Overcoming Fear of Prospecting: A Simple Referral Strategy for Real Estate Agents

How’s your prospecting going so far this year? 

Are you generating enough leads to land the appointments you need to attend to hit your goal? 

If you need better results, consider reviewing and mastering the RLG: The Referral Lead Generator. 

This step-by-step process for digging out referred leads is effective because you don’t read a script, just follow the track with your own natural style.  And it begins with “small talk.” 

One of the reasons so many agents struggle with telephone prospecting is that they think they need to make ‘cold calls’ – or ‘pester’ their friends and family – while nothing could be further from the truth.

The Referral Lead Generator starts with small talk because when we chat with friends, family, past clients (etc.) – we express caring.  We deepen our relationships. 

The best way to do that is to be a LISTENER. 

By asking questions about them, and talking about them, we are connecting on their favorite subject:  them.  We are interested.  We take our time with this step because the rest of the dialogue is about generating leads for us!

Upon learning this technique, a student said to me, “I’ve been so afraid to call people I know and ask for business, but now the fear of not generating leads is greater than my fear of calling!”  And finally he knows what to say.

I remember Floyd Wickman writing FEAR on the flipchart easel.  Then he’d tell us that it’s an acronym for “False Expectations Appearing Real.”  Too many agents are afraid that asking for leads is being “pushy” – but if you do it in the right way, and with the right attitude, you can overcome that kind of thinking. 

If you don’t ask them for leads, in all likelihood, the people they care about won’t be working with you.  They’ll work with someone else. 

So….will they choose someone who is more skilled than you?  Or an agent who will protect them with sound advice, putting the clients’ needs ahead of the need for a commission?  Will they select an agent who communicates regularly and has the heart of a servant?  How could they?  Because that is YOU.  And you don’t want to call and offer your services.  You are frozen in fear instead.

Get over it.

When you master the RLG, you’ll sound and feel confident, competent and natural.  You’ll find leads without paying for them.  And your referral source will be so amazed by the service they hear you are providing to their friend, that they’ll give you more referrals.

This is how we build a strong Book Of Business.  If you need a copy of the Referral Lead Generator, just click this link:  

No more fear.  Happy dialing!

PS. If you want to hear an audio of this being taught, get access to Student Resources in the Master Sales Society Vault. 

The Floyd Wickman Team Blog by Mary Pallin