As part of RE/MAX Realty Advantage's commitment to reaching out and serving the entire real estate community, our Director of Agent Development, Shauna Zamarripa teaches a class specifically on how to generate leads using referrals as a source of business. This series is deigned to introduce concepts, provide examples and to assist real estate agents in creating their own blended marketing model that works for them. Shauna teaches webinars on this content regularly because having the information is great, but getting more than just the information is even better. For more, visit www.281advantage.net

1. LEAD GENERATION
SERIES
LESSON ONE: REFERRALS

2. RE/MAX REALTY
ADVANTAGE
www.281advantage.net
“social”realestateleaders

3. Let’s talk about referrals…
◦ REFERRALS ARE:
◦ Research shows the importance of referrals. According
to Paul and Sarah Edwards (authors of "Getting Business
to Come to You"), up to 45% of most service businesses
are chosen by customers based on the
recommendations of others. A recent Dun and
Bradstreet survey found referrals to be one of the two
most popular small-business marketing methods (the
other one is advertising).
◦ Referrals are also valuable because most of the time
they are completely free. How would you like to
receive the benefits of the most compelling sales
advertisement on earth for absolutely nothing? You can
through referrals.
◦ REFERRALS ARE NOT…
◦ Going to generate themselves
◦ Going to be had just because you
provide great service
◦ The only way to do business
And success by design…

4. Let’s get in the right frame of mind…
◦ Most agents believe that referrals can ONLY be obtained from past clients.
◦ Those agents are 97 shades of W-R-O-N-G

5. There are TWO types of referrals
•Basically, there are two sources for referrals, your current customers (people who have
done business with you) and other influential people. You should have an active referral
system for both types of people.
•Your customers are perhaps your most enthusiastic referrers because they have
experienced your product. But, you may in fact, get more referrals from other influential
people who have never tried your product.
•Develop a system for obtaining referrals first from your customers and second from other
influential people or "Centers of Influence."

6. Tier 1 Referrals
◦ Your Tier 1 Centers of Influence are people that are directly related in some way to
your industry or profession. Tier 1 Centers of Influence have a connection to your
industry because they provide complimentary products and services. Referrals coming
from your Tier 1 Centers of Influence can be very powerful.
◦ For example, in real estate Tier 1 Centers of Influence for you would be new home sales
counselors, other realtors outside your area, realtors inside your area, lenders, title
companies and past clients. All these occupations deal with people who may be in
need of your real estate services and who are working with people ACTIVELY wanting
to buy or sell property.

7. Tier 2 Referrals
◦ Tier 2 Centers of Influence are people whom you come in contact with on a regular basis in your personal life but aren't connected to your
industry. These are people who come in contact with a large number of other people. They too can multiply your marketing efforts.
◦ Your Tier two Centers of Influence include but are not limited to the following:
◦ Neighbors
◦ Friends
◦ Clergy
◦ Small business owners
◦ Corporate business executives
◦ Accountants
◦ Financial planners
◦ Lawyers
◦ Pest control people
◦ SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS!!!!
◦ Your Tier 2 Centers of Influence are people that may have no idea what it is that you do. Take the time to clearly explain to them not only what
it is you do but the importance of referrals for your business.
◦ Go one step farther by inviting them to after-hours socials. Tell them stories about some results that your customer’s have experienced as a
result of your product or service. Get them excited about what you do. Get to know what they do by asking them questions. Now each of you
can get excited when you give valuable referrals, which in turn will be transferred to the new prospect.

8. How to do it “Old School”
◦ Be their number one referrer.
◦ Before you get you must give, which means that in order to get lots of referrals from these people you must be giving them
referrals.
◦ Sponsor networking events or social gatherings for them.
◦ You might hold several of these parties throughout the year so that you can invite several different potential referrers from the
same industry.
◦ Put each one of them on your newsletter list or DRIP campaign that is APPROPRIATE for them.
◦ Share helpful information that they can use to make their sales go up.
◦ Give them marketing advice and information on new developments in your industry in which they should be
aware.
◦ Invite them to an all-expense paid marketing association luncheon that has a great speaker.
◦ Rent a limo to pick them up, serve them wine or fine drinks, and treat them like stars. (I know a mortgage broker
that does this with real estate agents and makes a fortune in referrals)
◦ Purchase an information product about marketing in their business and give it to them as a free gift.
◦ They will thank you for your interest in wanting to help them grow their business
◦ If it’s a big potential referrer, send them a Harry and David (www.harryanddavid.com) year round gift. OR set up
recurring gifts through Red Envelope, using your E-bates account, and earn cash back.

