Canvassing is the life blood of the real estate sales business. The problem, though, is that so many agents simply don't like to do it. And as a result many scheduled canvassing sessions get canceled, and many other canvassing sessions involve a lot of agents wasting precious canvassing time.

Here's a real simple solution I've found that may help you when you're doing your telephone canvassing:

Before you begin your phone canvassing, write down the names and phone numbers of everyone you're going to call during that canvassing session before you pick-up the phone and begin calling anyone. This way you know exactly what your goal is and it's measured by your results, not by the amount of time that passes. Sometimes agents will schedule 2-3 hours of phone canvassing and continue to take other incoming phone calls during this time, talk with other agents in the office, and visit the water cooler several times, too. So by the time the 2-3 hours are up they haven't really completed much canvassing at all!

When you have a list of names and phone numbers to call written down right in front of you, it also saves you wasting time thinking and wondering who your next canvassing call will be each and every time you put down the phone.

So make a list of the names and phone numbers of the people you will call first, then begin dialing for dollars!

Published: April 9, 2003

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