Do you want a fun way to make an incredibly positive impression with your network?  Think about holding one of the special events listed below once or twice a year and watch your referrals shoot through the roof.

Here’s the description of how agent Richard Maxfield is using this system in his practice…and below I outline the key steps to implement this in your practice.

“In May of each year, our team Maxfield and Associates, holds a Client Appreciation Party.

We rent the local theater and have a live performance put on for our clients, past clients, affiliates and their families.  During the main break of the play we serve refreshments and after the play is over we have a drawing for the many door prizes we have accumulated through the year.

To announce the party, we send out invitations that we insert into our monthly real estate newsletter.  We send out 3 notices…the first one says ‘announcing…,’ the second one has ‘just a reminder,’ and the third one says ‘time’s almost up.’   Closer to the event, we send out tickets to those who have RSVP’d.  And we also assign seats so we don’t run out of space.

Our clients have become our friends and look forward to attending the play every year.  Not only do our clients come but they bring their friends who eventually turn into new clients.”

Here’s the step-by-step process to use a
SPECIAL EVENT to get more business:

Step 1: Decide on an event to host

Here are some examples to get you started:

• A special wine or beer Tasting Party.  Just locate one of your favorite distributors or retail stores, and they’ll set it all up for you.
• Hold a Fashion Show with a local high-end boutique.
• Create a Family Picnic or BBQ once a year for your network.
• Have an annual Comedy Club outing.  Simply go to a local comedy club in your area, and book a night when great performers will be appearing.  Often you can book a weekend and get discount rates.
• Hold a Sports Clinic if you find many of your clients like a certain sport such as: walking, running, cycling, etc.
• Hold an Art Show with a local gallery.  This is very classy way to meet with many network members at once.  Consider holding a Wine Tasting with your art show.
• Rent out an Opera or Theater just like Rich does for all his clients.  Or, gather a smaller group of your best clients and take them to a live performance.
• Coordinate a New Automobile Preview with a local high-end or exotic auto dealership (BMW, Lexis, Mercedes, Infinity, Porsche, Ferrari, etc).  They’ll be ecstatic you’re promoting their cars, and will gladly participate with your inner circle network.

Step 2: Make the arrangements

Contact local businesses in your area that would be thrilled to get a group of local residents in their restaurant, shop, or business.  This way the event costs you little to no money.  And many times they will share the promotion costs if you intend to send printed invitations to your network.

Step 3: Send out the invitations

There are three critical components when sending the invitation.

• FIRST, notice how the event examples above target certain INTERESTS?  This is very important.  You want to invite the right people from your network.  Many times you can invite your entire network, but if the event is limited in size, choose members who have told you what they like.  This communicates that you’ve listened to them and bonds them to you.  Also, you want to make sure you don’t offend someone by inviting them to something they have no interest in.

• SECOND, tell them to invite their family and friends (again if you have room for everyone).  This is how your network can really start to multiply.

• THIRD, send out several reminders to maximize your attendance.  Rich includes the invitation as an insert in his monthly newsletter to his clients.  Here’s an example of his insert you can use to get an idea for your own invitation:

<< CLICK HERE to download an example invitation insert >>

Step 4: Hold the event and offer a prize

Richard does a great job of collecting contact information by offering ‘door prizes’ to all attendees.  You can even use the prizes as another incentive to attend the event.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money here.  Raffle off something from the business that you’re holding the even with, or work with other sponsors to give prizes that don’t cost you anything out of pocket.

Step 5: Follow-up with people with regular contact

Most of the people who attend your special event will not be in the market for real estate services.  After the event, add attendees to your regular mailings to continue to stay in touch and provide value until they’re ready to buy or sell.

If you use a relationship-building tool like Service For Life!®, you can follow-up every month with valuable information that’s not all real estate related (so it gets read).  Make sure you include offers for Free real estate reports in your monthly follow-up that identify when someone is getting ready to need your help.