9. “Old School” Resources
◦ San Antonio Chamber of Commerce:
http://www.sachamber.org/cwt/External/WCPages/WCEvents/ChamberEventsStartPa
ge.aspx?OE=True
◦ San Antonio Networking Calendar: http://www.sanantonionetworkingcalendar.com/
◦ Business Network Meetup:
http://businessnetwork.meetup.com/cities/us/tx/san_antonio/
◦ Your church
◦ Your kid’s school
◦ Your spouse’s place of business

10. Your Make-It-Rain Referral Plan
◦ Arm your Tier 1 Centers of Influence with tools to help them to help their customers (and
your prospects). You may consider giving your Tier 1 Center of Influence a supply of
special reports that you have developed (content creation is king).
◦ For example, if you create a special report answering some of the most common
questions that come up in real estate, or a first time home buyer guide or even a first
time home selling guide. By giving them attractive content that you brand and create,
you make them look good and it will also be an effective method of referring you.
◦ Give gifts: Drop off cookies, a Starbucks card, a gift certificate….whatever. Just let
them know you are thinking about them.
◦ SCHEDULE these activities on your calendar DAILY.

11. An Example
◦ HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO EFFECTIVELY schedule your day:
◦ 8:00 – 8:30 : Personal development – read something about your industry to help get the
content creation wheels spinning.
◦ 8:30 – 10:00: Create the branded content that you are going to pass out that day or at an
event.
◦ 10:00 – 11:00: Send thank you notes or thinking of you notes to your top referrers (5 – 10 per day)
or to your SOI. Personalize and hand write these.
◦ 11:00 – 12:00: Do a little prospecting: make phone calls, send texts, draft an email campaign.
◦ 12:00 – 1:00: Lunch
◦ 1:00 – 4:00: Stop by builder offices and deliver your content and hand written notes in person.
Chat with the sales counselors. Ask them about their business. Talk to them about what has sold
in the pre-owned market in their area.
◦ 4:00 – 8:00: Attend whatever networking event you have scheduled for that evening.

12. Cross Promotional Content (Extra)
◦ Perhaps the single most powerful referral program is a cross-promotion using endorsements from other well-respected people. It's a simple idea,
an associate sends an endorsement letter about you and your product or service to their customer list and you, in turn, do the same to your
customer list. It's a win-win.
◦ The reason endorsement letters are so powerful is because people will buy from people they know and respect. How many times have you
asked a personal friend, "Do you know a good place to buy __________?" Or "Do you know a good ____________ that I can go to see about
getting _____________ done?" You trust their opinion so you feel comfortable buying from them.
◦ You can make it a one-way cross-promotion in which you have someone send out a letter to their customer list and you give them a referral
fee for those people who buy your service. Or you can make it a two-way cross-promotion in which both of your send letters to your customers
about each other's products and services.
◦ The are some examples of complimentary products or services businesses that can take advantage of this powerful strategy:
◦ Pizza place and video rental store
◦ Accountant and financial planner
◦ Toy store and fast food restaurant
◦ Dry cleaner and clothing store
◦ Paint store and tile business
◦ Jewelry store and wedding supply
◦ The possibilities are endless. Brainstorm with people in your network to come up with potential promotions that you can do together. The payoff
can be tremendous.

13. A Word About Educational Seminars
◦ Create a New Home Buyer Class, a First time homebuyer class, a first time home seller’s
class or even a How to Buy HUD Home class and partner with a lender, title company
and sales counselor to teach these at model homes, at title company offices (as an
event), at a lender office, or even at your own office. Since you have already
developed the content as part of your pass outs, it will be an easy thing to do, and it is
a great way to leverage their database and yours in marketing efforts to get in front of
people and lead generate.

14. And Now For More….The following are ten questions that Bob Burg, author of the book, "Endless Referrals" gives to help you get to know potential referrers and leave a lasting positive impression.
1 How did you get your start in the widget business?
People like to be the "movie of the week" in someone else's mind. Let them share their story with you while you actively listen
2 What do you enjoy most about your profession?
This question elicits a positive response and good feelings.
3 What separates you and your company from the competition?
This question gives them permission to brag about their business.
4 What advice would you give someone just starting in the widget business?
This question makes them feel superior and allows them to do some mentoring.
5 What one thing would you do with your business if you knew you could not fail?
This question allows your friend to fantasize and they will be thankful that you cared enough to ask.
6 What significant changes have you seen take place in your profession through the years?
Asking people who are a little bit more mature in years can be perfect because it allows them to reminisce about the good ole days.
7 What do you see as the coming trends in the widget business?
This is a speculation question and positions them as an expert in their industry which makes them feel important.
8 What was the strangest or funniest incident you've experienced in your business?
People love to share war stories but rarely get a chance to tell anyone about their experiences.
9 What ways have you found to be the most effective for promoting your business?
This question, again, elicits a positive reaction and also gives you an opportunity to see how they think
10 What one sentence would you like people to use in describing the way you do business?
You are allowing them to give themselves a compliment. Who doesn't like compliments?

15. Working With Other Pros
◦ Choose ten people that you think would be good members of your referral group. They may or may not
be your Centers of Influence. Let them know that you are establishing a referral group and that they
were one of the first people to enter them mind because of their great reputation.
◦ Ask them to educate you on exactly what they do. Tit for tat. No favors, no begging, no debt, no smiley
facing. Just a clean, fair, intriguing and powerful approach.
◦ Have monthly lunches when your group can get together and then perhaps visit one of the group
member's businesses to allow them to explain what they do. Find ways to serve your group members and
educated them on how to grow their own businesses.
◦ You can begin to grow your network slowly and invite other people who you or other members would
feel good about recommending. It's just a matter of expanding your network to tap into the network of
other professionals. Simple, doable, easy. No selling required. Just honesty.

16. How do you do it?
◦ Here are the steps to maximizing your referrals and revenue:
◦ Step 1. Appoint yourself as the host of this network. Be their leader.
◦ Step 2. Ask yourself, "What do my constituents need most that I can provide for them at
a very small cost to myself?"
◦ Step 3. Train them in how to build their businesses via referrals, using the techniques you
have been given.
◦ Step 4. Send a monthly note and update your group about each others businesses.
You need to be consistent with this mailing (or emailing) each month. In effect, the
monthly list/email also works as an effective reminder that you are there! Keep it
RELAVENT to the business and to your group.

17. Your “New School” Networking Plan:
Or, How to Network in Your Pajamas
◦ Make an effort to grow your network everyday. Here is how:
◦ FIRST, GROW YOUR NETWORK
◦ Friend request 5 people on Facebook everyday.
◦ Find these people based on who is commenting and interacting on other people’s pages in your newsfeed. It does NO
GOOD to friend request people who are not active on social media.
◦ Join at least 10 Facebook networking groups.
◦ Have a business Facebook page.
◦ Follow 5 people or companies on Twitter every day and then send them a tweet asking them to follow you
back.
◦ Follow 5 people on Pinterest daily.
◦ Add 5 people to your LinkedIn daily. (There are suggestions on who to add in the upper right hand side of the
homepage).
◦ Join at least 10 Linked In Groups.
◦ Interface via email or on the RE/MAX message board on MainStreet with other RE/MAX agents to boost
agent to agent referrals.
◦ Post on Back Agent…DAILY.
◦ Blog, create infographics or meme’s daily and BRAND these items.

18. Need additional know how?
◦ For Facebook, take my Facebook class.
◦ For Twitter, take my Twitter class.
◦ For Linked in, take my Linked In class.
◦ For Pinterest, take my Pinterest class.
◦ For MainStreet, take my Mainstreet class.
◦ For Back Agent, take my Back Agent class.
◦ Or…talk to me about these items in Power Hour!

19. Passive Income Content Creation
◦ There is an entire strategy I have built on Passive Income content creation using several
resources and vehicles. If you want to learn how to make money monetizing your
content, you need to take: Blogging 101 for Fame and Dollars.
◦ Everyday, you need to commit to creating content. Examples of this are:
◦ Blogs
◦ YouTube videos (Take YouTube classes for this)
◦ Infographics (Take the class on this)
◦ Meme’s (Take the class on this)
Now, let’s talk about what your day should look like, if you want to network in your pajamas.

20. Step-By-Step Guide to Effective
Content Creation
◦ Find something that is trending on the Yahoo homepage or by visiting
google.com/trends
◦ Create content around that and tie it into your business or your personal life
◦ Push that content out to your social media network
◦ Ask people to share that content
◦ Leverage your content through cross promotion
◦ Rinse and repeat…daily
◦ You can ALSO send gifts online….leverage this.
◦ E-bates, Facebook online gifts, RE/MAX Rewards
◦ Any AH-Ha’s yet???
◦ Send $5 StarBucks cards via Facebook online to
◦ Everyone on your list who had a birthday that day.

21. Get in the Right Mindset
◦ Social media networking is JUST like normal networking. The only difference is that you
don’t need to leave your house to do it.
◦ Social media is like a room full of people. You get to decide what conversations you
join and what conversations you leave.
◦ Social media users are 78% more effective than their peers not using social media.
◦ Content creators are 95% more effective (and richer) than peers not creating unique,
valuable content.
◦ In other words, stop fearing social media and stop trying to appeal to the masses.

