5 Tips for Calling Your Sphere of Influence (When You Don't Know What to Say)
Nov 18, 2021Making phone calls to your sphere of influence is one of the most effective tasks you can accomplish as a real estate agent, period. Unfortunately, it’s also something most of us would prefer to avoid.
We get it. It can be awkward. And in the age of texting and social media, it can feel down right archaic. But short of meeting with someone in person, nothing has the impact or form a personal connection like picking up the phone.
Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to make sure your phone calls go smoothly. Here are five tips that work again and again — so you can say goodbye to awkward silences, and hello to flourishing relationships with your sphere.
Prepare your conversation starter before you pick up the phone.
A little preparation goes a long way when it comes to starting your call off on the right foot. Of course, you called them so it’s your job to get things going, but you don’t need to overcomplicate it. The entire purpose of the call is to catch-up, not to discuss anything in particular.
You’ll want to prepare a 3-4 second conversation starter that’s a bit more specific than “how have you been?” The goal is to elicit a response that’s more than one word — so think accordingly.
Maybe you know they were recently on vacation so you ask how their vacation went. Maybe you know their kids went off to college so you can ask how the empty nest feels. The conversation starter should be lighthearted yet personal enough to not feel like they’re not just another name on a list of calls you plan to make.
Prepare 15-20 personalized notes to ask them about..
Ideally, you’ll keep a page of notes on everyone in your sphere with at least 15-20 things you know about them. That way, if the conversation stalls, you always have something to ask them about.
You might write down their kids’ names and ages, where they went to college, favorite sports teams — the list goes on. You’ll also want to make sure you follow them on social media if they post regularly.
Is this starting to sound like a bit much? In truth, this process isn’t any different than how we keep up with friends. But doing it in an organized, methodical manner helps ease the tension that can arise when making that phone call.
Don’t mention real estate unless they bring it up.
This one is big. Do not bring up real estate unless they do. Remember that the point of calling your sphere is not to see if they or anyone they know plans to make a real estate transaction. The point of the call is to keep you top-of-mind when real estate does come up in their circle down the line. Whether that will be in six months, a year, or tomorrow does not matter. At this moment, you simply want to focus on your connection.
The reality is almost everyone you speak to is bound to ask you about your work at some point. But let it come up naturally. Don’t force it.
Keep it short and listen.
This one is simple: keep it short! You don’t want this to be an hour-long phone call, but rather a quick-and-to-the-point catchup that still leaves room for you to call back in a few weeks.
Another important thing to remember is to listen. You won’t be able to connect and get the result you want if you don’t listen to what they say and respond accordingly. It may sound simple, but we are all guilty of getting distracted by our phones and not being fully engaged. Make sure to turn off all distractions and focus this time on making your calls.
Take notes and set a reminder to follow up.
The key to making your sphere of influence work for you is consistency in communication. So how do you make sure this phone call won’t be your last? Make sure to take notes on your conversation so you remember where you left off. You don’t want to find yourself asking the exact same question a second time around.
Most importantly: set a calendar reminder for yourself to follow up. Do this immediately after hanging up the phone or you will forget.
These may seem like small details, but it’s the small things that will set you up for success when nurturing your sphere of influence. Don’t forget, if done right, your sphere of influence can be on your biggest sources of business. Prepare, listen, engage, and follow up, and the results will come.
