Print this page

Focus Makes the Difference

Written by Posted On Sunday, 18 August 2019 05:25

It’s hard to believe we’re heading into the final quarter of the year! Your focus needs to be all about rocking your numbers as you cross the finish line. This is the time to maximize your efforts to meet or exceed those goals you set many months ago. 

Many agents use summertime, with the kids out of school, as an excuse to slack off. Suddenly, summer is over, the kids are back at school, and then they blame the slowdown of the market on the approaching holidays. Those ambitious goals set back in January now feel unattainable as the days and weeks relentlessly march towards the end of the year.

But, let me ask you this: When does the racehorse really pour on the power? You guessed it…in that final stretch of the race, with the finish line in sight. Are you going to be like a racehorse  and meet your goals, or are you going to fall short?

Life is about enjoying these special times, from long summer days to the holidays, but for the savvy agent, ramping up when everyone else is gearing down offers the best competitive advantage. 

Here are a few proven ways to take advantage of the lull and score big.

Support a give-back campaign within the community. 

Check with your local Chamber of Commerce for details on drives to benefit the local food pantry, animal shelter, homeless shelter or senior center and discover different ways to support them through your sphere of influence. Be present at each of the various venues for the distribution or pick-up of the drive. Make sure to take plenty of photos and videos to post on your Facebook business page. Sharing the combined efforts of you and the participating vendors creates high visibility and endless goodwill.

Inspect what you expect from your various service providers. 

Do a deep dive into inspecting what lead generation and CRM (client relationship management) platforms have proven to be profitable. When you study the actual return on the investment, you’re better equipped to make the decision to renew those particular services or start looking for a better solution. As an example, if you’ve been paying every month for a lead-generation service, now is a great time to determine what percentage of those leads have resulted in sales. Service providers count on the fact that a monthly billing will continue to ping your credit card and go unnoticed. Knowing what your real costs are can make the difference between buying leads and actually converting them into real profits.

Set up a face-to-face touch with everyone you did business with this year. 

As we head towards the end of the year, this is a logical time to contact past clients, your sphere of influence, current prospects and strategic partners to say a special “thank you.” Consider hosting a fun event, like a family movie night, wine and cheese tasting, or a pie promotion to past clients, customers, referral resources and current prospects.

Contact prospects who aren’t ready to buy or sell, and ask what date they want you to contact them. 

If it’s close to the holidays, pop by with a small holiday promotional gift or card that tells them a donation has been made by you in their name. These are solid ways to keep the connection going.

Go through your CRM and make a personal touch to everyone in your database.

Plan on calling 5-10 people a day, just to say hello. Make this a friendly check-in phone call, and ask how they are doing. Make sure you have an automated system set up to send birthday cards. If you don’t have their birthdate, that’s a perfect reason to pick up the phone and update your client record.

As the year draws closer to an end, keep your eye on your goals, and I’ll look forward to seeing you in the profit zone.

 

Rate this item
(0 votes)
Terri Murphy

Terri Murphy, Communication engagement specialist, author, speaker, consultant, and Master Coach with Workman Success.  She is the author of 5 books, TedTalk speaker and co-radio host on KWAMtheVoice.com. Contact: TerriMurphy.com or Email: [email protected]

https://terrimurphy.com

Latest from Terri Murphy