Recently, I had the pleasure of teaching on the same program as Rosey Koberlein, CEO of Long Realty Companies in Arizona. As we chatted beforehand, she mentioned something so smart – yet so simple – that it bears repeating to our readers: While others are winding down for the end of the year, smart companies are gearing up for next year. Her advice to sales people was to avoid the temptation to slow down with the holidays, and outsmart the competition by getting a two-month head start on 2012.
Simple. Smart!
Yet too often forgotten by an industry that’s stuck in its legacy mindset. Things like “all real estate is local” and “seasonality” when, in fact, the market never stops. Not locally. Nor around the holidays. Just like any other month, buyers buy, sellers sell, lenders lend, movers move and the market goes on.
It’s up to us to decide what to do with those months – just like any other day, week or month of the year. Look out competition!
Here are four ways to maximize Rosey’s advice, and start 2012 in early November:
1.Prepare your clients. Have a conversation today with your sellers about taking advantage of the seasonality cycle. While other sellers might take their homes off the market, or limit their accessibility, your clients should move aggressively to position their price, features, conditions and accessibility during the last two months of the year. They should leverage the “holiday sales spirit” and be the shining star in the marketplace. Same for buyers: mortgage brokers, movers, and other ancillary service companies will be trying to meet their end-of-year goals, so making a decision before the end of the year could maximize their value options for completing the sale.
2.Prospect by Season’s Greetings. Leverage the multiple holidays between now and the end of the year to dramatically increase contact points with your sphere of influence. There are more than 17 major observances – prospecting opportunities, really – in the Western calendar alone: Daylight Savings date, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Elections, First Day of Winter, Boxing Day, the religious holidays and New Years Eve. That’s a lot of friendly reasons to contact past clients and supporters who can send you referrals, engage your Facebook and Twitter postings, and watch your fun YouTube videos. Oh, and we suppose, open your snail mail greeting cards.
3.Make investments early. Use the tax calendar to make your 2012 investments in November and December. Think ahead to what you’ll need to be successful in the new year – a tablet, video camera, updated laptop, smarter smartphone – and make those investments two months before others hope to receive them as wrapped gifts! Then watch some training videos or attend a workshop to build your skills long before your competition plugs them in for the first time.
4.Show up! Remember, it’s your job. So avoid the temptation to check out or sneak out to go shopping; Simply showing up while others are idling can give you the advantage. Be the person who answers the phone, does the extra floor duty or open houses, leads the meetings and works the room at social events.
It’s often said that we lack the time to reach out goals. Yet these simple ideas could help you turn a twelve month business plan into a fourteen month implementation strategy. Line up your advantages – clients, prospecting moments, investments and schedule – for the new year early. And you’ll be enjoying the holidays better than most, closing deals while others are closed
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