Step 6: Put this as a regular SYSTEM in your practice

You can hold events annually, seasonally, or anytime you need a boost of business.  Keep holding the same event every year.  This way it’s not a “one hit wonder” and people will start to remember it, look forward to it coming each year, and tell more friends.

Keep in mind…this works because we have a culture of reciprocity. When you do something special for your clients, and remind them that your business comes from referrals, they’ll reciprocate by sending you referrals and spreading the good cheer about you and your real estate practice.

This is one powerful way top producers earn consistent and high-incomes each year.  Give it a try, and remember, you do not have to spend a lot of money to make this work for your business.  Get creative, and above all else…have fun with it!

“The Spring Market can be a great time to get new buyer leads and pick up more listings.  Here’s a simple strategy I use every year to boost my production called the Yard Sale Bonanza!… I hold a yard sale for 200 to 500 homes, get to meet everyone in the community (plus visitors) and pick up immediate business.

Here’s how it works…

STEP 1: PICK a High-Potential Market

Your own neighborhood would be a good place to use this strategy, but don’t stop there…

The key to success with this strategy is to select an area where homes are priced to sell and where there’s already some activity…so if you get new listings from this strategy, they will close quickly.

This may be the area you live, or it may be somewhere else.  Sure, it might be easier for you to walk up to your own neighbors with this idea for a community yard sale, but you’re after new business not just a community get together!

Also, if you have listings you need to sell.  This is a great way to get traffic to that area and get your listings sold.

After you pick your market you need to…

STEP 2: CREATE Your Invitation Flyer In 5-Minutes

The flyer you create does not have to be fancy!  Simply type it out on a word document in LARGE font.  You can even put 2 invitations on one page.  Here’s a quick list of things to put on your flyer:

Yard Sale Bonanza!

WHERE:  [subdivision/area name]

• Each homeowner will hold a yard sale on their own lawn or in their garage.

WHEN:  [Date & Time]

• Pick a date to hold your community yard sale.  It’s best to pick a Saturday morning, and make sure it’s not a holiday or there’s not another event going on in the area at the same time — you want as many people there as possible.

DESCRIPTION:

• Explain how this is a good way to do spring cleaning, make a few extra bucks, meet people in the community, get more visitors by having everyone do a yard sale on the same day, and how YOU (the helpful Realtor) will put up signs and ads for them to get people to their yard sale.

RSVP:

• Have the homeowner contact YOU if they would like to participate because you need to create enough yard signs and point traffic to their house.
• Explain why you are doing this (service to the community and to demonstrate your unique value as a specialist in the community).
• Include your direct phone number.

Here’s an example flyer…

(click on the image to download a word document template)

 STEP 3: SEND Out The Invitations Or Hand Deliver To Build Your Network

You can mail or hand deliver the invitation flyers.  If you have time, it can be good to hand deliver them to meet neighbors, start building relationships, and get potential buyers and sellers leads!

If no one is home… stick the flyer on the door or gate along with your business card.

If a person is home… but can’t participate, invite them to join your real estate newsletter for that subdivision/area, using this script:

“I have an incredible consumer resource and I’d like to send it to you.  It’s my a fantastic newsletter with ways to save money, and live a happier, healthier life.  I do sometimes share market updates and recent home values, but most of the content is not only about real estate.  It costs me very little to send it to my friends, I can add anyone I like, or send it by email.  I send it out once a month and I’m getting my next issue ready now.  Would you like to receive it by mail or email?”

STEP 4: TAKE Calls From Neighbors And Start Building A Relationship

This is where the magic starts to happen.  Make sure you do these THREE things:

1. Have people who call give you a short list of the categories of items they will have for sale so you know what to put in an ad you will run to get visitors to their yard sale.
2. Get their best phone number to reach them in case you need to update them on anything with the event.
3. Have them confirm their mailing address and ask if they want to be added to your monthly real estate newsletterusing the script above.BIG TIP:  I don’t ask if they are considering buying or selling soon.  Why?  Because it will just turn them off.  I’m not selling anything, not asking them to do anything for me until a prove my value to them.  I want to start a relationship with these people so they can send me referrals for years, not just one deal today.  And if they ARE selling soon…who do you think they’ll contact?  Me, the neighborhood specialist who is demonstrating how I will work to get their property sold, or someone who is only interested making a sale and moving on to the next deal??

