52 Weeks of Sales Success

THE TECHNIQUE

Although the 10-10-20 technique boosts sales for just about anything marketable, I developed it for selling residential real estate. As such, the technique goes like this: When you list or sell a house, knock on the 10 doors to the left and right of the house you just sold and the 20 doors across the street and distribute your postcard with a handwritten note letting the neighbors know that you have listed or sold their neighbor’s home.

That is it. That is all it takes to start generating new clients. It should take you less than an hour. Most of the neighbors are not going to want to talk with you at length. In less than an hour you have the potential of reaching 10,000 people.

Whoa! Where did that 10,000 number come from? According to my estimates, from attending weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and family reunions every person knows at least 250 other people. By contacting 40 people in the area, you indirectly contact nearly 10,000 more, and everyone in sales, particularly in real estate, knows that selling is all about meeting people and building relationships.

ANOTHER WAY TO NETWORK

The 10-10-20 technique is just another way to network, but this form of networking is much less formal than most and creates a grass-roots marketing campaign that spreads like a virus. As the neighbors begin to talk about that agent who had the courtesy to knock on their doors and let them know what was going on with that house that was for sale down the street, word will begin to spread far and wide, and prospective clients will begin calling.

CASE STUDY

I recently shared the 10-10-20 technique with a coaching client of mine Domenic Manchisi (www.domenicmanchisi.com). An excellent student, Domenic actually practices what I teach. He even decided to add a little of his own flair to the technique. After he helps clients find and purchase the home of their dreams, he takes a photograph of them in front of their new home and places the photo on the postcard that he hands out to the neighbors. This nice touch helps introduce the new family to the neighborhood.

Domenic reports that the response has been overwhelming. As soon has he sells one house, he has two more listing appointments waiting for him. According to Domenic:

The people who are home when I go to the door are very impressed, as no other agent in my community does this. The sellers love it and see firsthand how hard I work for my clients.

Recently in my hometown of Milton, Ontario, we had a home show—a three-day event held in the local sports arena showcasing local businesses. My office, Prudential Town Center Realty, had a booth, and my team had a majority of the floor time. We handed out my personal brochure along with a copy of our Marketwatch newsletter and spoke to everyone who walked by.

At the time of the home show, I had been doing the 10-10-20 for about a month and I was surprised at the recognition I got just for that. Many people commented on me coming to their door. My marketing campaign to my farm of 10,000 has been going on for four months. Between that and knocking on doors, everyone seems to know my name. I am really starting to see how all this comes together. Not only am I enjoying the experience of getting out in the community and meeting my neighbors, but my profile in the business community is also growing.

Although you can hand out business cards, the postcards are something a little different and less business-oriented and they give you more flexibility to add a personal touch like Domenic did.

ADJUST THE TECHNIQUE

If you sell something other than houses or insurance, knocking on the neighbors’ doors may not work as well for you as it does for real estate agents and insurance agents. However, you can adapt the technique to your industry.

Whenever you make a sale, try to obtain the customer’s mailing address. Then, do some research to find the addresses of the person’s neighbors—the 10 people who live on either side and the 20 who live across the street. You can then send these people memorable gifts, such as the following, depending on your industry:

• If you sell cars, consider sending prospective customers a tire gauge or a tin of chocolate chip cookies—who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies?

• A massage therapist might give regular clients a gift certificate to pass along to someone they know—a free half-hour massage, for example.

• If you’re a caterer, prepare some extra food so there will be some leftovers—referrals will come in.

Ralph’s Rule: The 10-10-20 technique is a very effective guerilla marketing maneuver. Although it does hearken back to the days of the door-to-door salesperson, in this case, you’re not really selling anything, so people are less defensive. You’re just getting to know your neighbors and letting them know what you can do for them.