Old Man Winter is here in most parts of the country, and for many new agents that can put a real damper on business building activities.

But let me tell you something, as a new agent you can't afford to take the next couple of months "off" as you wait for prospects to start looking for new homes again. No sir. You've got to keep moving, keep working to build your business -- even when it looks like there's nothing else to do.

So what can do right now while the rest of the your more "seasoned" competition is resting on their laurels?

Reconnect with past contacts.

These are people you've met while networking over the past few months and just never got the time for a quick one-one-one meeting. It might be the interesting lady you met at the Chamber, or the gentleman who said he was going to "wait until next year" for buying a new home.

Whatever the case maybe, these are the people I'm talking about "reconnecting" with during the winter weeks ahead.

Here's an email you can use right now.

Subject: Nice to Meet You – Chamber of Commerce Meeting

Hi Wendy, my name is Jane Smith and I'm the Real Estate agent who met you at the Chamber of Commerce a few months back. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed our conversation and meant to send this out a while ago, but got so busy with clients that time just got away from me. Sorry about that.

Anyway, I wasn't sure what your calendar looked like over the next couple of weeks, but I was hoping we could get together for a quick cup of coffee or something over at Starbucks.

I'd love to learn more about your business and if possible, point you in the direction of people who I know that might be able to help. No promises or anything, but who knows?

Anyway, how does the 23rd or the 26th look for you? Again, good talking to you and I look forward to hearing back.

-- Jane Smith

Alright, now let's take a look at that. First off, you put the place where you met this person in the subject line so it's something they could see right away. Ideally you'd like to have the date up there too, but if you don't remember that's fine. After that, you briefly introduced yourself and apologize right off the bat for not sending something out sooner.

Sometimes people ask me if it's "unprofessional' to wait so long for sending an email, and then having to apologize after the fact. And while I agree it would have been better for an email that went out sooner, I also think it's better that something go out rather than nothing at all.

So just come clean, let people know that you've been super busy lately, but you'd like to get back together again if they have the time. Add in some more language on how you'd like the meeting to go and how it can help them (2nd and 3rd paragraphs), and you should be good to go.

Again, this is perfect for all of those people who you met over the past few months but never had the time to sit down and talk to. They can be prospects, referral partners, or just influential business owners who might have more contacts in the area than you do. You just never know who someone else knows.

So go over your business cards. Break out that Rolodex and see who you'd like to talk to again.

If you want some more business building activities you can do this winter, just email info@agitoconsulting.com with the subject, "Build my Business This Winter" and we'll send it right over.

But remember, as a new agent you've got a lot of things working against you. Lack of experience, exposure and who knows what else. But over the next few weeks you really can pull ahead of your more seasoned counterparts, since "everyone' is caught up in the Holidays. So break out that Daytimer, and set yourself up for tremendous 2007!

Published: December 7, 2006

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As a popular speaker and author of the resource How to Get More Business in Today's Tough Market, Brian specializes in helping busy agents get more leads and close more deals - even in a market as "challenging" as this. For a free report on 2 Easy Ways to Get More Business in Today's Tough Market, just email my office and we'll send it right over.