Tip of the Week: Focus On the Finish Line
When does that racehorse really pour on the power? You guessed it…in that final stretch of the race, with the finish line in sight.
It’s hard to believe we’re heading into the final days of the year, when our focus should be all about rocking our numbers as we reach the finish line. It’s time to maximize these final weeks to meet or exceed those goals we set many months ago.
Will you meet your goals, or fall short?
Many agents use the slowdown of the market as we near the holidays as an excuse to slack off. We all love the holidays, and while life is about enjoying these special times, for the savvy agent, ramping up when everyone else is gearing down offers the best competitive advantage.
While everyone else is sipping cider and decorating for the holidays, here are a few proven ways to take advantage of the lull and score big.
Set up a face-to-face touch with everyone you did business with this year.
The end of the year 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 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 after 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.
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.
As the year draws to an end, keep your eye on the goal to go, and we’ll see you in the profit zone.