If there would be any advice I could give you that can 10x your business in the next 30 days, it would be: Network like your life depends on it.
I believe that in the real estate world of business, networking is more important than ever.
Recently a real estate agent came to me with a question that completely shocked me, “Can I hire someone to do the networking for me? Because I don’t like to deal with people.’’ *jaw drop
It’s a shame that people forfeit their networking opportunities. Networking has always allowed me to build my companies from small startups to strong profitable empires.
The reason we never talked about networking before is that we somehow assumed this was a given in the real estate industry and people would understand how important it is. We were never so wrong.
Out of a survey we did, we realised that “networking’’ is the second biggest challenge for real estate professionals, right after “closing strategies”. It was seen as a bigger challenge than “cold calling’’ and “lead generation.’’
So to help you a bit ahead with networking, we have come with a few tips that can help you get started because there is no doubt that networking can change you business to a 10X more productive and performing result. Here are the tips we came up with to help any individual succeed in networking!
Appreciate The Value of Networking
Before you go out to the field to network, make sure that you truly understand the value of networking. You know what they say, “Your network is really your net worth.’’
You can have multiple degrees and great talents, but if people don’t know you exist, they won’t get you very far. Put yourself out there to meet those who will bring out your maximum potential and make the right connections for you. The more quality relationships you have, the more you will succeed. It will also make you more valuable to others.
You Are Allowed To Create A Preferable Network Target
If you don’t know who you really want to meet, you are going to be lost forever. Being lost is wasting valuable time and doesn’t meet the right contacts.
Be extra careful of those who give you false promises or who are just looking to shake you off. Stop pursuing them. Never put all your eggs in one basket.
Pursue multiple paths and work on determining which ones are most promising. Sometimes it’s the little guy who is less polished but is passionate to work with you who will be your best contact, while the elite CEO tells you the right things but ultimately won’t go the distance on your behalf.
Create A Plan of Direction
Networking is like walking into a forest. If you know your way, you reach the other side accomplished and successful. But if you don’t have a plan, you’ll get lost and can’t get out.
Make a clear plan of how many people you want to connect with. How many events are you going to visit every month? How many business cards do you want to collect? Or the most important question, where do you need to go to find the right people in your target?
Ask Others To Make Introductions (Don’t Be Scared)
If you need an introduction made, don’t be shy to ask someone who can make the connection for help. If you hold back you will never get anywhere. The worst that will happen is they will say no. And ‘NO’ never ever killed anyone, so it’s really worth the try.
Don’t worry you will survive. Going back to introductions, this is really the best thing that can happen to you. Look when you talk about yourself, nobody really cares or sees you as arrogant. But getting others to talk about you and now you have an ambassador working for you.
Design Your Elevator Pitch (Always Have It Ready)
People have short attention spans. Be ready to tell your story in one sentence. Make sure to focus on the key points of who you are and who you help.
Don’t talk too much about me, me, me. Focus more on outcome messaging, rather than self-focused messaging. People always want to know, “What’s in it for me’’. So give it to them in your elevator pitch.
Distribute Your Business Card
Be sure to always have enough business cards on you. It’s a plus if it has your photo on it. If you see that you are running low, go ahead and order more. It’s inexpensive and invaluable.
If you didn’t get a chance to distribute a business card, or worse, not received one, I don’t really count it as networking. It’s just a chat.
Don’t Expect Instant Gratification
Relationship building takes time. In the dating world, you also don’t walk up to someone for the first time to ask them to marry you. That would be super weird, so why do you expect to happen things so fast in business.
In today’s world, we expect instant gratification and results. It’s easy to get discouraged when things don’t pan out on the spot. Remember fresh seeds take time to blossom.
Follow Up
Follow up, follow through, and follow back.
Don’t just sit and wait for that phone to ring. Be proactive and follow up. People are extremely forgetful, especially busy and successful business people who are constantly networking and meeting new people. A nice follow-up email, card, or phone call will always leave its mark.
Do tell me if you enjoyed this blog by leaving a comment below or to send us a message on facebook. We also have some networking tips on our youtube channel @propcoach – How To Network Like A Pro In Real Estate.
Oh and before I forget it, would you like to get access to our new FREE platform PURE (Propcoach University of Real Estate)? Please click here: https://propcoach.net/welcome-pure
