The 2020 holiday season is anything but normal. We won’t be wrapping up the year with gatherings that feature hot apple cider, mulled wine and pie giveaways. We won’t be sharing home-baked goods that your clients may have come to appreciate receiving from you each year.
But this challenging year is also presenting us the opportunities to create new and meaningful traditions so you can build better relationships with your clients, prospects, partners, and alliances.
Fostering trust starts with positive communication and outreach that contribute to people’s lives. Here’s how you can connect meaningfully, add value to your community, and build loyalty:
1. Send Personalized Emails and Texts
Forego the impersonal mass-mailed holiday card. Instead, send a personalized email or text message to each contact. You can even add a video greeting to communicate with those who have helped you succeed this year. Start a two-way conversation by asking your contacts what they need and how you can help them in the coming year.
2. Invite clients to nominate local organizations for holiday-giving
Instead of a party, invite your clients and partners to nominate local organizations or nonprofits that can benefit from support. You can reach out via social media, text, or email. Choose the top few nominees and donate the expense you would have put into a holiday party to those worthy organizations.
3. “Adopt” a Family in Need
Take holiday-giving up a notch to a more personal level by asking local nonprofits to share (privately) the names of families in need in your community. Inform your sphere that you have the information of several families that could use support and your office is “adopting” at least one of them. Then, invite your contacts to collect a family’s information from you to do the same.
4. Deck the Virtual Hall with Festivities
Meetings, concerts, exercise classes… everything has become virtual so why not your holiday tradition? Create a fun holiday sing-along video to share with your contacts or dress up in the tackiest Christmas costume to record a humorous greeting message. Before posting the video on social media or doing a livestream, let your contacts know that they’re invited to attend an “advanced screening” before the video is made public.
5. Give Back to Essential Workers
Local retail, dining, and healthcare workers, as well as first responders, are the heroes of the year. You can send them gratuities, gift cards, or catered meals to express your gratitude and build goodwill. Involve your contacts by leading a community effort and offering to match their contributions before distributing the gifts.
6. Give Holiday Shout-Outs to Local Businesses
Many local businesses have gone above and beyond to help their communities this year. You can show your support by promoting them on your social media posts, blogs, and email newsletter. Crowdsource nominations from the community and encourage the public to patronize these businesses when possible.
7. Show Your Appreciation to Your Team
Don’t forget about your team amidst the holiday busyness! Feature them on your social media or blog posts and appreciate their accomplishments this year — e.g., how they have grown professionally, how many clients they have helped, and even what they have achieved personally. This will not only boost morale but also add a personal touch to your business relationships.
8. Be Proactive: Add a Call-to-Action
Every touchpoint gives you the opportunity to ask your clients, prospects, business partners, and other community members how you can help them. Craft a short paragraph describing how your talents as a successful real estate professional are transferrable — you know how to make things happen, how to change people’s lives for the better, and how to make a lasting impression.
Ask your sphere how you can apply those skills in unconventional ways and make 2021 a year to remember for all the right reasons. You may be surprised by the opportunities you’ll open up and the alliances you’ll make when you reach out and lend a hand!
