The content of this post was originally published in November of 2012 - and I had forgotten all about it until today.
Today, I got an email telling me there was a new comment from MaryBeth Mills Muldowney, so I re-read the post and the comments. At that time, Brian Rugg told me to re-post it monthly, to remind everyone to keep marketing.
It sounded like a fine idea, but of course I didn't remember to do it.
So here I am, and I don't know if editing this will put it in the stream today, or if it will just be an edit. That means this is not just an attempt to re-post, but an experiment from which I hope to learn something.
That said... here's some gentle nagging from 2012, with just a few edits.
Unless you're an absolute hermit - which you aren't because you a real estate professional - you'll have extra tasks to perform in November and December. If you have kids or just love Halloween, the "extra stuff" will start even earlier.
There's someone in your life you need to shop for. You may be expecting
visitors over the holiday or may be making travel plans for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. You may be hosting 20 for Thanksgiving Dinner. You may give or attend Christmas parties.
This year, Hannukah runs from December 6 through 14, so if that's your holiday, early to mid-month will find you busy. And if yours is a family that celebrates both... oh my!
You simply have more non-work activities than usual.You need to find some more hours in your day!
So what's the easiest activity to skip?
The one that isn't calling you on the phone, sending you email messages, or dropping by: Marketing.
Marketing just sits there, waiting until you give it attention.
True, you may have an eager ad rep at your local newspaper or homes magazine calling to remind you to place an ad. But when it comes to prospecting and staying in touch with past clients and your sphere of influence, the only reminders you'll get are from yourself - or perhaps a spouse who is concerned about first quarter 2016 earnings.
So put your marketing on auto-pilot.
If you have an autoresponder program that allows you to write messages now for delivery on specific dates, get those messages loaded and ready! Want to wish your past clients a Merry Christmas or Happy Hannukah? Write the letter now and set it to go out a couple of days before the holiday.
Want to encourage some sellers to list right now instead of waiting for the new year? Get my holiday prospecting letter set, load it into your autoresponder, and send them a reminder every 2-5 days. If you're already mailing regularly, start inserting one of these letters between the others - effectively lengthening your other campaign by 5 weeks.
If you're mailing a series of letters to a niche group, take time this week to print all the letters and address the envelopes. Then, in the space where the stamp belongs, jot the date that you need to mail each letter. Put all the similar dates in a pile and stack them where you can't miss them. When the right day arrives, all you'll have to do is affix the stamps and drop them in the mail.
No one can afford to stop marketing for the next 8 or 10 weeks. To do so means to start all over on January 1 and not have any closings happening until those efforts bring results.
Put your marketing on autopilot now, so you'll have time for all those other activities.
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