You may think of keeping up with former clients as part of your workday to-dos, but many agents admit that sending out those thoughtful touches can fall by the wayside when things get busy. One way to combat this is to make time for it on the weekend—and if you do it right, it can even be relaxing, or fun. Below are a few ideas.
Make a morning routine. Choose one morning of the weekend and spend an hour writing cards to former clients. Keep an ongoing roster of when you last sent touches, and make sure you’re sending out a sweet note every six months, at least. This doesn’t have to seem like a chore. Brew yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea, put on some relaxing music, and if the weather is nice, consider spending that hour outside.
Get the family involved. If you’re sending out handwritten cards, write your notes on a Saturday morning with that cup of coffee, and then in the evening, sit your family down in front of your favorite movie and have them help you address and stamp your envelopes or postcards.
Create a newsletter. Already have your cards on lockdown? Spend that morning hour creating an insightful newsletter about housing activity, events happening in your area, or a compilation of interesting and fun stories aggregated from elsewhere.
Make a coffee date. If you have room in your schedule, consider using those weekend hours to take a client out for a cup of coffee and catch up. This is how relationships–and referrals–are built over time.
Catch up on social media. If you don’t have much time for social media during the week, take an hour during the weekend to catch up on former client’s social media feeds. Pop into their pages and leave a comment on one of their posts, or send them a kind message.
Just a few of these habits can help you create long-lasting client relationships you can rely on for years to come.
Zoe Eisenberg is a contributing editor to RISMedia.
Great ideas. I’ve got the cards down but just can’t seem to get the coffee dates going! Maybe this will spur me on!