STEP 5: PREPARE For The Event To Maximize Your Success

The homeowners will take care of their actual yard sale, but there are 2 things YOU need to do:

#1 = Make Yard Sale Signs

I make my own yard sale signs to stick into the ground.  Just use the words “YARD SALE” in black letters on yellow posterboard.  Then nail the sign to a wooden stake.  Make some smaller ones for the people who will be holding yard sales.  And make larger “directional signs” with big arrows.

#2 = Post An Ad on Craiglist

Here are some pointers…

• Example Headline:  Yard Sale Bonanza!  [Location]  -  [Date]
• Description Ideas:  List out date, specific time, and list of items for sale, plus mention the main benefits for coming… see multiple yard sales in one place to save time and find great bargains!

Optional:  You can even put an ad in a local newspaper.  I’ve done it before, but you don’t have to if you’re on a tight budget, or if you don’t have a listing in the neighborhood to sell.

STEP 6: HOLD The Event To Become A Neighborhood Hero

The morning of the event, I put up the directional “YARD SALE” signs to point cars into the neighborhood.

IMPORTANT:  I then go to each participating house and give them a “YARD SALE” sign, along with 2 donuts and my business card stapled to the bag!  After greeting each homeowner, I wish them luck and ask them to let me know how it went after the event.

STEP 7: Follow-Up AFTER The Event For More Business

I got many phone calls after the event, people thanking me for the work!

Results?

The first year and every year is a total success!  I get new listings and make new connections that will be future clients.

In fact, when I first tried this, I got $12,000 in immediate business and grew my personal network by dozens of contacts in just one weekend.

I never spend much money, and I could even ask a lender or another agent to share the costs with me.  I know, you probably don’t want to split the leads with another agent, but if it helps you get it done, would you do it?  Thought so.

Here’s where most agents drop the ball…

If you did the strategy correctly you have a bunch of new contacts to follow-up with and deepen the relationship.  Make a follow-up call if the homeowner hasn’t already contacted you, then send something valuable (like a neighborhood home value update along with a newsletter) at least once month.

It’s smart to get your monthly newsletter mailing in place before you start this strategy…so you’re ready to offer people something valuable for people to join your database even if they aren’t able to participate in the Yard Sale Bonanza!

Do you think this could boost your production in just one weekend?

Better hurry before somebody else beats you to it.

Today I want to introduce you to a way to use the power of a motivating offer that converts leads to loyal clients. It was an idea submitted by Susan Moguel, a top-producing REALTOR^® in Southwest Florida.

Susan says she has a full pipeline of buyers, her GCI is well into 6-figures and she became a Top Producer using this method.

I’ve taken Susan’s idea she emailed over to me (to share with you) and enhanced it slightly so it’s easy for you to plug into your marketing systems THIS WEEK.

You’ll notice she…
1) makes a specific OFFER to get leads (“free information package”),
2) captures their contact information,
3) puts them on her database,
4) sends them the package and a monthly newsletter that creates a trusted relationship.

Bottom line:  She motivates, captures and follows-up.

When they’re ready to buy or sell, they call HER because they feel they know and trust her.  Now, here’s Susan’s description outlined as a simple 3-step process…

“As REALTORS^®, we all know how difficult it can be to turn an online or phone inquiry into a client.  I created my own SW Florida Relocation Package (for out-of-town buyers) or my Informational Package (for locals).

