You Are Not Alone--
Your Social Network Can Help

It is both impossible and unnecessary to do everything yourself. Your social network can help you on the road to success.

Knowing lots of people will not automatically lead to your success. Know how to allow your contacts to help you.

Who Do You Know?

• Personal contacts
  • family
  • friends
  • neighbours
  • people who provide you with professional services as health care, legal or financial advice
  
  
• Social contacts
  • members of the same clubs and organizations as you
  • members of your religious or ethnic community
  • people you meet at conferences, conventions and on holidays
  • teachers, professors and instructors from school and other training activities
  • former classmates
  
  
• Work & business contacts
  • co-workers, colleagues and associates
  • clients and suppliers

Use generic contact management software such as Maximizer or Act!, if you don’t have access to real estate specific software,.

Your list of contacts is valuable if, and only if, you use it to communicate with these contacts.

If they don’t know you are a real estate agent, tell them.

Tell them about your niche market, and what makes you unique in this market.

Ask for referrals and let them know that from time to time you will be keeping in touch with them (with their consent of course) to keep them informed of the changing trends in real estate.

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If They Like You, They Might Help You

Most people will try to help, if they can.

If for example, you stop a stranger and ask for directions, he or she will try to be helpful.

On the other hand, if you stop a stranger and ask for gold bullion, you are unlikely to receive any help.

Few people can produce gold bullion on the spot. Those who can, will probably not like you for asking and will probably refuse your request.

This example also illustrates the second condition: if people like you they might help; if they don't like you, they won't help.

How would you like some one who approached you out of the blue and asked for your one piece of gold bullion?

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How to Help Your Contacts Help You

If you need help, don't be afraid to ask for it. Never assume that your social network contacts will know that you need help and will take the initiative, offering to assist you.

They may be assuming that because you have not asked for help, you do not need or want any. Unless you know otherwise, assume that all of your social network contacts can and will help you.

Start with your personal contacts. They will be most amenable to your requests. If their help involves referrals to others, contact these other people.

Next, approach the business contacts you know best. It could be your suppliers or clients. There are two major benefits to following this sequence.

You will continue to clarify the help you are seeking. Also, you will also improve your confidence and ability to ask others for help.

Be Specific

Make sure that you ask your contacts for help they can probably offer.

A good format for your question is: "I am looking for some help generating clients for my business. Do you know anyone who can help me?" This allows your contact several options.

If she knows any prospective clients, she can make a referral.

On the other hand, if might not know any prospective clients. In this case, she might refer you to one or more of her contacts who might know some prospective clients.

The worst case scenario is that she might simply say that she can’t help. Don’t take a negative response personally. Just because some one can’t help you it does not mean that person does not like you.

Acknowledge the Response

At the end of the conversation, thank your contact for her time and for any referrals or suggestions.

Even if you think her comments were not terribly helpful, acknowledge the effort.

Also let her know that you are willing to reciprocate and help her if you can.

Follow-up

To maximize the benefits of your maintaining a network of contacts, effective follow-up is essential.

Without it, your conversations with contacts are little more than enjoyable social interactions, unlikely to help you meet your basic business needs.

Your follow-up starts with acknowledging your contacts' responses and continues with doing what you said you were going to do.

If you said you would call your contacts' contacts, do it--the sooner the better.

Your initial follow-up ends with letting your contacts know, normally by phone or email that you acted on the help they gave you and what happened.

This allows your contacts to know that they really did help you.

To ensure ongoing ongoing help from you contacts, keep them up to date. Include social network contacts in your newsletter distribution list. This will keep them in the loop and facilitate their making referrals to you.

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To Get Help From Your Business Contacts,
---Help Them

Without this expectation, the process is little more than exploiting existing relationships.

If you continue to ask others for help without offering to reciprocate, it will be only a matter of time before your contacts decline your requests for help.

It is your willingness to help your contacts, which will ensure their continued willingness to help you.

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