Lee Iacocca once said, “Business, after all, is nothing more than a bunch of human relationships”. This is true in many businesses but especially true in real estate. Real estate is personal and because of that you can sell a house one time to anyone but if you want to have clients that call you every time and refer you to every friend, coworker, and family member, you must build lifelong relationships and stay in touch with your clients.
Relationships are about connections and how you connect with those you may not know all that well yet. Here are four easy ways to connect on a personal level to turn your acquaintance into a raving fan of your business.
- Start on Facebook. Go through your list of friends and make a list of birthdays you don’t want to forget. Then make yourself a list, find their mailing addresses, purchase cards and sit down once a month and prepare them to mail out. Any Facebook user knows they will be bombarded with birthday messages on their birthday but how many cards will they receive in the mail? Be the person that stands out from the crowd.
- While you are on Facebook or Instagram, dig a little deeper. How many times do you scroll through Facebook and offer casual comments but not go beyond the surface? Don’t worry, I am not suggesting you get super personal on Facebook but use the knowledge you gain there to go a little further. Did someone share they were sick or had surgery? Follow up in a few days to check on them or send a card. Did someone post pictures of an awesome vacation you have always wanted to take? Call them the week after they return and ask to meet for lunch so they can tell you all about it. New pet post? Drop off a bag of treats to the newest member of the family. Proud parent post? Send the child a card congratulating them on their accomplishment. Reaching out to people in small ways will make you stand out and allow your relationship to grow to the next level.
- Have you ever hosted an event for your past clients? Small events are a great way to visit with your clients and do something nice for them. Events don’t have to be fancy or complicated. Invite everyone to join you for a local baseball game, meet at the coffee shop or ice cream store or even host a food drive and invite your clients to drop food off at a certain time. After the event, follow up with those that came to share a photo and thank them for coming.
- Do something with a group regularly. Are you part of a book club, workout group, bible study, or any other small group activity? Many times we get so busy these items become nothing more than another item on our to-do list. Stop that mindset and focus on your time there. Don’t overcommit yourself and these will feel less like chores. Whatever group you are a part of, be all in and truly engage with those in your group. Don’t just show up to each meeting and then dash out the door when it’s over. Take time to talk to those involved and ask what they have going on. The same way you follow up from social media posts, apply that here too. When you talk about something that is going on, follow up later to see the outcome. If you aren’t currently a part of a group like this, find one that applies to your interests and fully participate.
As you complete all of these activities, you don’t have to constantly talk about real estate but as your relationships strengthen, your connections will think of you when real estate comes up. None of these activities should take you days and weeks to implement. They are about being fully engaged on a daily basis and nurturing the relationships you already have so that those relationships become stronger and last longer. These are the keys to your long-term success.
I hope you walk away from this podcast with some ideas on how to take action right now with how you will nurture your clients to build a business on referrals and past clients.
Let me know in the comments and if you have a topic you would like for me to cover, please let me know.
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