We real estate agents love our systems, don't we? If we can purchase a product that will help us streamline our prospecting efforts, we're all for it. Where do I sign? But let me fly in the face of convention here and say … STOP! Stop with all the systems and programs and products!

Why? Because when pursuing business from the Very Important People Who Know You (that is, your Sphere of Influence or SOI), it's important to make them feel special. And no system, program or product is going to do that FOR you. You actually have to do it yourself.

Here are some examples of what I mean.

I was recently asked by one of my readers if I recommend putting past clients on a 5-year drip campaign that automatically sends out anniversary cards and seasonal postcards. My answer? NO! My SOI database (and especially my past client database) is precious to me. Every name on there has the potential to bring thousands of dollars to my business and deserves my respect and attention.

Before I send anything out to my SOI, I go through my list carefully to make sure it's up to date, with accurate information. This exercise also inspires me to personally "touch" those who I enjoyed getting to know with a more personal effort (phone call, personal email, whatever). I want to stay intimately in touch with the names in my database. If I put my SOI on any sort of automatic drip campaign, I feel I'll lose that intimacy and connection, and will be just another real estate agent looking for business.

Want another example? I recently sent out a mass-email to my SOI offering to put interested parties on a list to receive a monthly market report created by a local economist. When the responses started coming in, I tried to figure out a "system" to track respondents and automatically send out the report every month. But then I caught myself … by systematizing this process, I'm throwing away a wonderful opportunity to connect with my SOI every single month when I personally email them the report. I mean, DUH! They are ASKING to hear from me; why waste the chance to toss in a short personal note each month that might make them smile (and believe me, that personal note will have nothing to do with how much I love referrals! Ick).

One more … one of my agent friends asked me a few weeks ago if she should purchase a program that automatically sends out birthday cards to her SOI. Sheesh. Is it really too hard to actually sign and mail a card to someone you care about? I mean, c'mon!!! Are we real estate agents so important and so busy that we can't take five minutes to write "Happy Birthday!" on a card, sign it personally, address the envelope and slap a stamp on it? Please say it isn't so!

One thing I love about this business, especially my 100 percent SOI business, is that every little thing I do that goes above and beyond what I "have" to do can result in a huge financial payoff for me. Personal notes (that I actually wrote myself), personal emails, and personal phone calls … this is where the money is … at least if you're gonna SOI … .

Published: July 10, 2008

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Jennifer Allan is the author of the newly-released Sell with Soul: Creating an Extraordinary Career in Real Estate without Losing Your Friends, Your Principles or Your Self-Respect (click here to reserve a numbered, autographed copy of one of the first 1,000 printed.) as well as a number of eBooks including The Seduction of Your SOI: Generating Business and Referrals from the Very Important People Who Know You, Dorky Announcement Letters - DEDORKED! and The Art of Pricing. Jennifer began her writing career after ten years of selling real estate successfully in Denver, Colorado. She was dismayed at the low level of professionalism she frequently encountered in the real estate industry and, with her "soulful" message, hopes to encourage the real estate community to self-correct the negative stereotypes of the profession. Jennifer's message is that agents should strive to be competent real estate advisors instead of simply competent real estate prospectors. That agents should respect the intelligence of their clients, rather than attempt to insult that intelligence with aggressive closing techniques. She preaches that agents should appreciate the significant commissions paid by their clients, rather than complain that they, themselves, are not appreciated. Her personal mantra is "The clients I have today are far more important to me than the ones I hope to have tomorrow." You can learn more about Jennifer's "soulful" philosophies at SellWithSoul.com.  Subscribe to  The Daily Seduction Tips & Inspirations to Generate Business and Referrals from The Very Important People Who Know You  Your Email Address: Your Name: