In the last segment we started the process of defining and identifying one’s “sphere.” We noted that the sphere should be the basis of a personal marketing plan and therefore it is imperative that we have a true understanding of the scope of one’s sphere. We actually brought forward four segments of the sphere–friends and family; previous customers; co-workers and previous prospects. Now we will describe four additional segments before we move into describing a marketing plan that revolves around this sphere.
Associations. When we described the sphere, we described both a “relationship” and a “commonality” segment. Your associations will produce targets that represent both segments, but this category actually has the ability to add more from the “commonality” segment than any other category. Associations would include religious, academic, business, civic or even special interest associations. Your church/temple, alumni association, chamber of commerce, homeowners association and even country club are all examples of these associations.
If you are not a “participator” or “joiner”–your marketing plan may require that you start joining and participating in these associations. An alumni association may have 2,000 members. You might develop a relationship with only 50, but you have something in common with all of them. If you took a sales course, they would teach you to find something in common with prospects. Why not start with those you already have something in common? This will make the sales process even easier.
Vendors. There are actually two subcategories of vendors. First, there are those from which you purchase. You make both business and personal purchases. Your business vendors may include your landlord, printer, advertiser, etc. Your personal vendors may include your dry cleaners, favorite restaurant, etc. Every time you make a purchase from a vendor you are helping that vendor succeed. Our question to you–is that vendor helping you succeed? This brings up an important sphere-marketing rule–stop buying things from vendors that are not helping you succeed.
The second subcategory of vendors would include those that sell to your targets. For example, if you are a real estate agent, you are not the only one who calls on potential homeowners. If you are a loan officer, you are not the only one who calls on real estate agents. It is from this subcategory that you can find potential synergy marketing partners. Synergy marketing partners are those who have the same targets as you but sell a non-competing product. Why not coordinate your marketing efforts and share relationship referrals?
Professionals. The professional category includes doctors, lawyers, accountants, financial planners and other professionals who may be singled out among your sphere. Professionals are very important because–
•Professionals typically have a higher income than the average person. Therefore, their purchases of such things as homes are expected to be of a greater magnitude.
•Professionals typically have large spheres of influence themselves and therefore can make very attractive referral sources.
Professionals know many other professionals. For example, if you are interested in marketing to divorce attorneys, you can cold call them. Or you can meet many divorce attorneys through one divorce attorney. You may know one or two, but they are likely to know ten or twenty. They went to school with them, practice with them and compete against them. And we all know that divorces produce many transactions, especially in the real estate world.
By the time we identify these seven segments of our sphere, it becomes easy to see how quickly our database will grow. If you have a goal to build a marketing plan that will produce and grow by referral rather than through cold calling, you can see that this sphere is the key to this marketing plan. It is hard to generate a full marketing plan with less than 100 in your database and this exercise is designed to move your sphere into the thousands.
Next we will outline what the goals of this marketing plan should be. It is not enough to say that the plan should revolve around the sphere. Now we must be more specific in delineating this marketing plan. The goal of the plan will be to identify, grow and provide maximum value to important segments of the sphere.
