Always be ready to market You.
I'm not a big fan of knocking on doors or cold calling to get business, but I've become a lot 
better at marketing Me. For me, there was time that it was uncomfortable to hand out a business card while in public, but if you want your business to be successful, you have to become comfortable letting people know you are in the business.
There are a lot of ways to market yourself, such as;
1. We're all familiar with social media, and most of us use it for keeping up with others. It is also a great place to let the world know you're in business. I'm not going to go into ways and methods of using things like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc., because of the wide array of training that you can find on Google. Do a search and put those online sources to work for you. They work while you're sleeping, on vacation or just going about your daily routine and they are often free.
2. Always have a business card nearby. I was reminded twice this week that I need to keep my cards with me all the time. Twice in five days, I had someone ask for a card and I had left them in my car.
But, don't do as I do, in this case. Keep a good supply of cards at your fingertips. I was on a listing last week accepting new appliances from a delivery company. One of the delivery guys asked about the home and I gave him the details. It was beyond his budget, but I continued the conversation explaining what the local market has to offer. That conversation ended with a business card.
Last night, I attended a birthday party at a local winery. The winery host was asking me about my shirt logo which was a company logo. That led to a conversation about the local real estate market and an opportunity to return to do a hyper-local blog on this winery's success. It ended with the exchange of business cards and the promise of an appointment next week. This was one of those times I had to go grab a card, but at least it was close by. Keep them with you. Opportunities are everywhere.
Consider doing both sides of your card. Put your important business information on side one and share what sets you apart from others on side 2. My company is unique in many ways and side 2 of my cards relays that information.
3. Think outside the box. I only share these next two events to demonstrate "outside the box" ways to reach into the community. In 2016, I called the local sheriff's department to find out if the K9 force had tactical vests. They did not. At my expense, I had each of the four dogs on the force measured and suited with vests. I didn't ask for any publicity, but that one donation ended up with a newspaper article and a TV interview. It also ended up with a series of law enforcement buyers and sellers. Some of those officers bought and sold. It was a profitable donation.
Last year, I did something behind the scenes that had a great outcome. I called a local elementary school principal and asked if there were any families who were behind on their meal accounts for their children. She said there were delinquent accounts. Very quietly, I sent the funds needed to clear all the past-due accounts. We didn't publicize it in any way, but in a meeting of teachers and staff a few weeks later, the principal shared how the accounts were cleared. I had sent enough to make sure the accounts stayed clear through the rest of the school year. That simple gesture resulted in a sale that recently closed, and additional referrals. It created a nice flow of business. It also solved an immediate problem.
As Realtors, we are problem solvers. Sometimes, that simply means we find a house for a buyer, or it might be listing a home for a seller. It can also mean buying K9 vests and paying off delinquent meal accounts. The best marketing you can have is word of mouth, and when you solve problems, word gets around.
4. Provide market updates for your local media. I share my quarterly, semi-annual and yearly market updates with local newspapers and radio stations. I tell the recipients that they are free to use the data. I was interviewed 12 times in 2017 and twice this year from different market media sources. It costs nothing to do, and it has produced multiple sales in the past year. It is common to have a call or a meeting where the client starts the conversation with, "I saw your article in the paper." Bingo!
The most important thing I can encourage you to do is to always be ready to market you. You can do that in a myriad of simple and often free ways, but you always need to be ready to market you.
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