Let’s face it, nothing has come easy in 2019. Most every sale was a challenge. Your sellers are in denial. Your buyers gained new-found confidence and, in some cases, turned small things into challenges that didn’t need to exist. You find yourself pining for the 2013 to 2017 years where multiple offers and off-market sales were the flavor of the day. But now you are realizing that 2019 is probably the new norm.
So, it’s normal to want a breather as we wrap up the calendar year, but be warned… you need to protect the momentum that all of your hard work created. Those strong habits and bio rhythms you created can be lost if you’re not fully aware that they need to be protected and committed to protecting them.
What you might not realize until later is that the challenges of 2019 made you a better broker. You honed your skills. You have the experience in a market that requires setting new expectations with your clients.
You are a better you!
As we shift gears entering November, make sure you keep things in perspective. You’ve got the week of Thanksgiving that you can (and should) relax in addition to December’s No Fly Zone that’s just 46 days away. That leaves you fewer than 40 days to prepare for 2020 and start the new decade on a strong footing.
Here are 12 things I would make sure to do during the coming days:
- Thanksgiving or Holiday gifting program. Your platinum and gold clients should be recognized with a thoughtful gift. At a minimum, you should put a card in the mail.
- You should attend as many, if not all, of the events, parties, and dinners that you are invited to where your clients may be in attendance. They need to see you.
- Finish documenting your 2020 goals and creating the action plans that are going to help you achieve those goals. November and December provide your runway to 2020.
- If you don’t have a database, get it built. If you have a database, it’s time to prune it. I’m a big fan of CLOZE and will start coaching to it in 2020.
- Update and prune your GeoFarm.
- Create or update your Birthday Card program. Do you have the birthdays of all of your new clients? My birthday program had the biggest ROI on any marketing that I did when I was selling.
- Declutter your closets, declutter the garage, declutter your storage. Read the book “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. It will give you a different look at why it’s important to your productivity to be organized.
- Clean up your email. Unsubscribe to all of those companies that disrupt your day with their marketing.
- Delete text chains that were one-off and are no longer relevant.
- Delete apps on your phone that you do not use.
- Create a V-Card on your phone so you can readily send your information to anyone you meet. If you don’t know how, search YouTube for a quick tutorial.
- Last, but not least, read 3 to 5 good books that will keep you motivated and excited for what’s to come. Self-development is the best motivator.
There is no better time of year to Level Up your game and stay in front of your clients.
Remember, only 6% of your fellow agents follow up regularly with their clients and only 11% of clients surveyed used the same broker to sell who helped them purchase. There is so much opportunity to gain personal market share and improve the lives of your clients.
Shake off this cold weather and shift gears as the year comes to a close, but DO NOT lose your momentum. The simple ideas here, if completed in the next two months, will have you in the right mindset and best strategic position heading into 2020.
