You already have learned that one of the keys to building your business is to increase your sphere of influence and not overlook the people with whom you come in daily contact. They are a tremendous source of leads, as many as 250 people apiece! Now, let’s work on increasing the numbers of people you know.

First, organize your contacts and everyone new that you meet into a data-base of some sort. Everyone. These contacts are your centers of influence - your referral gold mine in the making. Now how can you make them grow?

Join your local chamber of commerce and begin going to the functions for the sole purpose of networking and building your list of contacts.

Join other local organizations within your territory like the school board or a neighborhood watch program. Join Toastmasters or the Elks club or get involved in your church. In other words, begin actively, purposefully meeting people with whom you feel most like doing business. Remember, people do business with those whom they know, like and trust.

If you’ve chosen to specialize in any one particular neighborhood...get active in that neighborhood.

If your target is doctors...discover where these doctors hang out, what association meetings they attend and get yourself there.

If you have a special interest, pursue it, but use it as a source for building contacts, too. If you have a hobby that you enjoy, make sure that you join clubs and associations that cater to your interest.

Now, you are in a position to network. But should you just start handing out your business cards by the dozens, even by the hundreds, press the flesh with everyone and simply hope for the best? No way.

No, you want to establish the grounds of a relationship; you want to plant the seeds necessary for these contacts to know, like and trust you.

Your goal is not to solicit immediate business, but to build a database of contacts which you will use to create a never-ending chain of referral business.

Here a some techniques that can work for you:

1. Introduce yourself to a lot of people, especially those people who appear to be the centers of influence at the particular function you are working. These people are easy to spot...they are usually surrounded by others and appear to be dominating the conversation. While you certainly don’t want to limit your networking to these individuals, you certainly want to include them.

2. Introduce yourself simply and directly. "Hi, Rob Fore with Realty Profit Systems and you are?" Repeat their name back to them. Ask what they do for a living and listen.

3. If they ask you what you do...respond briefly with a benefit statement. "I specialize in helping people sell their homes for the most money, quickly."

4. Then, immediately invest 99.9 percent of the conversation asking that person question about them and their business. Do not talk about your business.

You see, at this point, this individual doesn’t know you. That takes time. To get the conversation going, you might ask some of the following questions:

"How did you get your start in the business?"

"What do you find most enjoyable about your business?"

"If someone were to ask, what separates you and your business from your competitors? Why should someone do business with you over and any and all of your competitors?"

"If you could give someone advice in just getting started in your line of business, what advice would you give them?"

"What one sentence would you like people to use to describe the way in which you conduct your business?"

"What have you found to be the best way for promoting your business?"

You get the idea. Ask open-ended questions which get your prospects talking about themselves> This increases their feelings of importance, and enhance their self-image. Let them be "the expert" for a minute and bask in their light.

5. Always make sure you ask this question: "Tell me, how can I know if someone I’m talking to is a good prospect for you?" And listen to their answer.

This question is powerful. It absolutely positions you apart from everyone else because no one else will think to ask that question. And, it indicates honest concern for their business which makes you someone special - someone who is in their best interests to know!

Later, upon meeting others, swing by your previous contacts and address them by name. People love to hear their own names and you can, again, position yourself apart from the crowd simply by remembering their names.

6. Follow up with these contacts. The easiest way is to send a brief, personalized thank-you note immediately. You want them to receive this note the very next day! Ideally, you want to have a post-card made up with your picture, realty affiliation and contact info on it and use these post-cards for your thank-you notes and any other brief messages. It accomplishes two things...one, people will be surprised (and pleased) to receive your note. Secondly, your picture and name will help jog your contacts memory as to who you are and what you do for a living. If you send them a note absent of your picture, chances are they won’t know you sent the note.

They met a lot of people and you were just one of them. You don’t want to be just one among many you want to continue setting yourself apart and positioning yourself as different...as knowable, likable, and trustworthy.

7. You can easily "systemize" this post-card technique by personalizing a number of them in your down times, pre-stamp them and simply keep them in your car. Once you’ve made a contact, simply address the card and drop it in the nearest mailbox. It’s that simple. Your initial note might read, "Hi John. Just a note to thank you. It was a pleasure meeting you. If I can ever refer business your way I certainly will." That’s it. Pretty generic, but it will work wonders... because few will take the time to do this.

Keep in contact often, at least once a month. Send them articles related to their business, copies of press releases concerning them and their business. Send them leads and referrals as often as possible. Send them a note pad imprinted with your phone and face at least once a month. Keep your name and business in front of them all the time.

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