"I'm in real estate" announsement strategy

[Rob Parish]

Hi All, I am a newly licensed realtor in Toronto, Canada and am a huge SWS fan.  I am working my way through the companion guide to SWS and have a bit of a dilemma.  Part of the "Getting Started" companion guide to SWS, week one, building your SOI specifically guides us through the process of formalizing a list of everyone you know and building on this each day. My concern, or awkwardness rather, is focussed on the suggestions of alternative approaches to the typical "dorky" announcement letter. I completely agree with the point of view and will be avoinding the pre-canned announcement letter myself and I truly like the alternatives presented.  I would like to know, however, how I should approach any sort of mass, initial correspondence with my SOI to get the message out that I am now in real estate if my SOI includes people whom I don't regularly correspond with i.e. aunts, uncles, cousins who I only see once every 4 years at family reunions, friends who I haven't spoken to or emailed for several years.

I feel that any sort of email or correspondence from me to my SOI at large, which includes many relatives and acquaintances with whom I have very infrequent contact (if any at all), will seem a tad obvious and somewhat tacky. Should I limit my announcement strategy to the members of my SOI who I have more regular contact with and then eventually re-estalish regular contact with relatives and long lost friends through individual correspondence and then gradually work them into my mass communications?

I would be very grateful for and welcome any insights.

[Marjet Wolbertus]

Welcome Rob, I have two children and a sister plus other family that live in Toronto.  What area are you selling in?  And who do you work for?  There is a great letter in Jennifer's package that you could use to introduce yourself to everyone, I believe.. Ask Jennifer!!

[Jennifer Allan]

Rob,

Thanks for posting this great question. And I like that you're worried about appearing tacky to your SOI. Means you're thinking.

I think you're on the right track with your idea. FAMILY SOI is a very different animal from FRIENDS & PAST CLIENT SOI. Here's a blog I wrote on the topic awhile back: http://activerain.com/blogsview/90533/Using-Reverse-Psychology-with

If I had any family in my SOI, I might be inclined to wait awhile to start communicating with them on a professional basis. It's your call. Part of my philosophy is that you trust your gut when it comes to self-promotion. If something feels wrong to you, even if everyone else tells you it's just fine, sit on it until you feel better about it... or decide that your gut is correct.

At some point, you probably WILL feel just fine about it, once you have some MoJo about your new business... which will come, I promise.

On the other hand, you don't want to miss out on opportunities, so SOME sort of Letting-Them-Know effort is probably warranted, even if it's very very subtle. Keep your mind open to ideas. You might think of something different for every single family member (and long=lost friend) and that's fine. But do include everyone on your contact list.

[Rob Parish]

Thanks for the advice.  I will "follow my gut" and I definitely like the idea of individualized correspondence to selected members of my SOI.  At least for now!  Eventually I can work them into my mass correspondence.

BTW, Marjet, I live in the West Hill area of east end "T.O." (if this makes any sense ).  I am going to specialize in the Eastern Toronto, Markham and Pickering.  In which area(s) are your family members living?

Cheers!
Rob

[Kelly McDonald]

Rob, what if you included something to the people that you haven't talked to in a while like "I know I've been really terrible at staying in touch in the past, but I'm trying to turn over a new leaf...etc, etc."

Like Jennifer said, you'll know what feels right to you. I'm a huge fan of gut instinct too - it hasn't failed me yet.

[Rob Parish]

Another great idea!  Thanks Kelly...I just my try something like this.  Cheers!

[Fiona Payne]

Okay...am I the only person who HATES the "I'm sooooo sorry we lost touch, I swear I'm turning over a new leaf" approach?  The idea of drawing people's attention to the fact that we haven't spoken in months/years makes me twitchy.

[Jennifer Allan]

Fiona - interesting observation. I think it can be done soulfully if you inject a little self-deprecating humor into it. But what you don't want to do is "promise to do better" and then, don't... and follow up two years later with another apology.

However, there probably are better ways to accomplish the same thing - getting back in touch! Great item for discussion when we hit the Announcement Letter portion of the course! Remind me!!!

[Marjet Wolbertus]

Rob, my daughter lives on Humbervale, Bloor west in fact they just put their house up for sale as they bought another to fix up.  And my son lives about 5 blocks from her.  Then I have a sister downtown TO and an uncle in Scarborough...so not too far from you!

Fiona, I agree in a way, but then Rob does need to let his family know he is in real estate...Rob have a big family bbq!!

[Sarah Ford-Schmidlin]

Does anyone have a good letter for changing brokerages?

[Jennifer Allan]

I don't think you need a letter specifically for the change. Just use the opportunity to send out your new business card, with very little fanfare. When does the change take effect? Maybe we can incorporate this into your reconnection letter project...

[Sarah Ford-Schmidlin]

today! (just waiting for the local board to update in MLS - all done at State)

[Jennifer Allan]

Okay, well...

A couple of things.

First, has any of your primary contact information changed?

Are your new business cards on the way?

I don't want you sending out any sort of announcement until you have your new cards... it's an unnecessary use of time & money.

Do you do any regular mass-emailing to your SOI? Or, rather, first, do you HAVE an SOI database?

[Sarah Ford-Schmidlin]

yes some has changed, but not email and cell. added a website and am using that email address (which forwards to the current one)

cards are on the way! should arrive sat/mon at the latest.

I have not done any mass emailing or mass mailing, but my database is up to date

[Jennifer Allan]

Cool.

I know you're in a rush to get these new cards out, so here's what I suggest...

Option I:  Send out hand-written notes (yep, hand-written) on nice little notecards to your SOI, enclosing your new business card. No fanfare - just a two or three-liner... "I recently changed offices and wanted to make sure you have my current contact information. Let's catch up soon!" No fanfare, no gushing over your fantastic new office. No one really cares. In a few weeks, we'll do your reconnection letter to the same crowd and include another card.

Option II:  Just wait til mid-to-late August and include your new card and announcement of move in your reconnection letter. I'd really really like you to hold off on the reconnection letter until you've gone through the official process of updating your database and chattering with the group about writing a perfect letter. This letter is HUGE and you don't want to send one out right now and later wish you'd done it differently.

Option III - In addition to Option II, send out a quick mass email to everyone, along the lines of Option I.

HOWEVER, it's YOUR business, so if you want to go ahead and move forward, that's perfectly fine! If you have an idea for a letter or announcement already, feel free to share it for commentary, but we won't officially work on that project until the week of August 22nd.