Don’t buy into the notion that sales and production for the fourth quarter should slack off due to the “holidays”. If your business development plans are not in order to finish off your year with high numbers, this is the perfect time to insure ending this year on a more productive note!

As the summer comes to an end, many of us review our production for the first 3 quarters of the year and realize that we might not be where we had hoped, so here is a great way to begin a plan that will make not only the Fourth quarter robust, but infuse the first quarter with high activity.

Smart business development planning can make the difference in how healthy your year-end totals turn out. With a little advance planning, this could make the difference between mediocre results and an exciting finish to 2001.

Here are a few steps to strategize for impressive numbers:

1. The fall is a perfect time to begin re-contacting everyone you have listed or sold this year. Follow up with a personal phone call and check on how they are doing. After the call, send a small thank you gift that is inexpensive but punctuates the connection. This is also a perfect opportunity to ask for their email address if you don’t have it to keep them posted with any year-end events you might be planning.

2. Plan a holiday event that offers you another opportunity to make the “personal” connection. Upcoming dates are Labor Day for a picnic, Halloween for a pumpkin promotion, Thanksgiving for a food/coat drive; Christmas for toys or teddy bear drives for the local hospitals or shelters. Holidays offer a value-added chance to connect while doing a service for the community. Your clients and customers will know that your purpose is to offer services and comfort to their (and your!) local community. Food drives, delivering Thanksgiving dinners; all contribute to a higher purpose, including a valuable way for you to be “connected”.

3. Parties are always fun, especially when they benefit children. Think about planning a Santa Claus photo session with kids at your office or at a local community event. Advertise the opportunity in your local newsletter. One innovative agent had Santa meet the kids at the local park in a sleigh for a sunny afternoon. Candy Canes were passed out, along with little goody bags of toys and gadgets from the Dollar Store. The “fee” was a food contribution for the local food pantry.

4. One of the most successful planned events is a “Super Bowl” party. With many holiday parties to compete with, the Super Bowl is right after the wave of invitations. This is a great time to set up a Pizza/Beer and Big Screen event for your clients and customers.

5. If a party sounds like more than you’d like to handle, Super Bowl “presents” get lots more attention than holiday gifts, since most people don’t get gifts for Super Bowl. Send cans of popcorn to enjoy during the game, compliments of you and your team. In some cases, you can get the cans ahead of time and put your own “sticker” on them. Your clients and customers will enjoy the surprise and you can get lots of attention

6. Prepare now to send out the closing statements from the closed transactions you’ve had this past year. Include a cover letter that says congratulations for spending their first “holiday season” in their new home. With a move, sometimes it is difficult to find the paperwork necessary for upcoming tax season, so enclose a copy of their RESPA or closing statement from their sale for easy access. Reminding them to get ready for upcoming tax season is a great contact method, as well as a value added service. Include information about the latest tax changes and a list of good accountants in the area.

7. Send a letter offering consulting services to assist your past clients and customers with next years planning for home improvements. Many homeowners invest money in improvements that don’t bring them as much future additional value to their property. Offer a newsletter or report that gives a breakdown of what improvements yield the most appreciation. The National Association of Realtors Information Services department is loaded with good statistics. Offering this guidance and information now will help avoid those “over-improved” “got to recover my investment” challenges later next year when the homeowner tries to recover money invested in the improvements that add enjoyment to living in the property, but not recoverable dollars from the market. Feature this service on your website, email newsletter and hard copy newsletters and media ads.

In every case, be sure you ask for referrals and the opportunity to serve your clients, customers, their friends, and family with your extensive services. Having your systems in order will help you jump start next year and finish this one with a healthier production level!

Published: August 22, 2001

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