22. The 3 Rules of Content Creation
◦ Brevity
◦ Say something concisely. Less is more. Pick a single topic that is relevant to you and outline
some how-to’s or guidelines that will help others in the home buying process, the home selling
process, lead generation or referrals. In other words, pick something you are good at an
passionate about and write a blurb about it. Eventually, that blurb becomes actual content.
Think about the newsletters and information you get from content creators. Then, take it, make
it your own and brand it.
◦ Levitity
◦ Allow your sense of humor to shine through. Write about some funny experiences you have had
while on the job, or a tongue-in-cheek look at different situations.
◦ Don’t Be Afraid to “Pick a Fight”
◦ Be genuine and true to you and understand that people may not always like it, or respond to it,
but controversial content (I.E. “Why I hate Dodd-Frank, Despite What The Experts Say”).
Controversy breeds page views, but for those who agree with you will become your raving fans.
Either way, you will earn more passive income using this strategy.

23. Here is What Your Day Looks Like
◦ 8:00 – 8:30 : Personal development – read something about your industry to help get the
content creation wheels spinning.
◦ 8:30 – 10:00: Create the branded content that you are going to promote
◦ 10:00 – 11:00: Send personal messages through your social network to people you are interested
in getting to know better. Ask them questions about their business, using the questionnaire
provided earlier in this presentation.
◦ 11:00 – 12:00: Push your content on social media: List provided on next page.
◦ 12:00 – 1:00: Lunch
◦ 1:00 – 4:00: Interact with people in your networks on threads and in groups. This means finding
and commenting and sharing content and information that you find valuable, and make sure
they know you shared it (if you do not know how to do this, you need to attend the social
media class). Promote them (and what they do). Praise people. Give them referrals.

24. Online Seminars
◦ Take the same principal for in person seminars and take them online.
◦ Use a program like Go To Webinar or Free Programs like Google Hangouts to have an in person
seminar where you can share your screen or yourself to teach and instruct your potential client
base.
◦ Schedule one per week to maximize effectiveness.
◦ Promote the seminar online:
◦ Create marketing collateral for the event.
◦ Send out the link to your database.
◦ Create an event on Facebook (again, to learn how, take the Facebook class)
◦ Promote the event on all social media networks:
◦ Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn
◦ Record the online seminar and post it to your YouTube channel for other interested folks (playback
content to gain more business).
◦ Side note: MONETIZE your YouTube channel/videos to earn money on things you put out there!

25. Option #3: The Blend
◦ In order to reach the most amount of people, it is important to remember to blend the
mix of social media networking and in person networking – remember, not everyone is
on social media.
◦ However, ENCOURAGE followers by adding links to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Pinterest by adding these links in your email signature, on your message board
signatures, having these links on your website and placing these links (or at least icons
to show you are socially savvy) on the back of your business card (or having a QR code
that does this for you).
◦ When placing print ads or even when creating online flyers etc. make sure to ADD your
social media presence to these items to maximize your effectiveness in marketing.

26. Your Action Steps
1. Select a model to follow. Or create your own blended model.
2. Send me a copy of your schedule.
3. Stick to this for 90 days.
1. Everyday, track EXACTLY how many people you spoke with/contacted/visited in person.
2. Everyday, track how much content you create.
4. When blocking time, segment tasks/appointments using programs like:
1. Google’s task list on the gmail calendar
2. An Outlook calendar – under tasks
3. Programs like Ever note or other “to do” list apps
5. After 30 days, evaluate your sources of business and adjust based on what is working for
YOU.
(For an accountability sheet on both models, please contact me directly. I use these…and I
wouldn’t know what works and what doesn’t, if I didn’t use it and fill it in…daily.)

27. REMEMBER
◦ Duplicatable processes and systems guarantee results.
◦ Your business is YOUR business, so it is important to take concepts and ideas and make
them organically your own.
◦ Your plan is a living, breathing thing and is meant to be adjusted based on what is
working for you and what is not working for you. Change is uncomfortable, but
NECESSARY.
◦ And…above all else remember:

28. Stay Tuned for Lesson 2 in the Lead
Generation series:
Content Creation and Social Networking – Advanced Referrals for Advancing
Technology
This course will be an IN DEPTH look at how to create content that pops, how to become
more creative, where to find content creation resources you can use daily, resources on
where to create, how to create, when and HOW to push content for maximum success
and how to integrate this into lead capture for your website and even on your Facebook
business page.
Important note: This class WILL be social media heavy and is best suited for agents who
are VERY comfortable with Facebook (in particular) If you are a social media novice, it is
best that you participate in one of the social media 101 classes I provide first, before
attending this class, so that I can best help you learn what you need to know to go to
the next level.