Step 9 – Categorize Your Database And Upload To Your CRM
In the previous step, you began compiling your database and the contact information for everyone you know – a daunting task. But once you’ve done your original list, you will only need to add new contacts as you make them, and that’s a breeze.
We are sure you’ve noticed that your database is filled with a large variety of people that you know from all walks of life. The frequency in which you contact people and your means of contact needs to vary based on how you know them and how likely they are to use your services and REFER you to others. That’s why we’re going to categorize people in two ways:
The first has to do with how likely they are to use your services and to refer you to others. There are 5 of these categories you can sort your contacts into:
A+ = People who have sent you multiple referrals
A = People most likely to refer you
B = People who would refer you, if asked and shown how
C = People who might refer you in the future
D = People to be deleted from your database.
If you are new to the business, everyone in your database should fall into the A, B, or C categories right now. Later on, you may have A+ or D’s. 2-3 times a year, you need to go through your database and re-categorize people (move them up or down a category or leave them the same) and delete those who need to be deleted.
The second way we will categorize people is descriptive categories based on how you know them. For example, is it a…
Friend?
Service provider? (this can be for ALL services, like health, beauty, auto, pet, other, etc.)
Family?
Business Associate?
(Fellow) REALTOR?
Try not to make too many of these categories. The category should help you remember how you know that person and should be based on whether you would likely send them similar marketing/updates/thank yous. Too many groups will complicate things.
Having A,B,C categories AND descriptive categories will allow you to further tailor your marketing efforts in the future – sometimes you want to hit all your A+’s and thank them for all their referrals, other times you may want to hit your Service Providers (which could be different levels of A+, A, B, C).
