Relationships built upon honesty and trust are gold in all aspects of your life. Relationship building and maintaining in your business are where referrals come from. And referrals are your absolute best source of business.
Here are some ways to create, build and maintain your relationships with clients:
- Get out and meet people face-to-face. You never know who you’ll meet until you meet them. Be interested. Ask questions. Listen. Pay attention.
- Connect on social media. This is a fast, painless way to connect. Simple likes and comments are great ways to start connecting. Be consistent. You may not get any leads right away…it usually takes 6 – 12 months to cultivate leads on social media…but you will get your name/brand out there and your connections will remember you for initiating and maintaining contact with them.
- Treat your clients like your friends. Send them birthday/anniversary cards. Invite them for coffee. Invite them on a hike. Be interested in them and their families and their work and their sideline activities as human beings.
- Host a housewarming party for your buyer clients. Introduce them to other clients (new moves require new friends). Invite the whole neighborhood to come.
- Host a client appreciation party every 6 or 12 months for buyers, sellers, and affiliate partners such as lenders, title officers, architects, designers. Everyone loves to feel appreciated and everyone loves to be included. Photograph the event so you can post pictures on social media. This party is a thank-you party to and for all the people with whom you work so make it memorable and fun.
- Be a connector for your clients and for everyone with whom you work. Everyone needs new relationships and the best place to start is with you.
- Make sure to collect online reviews of your services. Ask past clients for references. Ask your affiliate partners (loan officers, appraisers, inspectors, architects, renovators, designers, etc.) for reviews and references. Use those reviews and references on your website, Facebook, Google, wherever you communicate your brand.
Always remember that you must be consistently available and generous to your prospective, current and past clients. No one is “done” once you’ve helped them buy or sell a house. There are always “issues.” No one is ever done with anything…and neither are you when you are a forever agent.
