Maximizing Your Most Important Technology

What’s the one thing all sales professionals have in common, and yet, each of theirs is completely different?

Whether or not you’ve heard this question before, the answer is the same: your database.

Simply put, the Census Bureau says that if you graduated from high school, you know 2,000 people by first name. Then why do most sales professionals only have 200-500 people in their database? When you really think about it, it’s actually disturbing how many people you know—or have met—that are not on your list. We don’t, as a whole, truly leverage our database.

Not only are there many books written about the power of communicating with your database, there are also entire coaching companies and coaching systems built around the subject. In fact, almost every single seminar I’ve attended has focused in part on building, managing, servicing and growing one’s database. Without a doubt, communicating with your database is a simple, inexpensive and results-oriented way to bring in more business.

Then why is it so hard for real estate professionals to take advantage of the simplest and least expensive tool we have for getting business? That’s a loaded question that I answer often in my classes and talks on mindset and behavior. The fact is, leveraging your database can easily have the biggest ROI and make the most remarkable difference in your income.

If we go with the belief that change is painful for most—and that communicating regularly constitutes change for the majority of us—we can begin to understand why we don’t do it. I’m always stunned at the number of people who would rather spend money they don’t actually have to buy leads when they can communicate, mostly for free, with their database and get tons of leads.

Now, I’m not saying to stop all of the other things you’re doing. What I’m saying is that if you’re not working and leveraging your database, you’re leaving money on the table.

In addition to using your database to grow your business, you want to make sure you grow your database at the same time. My goal, for instance, is to grow my database by at least 60 people per month. My database includes past clients, people I know or have known for a while, real estate professionals from all over the U.S. and Canada whom I have met or know, and so many more. Your database is a living, breathing organism, so spend some time finding people to add to it by scouring old yearbooks, address books, databases, wedding invitation lists and holiday card lists.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what we recommend to our coaching clients when it comes to this subject. We have a couple tools that allow us to track and monitor what’s being done in this area, as well as tools that drive activities. In addition to our DSH (Daily Success Habits form) that allows you to track your time and activities, we also have an eBook by our founder Verl Workman that shows exactly how to get to 86 transactions a year while working the Top 50 people from your database for just an hour a day. And last, but not least, our ABCs of Lead Management tool is instrumental in scheduling specific times during the month to call your database and leads.

Rick Geha of The Rick Geha Real Estate Team began his real estate career at age 22 and has been selling for over 36 years; he has run, managed or owned real estate offices for the past 23 years. His love of people and mentoring their passions has led him to a successful career as a speaker, trainer and coach. Over the past 15 years, he’s led more than 1,000 classes and workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada and has presented keynote addresses to thousands of professionals from all industries and walks of life. Rick is proud to be someone who’s spent nearly three decades helping people worldwide discover and walk their path to personal freedom and is currently a coach with Workman Success Systems. Contact him at Rick@RickGeha.com. For more information, please visit www.workmansuccesssystems.com.