’re likely part of your sphere.
Scroll through your social media friends lists. This is a great way to reconnect with people from high school or your children's former coaches/teachers, etc.
Who are you talking to often in this moment? Are you on a volunteer board? Part of a softball team? All of these members are part of your sphere.
How do I grow my sphere?
This is the million-dollar question that you SHOULD be asking. Here are a few ideas we had at our company meeting:
Join a volunteer group for something you’re passionate about and create connections through it.
Make connections via social media or in-person over hobbies that you share with others.
Get active in your child's school or sports team and build connections with other parents.
Stay active on social media and connect with your friends lists regularly.
Why should I focus on my sphere?
7% of the people in your database should transact in any given year. 20% of the people in your database should give you a referral or repeat business in any given year. These people already know, like, and trust you and you likely enjoy their company. Who wouldn’t prefer a business filled with people they already know?
Why should I focus on my sphere NOW?
Research and forecasts are indicating that 2023 and 2024 will go down in the books as the lowest transactional years before transaction count increases again. This means the people in your sphere will likely be buying or selling within the next few years. If you do not stay top of mind with your sphere now, someone else will!
And, I get it. We're in the thick of busy season where agents struggle to find enough time in the day to do these business building activities in between showings and writing offers and listing homes. But, we have to work consistently at all times of the year to make sure our pipelines will be full in the quieter months.
Why wouldn’t I want to reach out to my sphere?
A large topic of discussion at our meeting was the common objections we as agents often identify. Does anything on this list sound like you?
I don't want to seem salesy or annoying.
I haven't talked to them in a while and it will feel fake.
They're busy and I don't want to bother them.
I don't know what to say.
They know I'm an agent, I don't need to remind them.
If you're finding yourself stuck in this mindset, I encourage you to take a moment and consider a few things.
You are an above-average agent. There is no one else who will care more for your friends and family in a real estate transaction than you.
If you don't call them, someone else will. They trust you over the next 10 agents on their social media walls.
Just because someone knows you're an agent does not mean they are obligated to use you. Consistent communication and value is required.
Many agents actively project their own insecurities or judgements of their selves onto their sphere, which prevents agents from marketing to their sphere. Get out of your head and get our of your own way. As agents, we have to allow our sphere to make the decision that they want to work with us because of the value we provide them. If you're not providing value because you don't want to be too salesy or you feel as though you may annoy them, you're taking yourself out of the running to be their agent before they may even realize you were an option (and likely the best option) to begin with.
Let's talk about systematizing and scaling these touches. We are busy agents, after all. We may not have a ton of time to meet for coffees or drinks. Here are a few ways to stay top of mind without overdoing it:
Wait for magic moments and send a video text. Think birthdays, anniversaries, home anniversaries, engagements, babies, etc.
Assign yourself 20 contacts a week to reach out to. Look back through their social media and find something you could mention in a text.
Create a "favorites" list on Facebook and Instagram that pushes your PCSOI list to the top of your feed and interact with their content.
Next up, social media. Content creation can become overwhelming if you let it. However, inspiration for content is everywhere. I keep a notes app with video ideas for my walk-and-talk videos. These are the best performing videos on my social media. They are also the easiest to do. My topics are often questions I get from agents, clients, or staff. You can do the same exact thing with your clients, family, and friends. All that matters is that you create content, it doesn't have to be perfect. Remember to engage with those who are engaging with your content!
Repurpose your content on different platforms (including email!) and stay consistent with posting. Most agents do really well for a few weeks and then they stop creating time in their calendar for marketing tasks and they fall off. Time-block your content creation time into your calendar so there are no excuses for not completing it.
If you made it this far, I hope you can take way some ideas! Remember that you have information that will greatly help those around you. You are a knowledge broker and people want to hear what you have to say. Keep it authentically you and keep yourself top of mind for your PCSOI list.
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