Once you’ve categorized your contacts by Contact Type in your real estate CRM system, you should also assign them to Contact Groups that are relevant to you.
Many agents start with two simple groups – their “A list” and their “B list”. Some agents go much further. Perhaps you have met a lot of people through your children’s school, or a charity you’re involved with, or your role as convenor of your son’s hockey league.
Other examples of Groups include:
- Friends from high school or college
- Extended family
- Other Agents
- Members of your church congregation
- Members of your local rate payers association
- Contacts from your geographic farming activities
Whatever groups are relevant to you, create them and assign your contacts accordingly. Assigning people to groups in this way will help you deliver more relevant communications to specific groups with common interests, and will help people feel more of a connection with you.
For instance, you might share testing results of the local schools with your contacts from your daughter’s school. Or you could send a quarterly update to everyone you’ve met through your involvement in the Heart and Stroke Foundation with progress being made to fight heart disease in your city or region. Or you could decide to host an annual season kick-off party for all the coaches and assistant coaches in the hockey league you manage.
Of course, all the communications involved in these activities would be designed to build your personal brand as an Agent, but in a subtle and relevant context that’s far more human than chest-thumping email blasts that shout out “I’M NUMBER ONE! SELL YOUR HOME WITH ME!!” You’ll be amazed by how differently people react to communications that are relevant and personalized to THEM, versus generic real estate marketing email blasts that are all about YOU!
In my next post, I’ll talk about how to develop an efficient and effective communication plan that leverages your Contact Plans and Groups. It’ll be so easy that you’ll truly love your real estate CRM system.