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Intentional Networking: How to Develop Your Referral System
Networking is the foundation for building a lucrative referral network in real estate. As REALTORS®, we have the opportunity to conduct referrals with other REALTORS® in a proactive and purposeful way. From your mobile device, you can operate a referral business that generates enough income to offset your business operating expenditures.
The key to developing a referral network is setting up systems to facilitate a seamless process and incorporating mobile technology.
A few weeks ago, I was sitting in the airport on my way to Arkansas. While on the phone I noticed the gentleman sitting next to me was eavesdropping on my conversation. I laughed and kept talking. Once I put the phone down he asked me if I was in real estate, and I politely responded, "yes."
The gentleman then proceeded to tell me he is interested in purchasing a home in Naperville, IL, and asked if I can assist him. My response was, "Yes, I'm licensed to sell real estate in Illinois. However, I would like your permission to refer you to one of the top brokers in that area. Will that be okay?"
He handed me his business card and said, "Yes, please do." The magic is in the mobile device and applications.
- I scanned his business card with the Evernote Business Card Camera.
- I was asked to connect with him on LinkedIn.
- I was prompted to save his contact to my Google Contacts.
- I was then prompted to save his contact information with a photo of the business card as an Evernote Note.
- From Evernote I sent his business card to real estate professional Carrie Bey-Little via the Evernote Chat.
- Carrie then repeated my steps two to four and sent him an introduction email before my flight landed in Arkansas. The entire process took less than three minutes because we have the tools already loaded to our devices.
There are numerous applications that you can use while on the go to facilitate a referral. Download and prepopulate your information in the Women's Council Referral Agreement. Complete the form once as the receiving agent and once as the sending agent and have it saved to your device via Dropbox or Google Drive.
To include the client’s information you can simply copy the form on your device and open a new form that is already populated with your information to save time.
If you upgrade to Evernote Premium you can annotate on any note and will not need Dropbox or Google Drive. Also, you can use the Evernote Business Card Camera for free for one year if you connect your Evernote account to your LinkedIn account (provided you have one).
To take your referrals to the next level, you can connect your Evernote or Google Contacts to your CRM via workflow tools, such as IFTTT (ifttt.com) and Zapier (zapier.com), where any new contacts will automatically be added to your CRM and email campaigns.
On November 11, Marki will be teaching the newly revised PMN course "Networking and Referrals: Building Business and Profit" at the National Conference in San Diego. Click here for details.
With 25 years of marketing experience, Marki Lemons Ryhal is a fifth-generation entrepreneur, third-generation restaurateur and first-generation infopreneur who has established herself as an award-winning social media speaker and course author. In a market where change is the only constant factor, Marki has used her dynamic, professional attitude and vast experience to become one of the top speakers in the country.
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