62 • April 2020 Chicago Real Producers • 63 @realproducersrealproducersmag.com SHOW THAT YOUR CONTACTS YOU CARE IN 2020 business Based on recent trends, did you know that it is possible that nearly sixteen percent of your contact list may be moving in the next twelve months? Some of those people will actually be making two real estate transac- tions: selling and buying a home! So, if you have one hundred people in your database, you possibly have sixteen to thirty-two sales opportunities. The question is, how many of these transactions will you capture? Although it’s unlikely you’d be the broker for each one, wouldn’t it be nice to increase your numbers? By D.J. Paris The vast majority of people select a broker who they already knew. In this article, I want to discuss a strategy to stay in touch with your contact list beyond email newsletters and holiday cards. I believe you’ll earn a majority of the transactions in your database if you consistently demonstrate that you care about your clients in meaningful ways. Advertisers know that companies need to communicate a consistent message about their product or service many times before consumers will choose to buy. We’re going to apply the same technique, but we’re going to do it in a more authentic way. If you want your contacts to think about you each time they’re ready to buy or sell, you need to consistently communicate that you care about them. But first, you need a reason to contact them! First, find out everything about your client. Fire up your CRM and look at each contact. Do you know what company they work for? When their spouse’s birthday is? The names and ages of their children? Where the family last went on vacation? Their wedding anniver- sary date and year? What charities or organi- zations they are passionate about? This information is critical as it gives you a reason to contact someone other than to ask for business. If you know that their child’s birthday is today, send a “Happy seventh birthday to Charlie!” text to the parents. The more you know about the potential client, the more often you can reach out. And think about how you feel when someone demon- strates that level of thoughtfulness to you. Second, add each data point to your calendar. Start with birthdays and anniversaries. If that’s all you know about the customer, follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Once a month, look at their profiles and see if they’ve posted anything of interest. Shoot an email over saying something like, “Hey, I just noticed you went to Cabo last month. What a great vacation! Love the pic of you guys para- sailing! Hope you and your family are having a great 2020!” LinkedIn is also a great resource, as it will tell you a person’s work anniversary and other career milestones. And third, write a personal note, too. It’s not enough to email and text throughout the year. Make it a goal that every contact in your database receives at least one hand- written (and non-sales focused) personal note per year. You should mention at least one item that is personal to the client. For example, “Hey Steve, I just wanted to drop you a note to wish you and your wife, Laura, a happy tenth anniversary. You’re an inspiration!” Buyers and sellers will choose an agent they believe cares about them. Go through each of your contacts and make sure you know the important dates in their lives (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.). Pay attention to what they’re doing on social media and comment on their posts. Reach out via phone, text, and email throughout the year (and don’t forget to send that one personal note) celebrating these important dates. And then take me to dinner for helping you get more business. About the Author: D.J. Paris is the President of Sales & Marketing for Kale Realty and the host of Keeping It Real Podcast which is one of the most-listened-to podcasts for real estate agents in the country.