The Reservation Text – Lead Generation for Foodies

“On the days you only have 40 percent, and you give 40 percent, you gave 100 percent.”

– Jim Kwik

The epigraph from Jim Kwik above seems truly apt today. I write this exhausted from weeks of preparing for our annual conference. Tack on the five days of the conference itself and a workweek closing as many open loops as possible before my vacation. I’m currently sitting in an airport lounge in JFK preparing to leave for Spain. R&R commences in T-minus 90 minutes. Yay! But I have one last task to complete.

Lead generation isn’t something to do only when we feel like it. At least not if you plan to be successful. That’s how we treat this newsletter. Forty percent feels generous, if I’m honest. But here we go.

In September of 2022, we spent a week masterminding with top agents around the world about their favorite lead generation touch. My friend and colleague David Voorhees shared his “Reservation Text” touch, which I’ll share now. In anticipation of all the tapas and Tempranillo we’ll enjoy in the coming days, here’s an easy recipe to serve up some tasty leads.

David and his wife Joy would frequent a great Italian restaurant downtown. The challenge is you can never get a reservation unless you plan many weeks out. So they systematically booked reservations well in advance on OpenTable. If the reservations roll around and they don’t feel like going, David texts past clients and his sphere. “I’ve got a table this Friday at [insert a coveted restaurant near you] but can’t go. Let me know if you’re interested. The first to claim it, gets it.”

David’s offering something of value whether they can take advantage or not. This conversation can easily be channeled to asking if they have any current real estate needs over the course of finding out if they can take the table.

As a fellow foodie, I can get behind this with gusto! So pick your favorite local hotspot and reserve away. Transferring reservations is easy with the app. The best part is you’ll probably net a lot of great dinner dates with your sweetheart too. Just remember to release the reservations on OpenTable several days out if you and no one you know can take it. The table will get filled, the servers will get tipped, and your account won’t get dinged.

One question to ponder in your thinking time: How can I align my lead generation with my favorite things?

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan

Co-author of The One Thing & The Millionaire Real Estate Agent ​