STEP 1: CREATE A Valuable Information Package

The package includes:

• area demographics, school information, area attractions and tidbits (like the number of golf courses and miles of beaches),
• my featured listings,
• a list of area foreclosure homes,
• a full size map so they can plot out the homes they like,
• and an interactive CD-Rom with links to my website, my MLS search and other helpful sites.

Unlike post cards and flyers, this package is something they will not throw away!

Here’s a picture of the information package…

STEP 2: OFFER Your Info-Package To Prospects

I advertise this package in The Real Estate Book and on my website – so I get buyers contacting me directly to get this package.

When a prospect contacts me I always offer this complimentary package.  I explain what it is – and reassure them that there is no obligation whatsoever – it is just a helpful service I provide.  I have never had anyone turn down my offer!

I build instant rapport with them – in a situation that is often very difficult to do.

I send out the package by Priority Mail for about $5.00 – which I found increases my response and keeps the package in better condition upon arrival (using a sturdy USPS Priority Mailer).  But, I originally mailed it out first class and that did well for me too.

STEP 3: ADD Prospects To Your Database and FOLLOW-UP

I add inquiries to my monthly newsletter mailing which allows me to keep in touch with them until they are ready to buy.

I have had a number of clients who I only spoke with for mere seconds, who ended up contacting me months later to represent them in the purchase of a house.

Between my free package and the newsletter, they feel like they know me and they trust me.  All of this because I stepped out of the “sales person” box and offered them something of value.

Results?

I have a full pipeline of buyers (yes, even in this market!).  Since starting this program I have doubled my income, my GCI is well into the 6-figures and I became a Top Producer in the area.  And get this…I have only been in the business less than 5 years!”

Wow!  That was Susan in her own words describing how she’s earning a healthy living today using this system.

Do you know what the sad part is?

Only 4% of agents will actually go out and implement a system like this one.

And many more agents will start this system and not follow up with leads after sending the initial package.  In the process they end up leaving thousands of dollars in commissions out there that could’ve been “easy income” if they simply continued to give value to prospects.

Listen to these words from Susan carefully…
————————–
“I became a full time real estate agent in 2006. In 2006, my GCI was approximately $48,000.

In 2007, I started using the Relocation Package. That year, my GCI jumped to approx. $107,000. Of this, about $62,000 can be directly attributed to my offering this package and following up with my Service For Life!^® newsletter.

In 2008, my GCI went to about $138,000. Again, a large portion of that (approx. $81,500) was a result of this package and the follow-up I was able to do because of it.  And each year since my income continues to remain steady!”
————————–

Question:  Do you think implementing a simple strategy like this could easily DOUBLE YOUR INCOME even in a down-cycle?

You can use this same process with listings, offering reports that sellers would find valuable to convert them to clients.

How do you get started?

The first thing is to always follow up with leads and clients using regular and valuable contact.  Next, create an information package about your local area to send to leads.  Then add the steps above to your business process checklists.

Everywhere you promote your services (even if it’s a short classified ad), include an OFFER to contact you for some valuable, free information.  Imagine how many more calls you’ll get and how many more leads will convert to buyers if you use this with EVERY promotion you do.

When you start making motivating OFFERS to the right prospects, your promotions will start to produce tangible results.   And you’ll quickly have more business than you’ll ever need next month and every month you use this system.

If you’re feeling lost with how to make next year better, here’s a very simple way to create a plan of action for your marketing.

It’s a 12-month planning calendar (on 1 piece of paper) that organizes your marketing activity by month and category.

You can create a more detailed marketing plan if you like, but this will help you get started.  Plus, it’s a great “quick reference” for what steps you can take to grow your production.

Take 30 minutes today to:

1. Reflect on this past year — identify where your business came from in the last 12 months
2. Download this 1-page template — fill in your best opportunities to get clients in the coming year
3. Put your marketing plan in a place you’ll see each day as a reminder to follow-through

You can click the example image below to download a blank template:

What’s YOUR best strategy for creating a marketing plan?

Click here to leave a comment or email us to share it with the Agent Inner Circle^® community.