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Real Estate Marketing - Beef Up Your Follow-Up
If you're a real estate agent, client follow-up should be a
major part of your real estate marketing program. Whether it's a
postcard mailing program through a direct mail vendor, or just a
series of well-timed thank you cards after the transaction, you
need some form of follow-up.
Why so important? You probably already know, but for those just
joining the real estate ranks:
* Proper follow-up generates repeat business by keeping you in
touch with past clients.
* Proper follow-up generates referrals by showing you still care
after the transaction.
Follow-up brings other benefits to the table, but referrals and
repeat business top the list. And if you've read any studies on
where real estate business comes from, you know how important
these factors are -- especially referrals.
Execution
So, how do you strengthen your follow-up? One way is to make it
more specific to the individual client. Another way is to make
it more human. Combine the two, and you've got a follow-up
program that will maximize your referral and repeat-business
rates like nothing else.
First, let's look at ways to make your follow-up program more
specific to the individual. The basic execution is simple,
thought it does call for a bit of note-taking during the
relationship.
Step 1. Keep notes on your clients.
Throughout your business relationship, make notes about your
clients. They might include a range of topics -- hobbies,
interests, decorating styles, other neighborhoods or areas they
were interested in, number and age of children, future plans.
You get the idea.
What you're doing is gathering useful information about your
clients that will allow you to tailor specific "touches" later
on when doing your follow-up. File these notes away in your
customer database, filing system, or wherever else you keep
client information. And remember, the easier it is to do, the
more likely you'll stick to it. So find something that works for
you.
Step 2. Outline your follow-up program.
You need to put your follow-up program on paper for several
reasons. First, the manual act of writing things down engages
the creative side of your brain. You'll be surprised at all the
ideas popping into your head as you map out your follow-up
program.
Secondly, you need to write your program down to make sure it
achieves the number of contacts or "touches" you're striving
for. Opinions vary on the number and frequency of touches. I
would suggest monthly, especially in the beginning of a
follow-up program (when you're most likely to get referrals from
still-happy clients).
Go for a balance of automation and personal contact. Why?
Because a program that's 100% personal contact (phone calls, for
example) will be exhausting to maintain. In the other extreme, a
program that's 100% automated (like a scheduled mailing program)
will be too impersonal. You have to combine the two.
You have the best chance of generating referrals during this
first year. In the second and third years, you might choose to
reduce the number of phone calls, while keeping the newsletter
and auto-mailers going.
Do you now see the value of collecting this information along
the way? It's invaluable later on, when you're preparing your
well-balanced follow-up program. And can you just imagine the
surprise when Jane says, "Wow, she remembered that I like Feng
Shui ... I forgot we even talked about it!"
Now that's referral power.
Step 3. Carry out your follow-up program.
This is where all the previous lessons will pay off. Just by
having a procedure for your newsletter and a well-managed client
database with good notes, you've finished half of your follow-up
legwork in advance. The rest is simply filling in the blanks,
keeping tabs on your schedule and sending your materials out.
Summary
A balanced follow-up program -- one that mixes personal,
one-to-one contact with automated elements like postcards --
gives you the best of two worlds. It's easy enough to manage
across a number of clients, while at the same time surprising
your clients with specific information delivered in a personal
way.
About the author:
Brandon Cornett has worked as a writer and advertising
manager within the direct mail industry. He now dedicates his
time to helping agents and brokers improve their marketing. His
"Modern Guide to Real Estate Marketing" and his free newsletter
are available at: http://www.ArmingYourFarming.com.
Brandon Cornett
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