When does that racehorse really pour on the power? You guessed it…in that final stretch of the race, with the finish line in sight.

It’s hard to believe we’re in 4^th quarter already and soon will be gearing up for the holidays ahead! Our focus needs to be about ramping up our numbers as we reach the finish line. It’s time to maximize these final weeks to meet or exceed those goals we set many months ago.

Will you meet your goals, or fall short?

Many agents use the slowdown of the market as we near the holidays as an excuse to slack off. We all love the holidays, and while life is about enjoying these special times, for the savvy agent, ramping up when everyone else is gearing down offers the best competitive advantage (and biggest profit).

While everyone else is sipping cider and decorating for the holidays, here are a FOUR proven ways to take advantage of the lull and score big.

4 Ways to Amp it Up During the Lull

Set up a face-to-face touch with everyone you did business with this year. 

This is a logical time to contact past clients, your sphere of influence, current prospects and strategic partners to say a special “thank you.” Consider hosting a fun event or a pie promotion to past clients, customers, referral resources and current prospects.

Contact prospects who aren’t ready to buy or sell. Let them know you are there to assist them whenever the time is right for them, and then ask what date they want you to contact them after the holidays. 

Pop by with a small holiday promotional gift or card that tells them a donation has been made by you in their name. These are solid ways to keep the connection going.

Support a give-back campaign within the community. 

Check with your local Chamber of Commerce for details on drives to benefit the local food pantry, animal shelter, homeless shelter or senior center and discover different ways to support them through your sphere of influence. Be present at each of the various venues for the distribution or pick-up of the drive. Make sure to take plenty of photos and videos to post on your Facebook business page. Sharing the combined efforts of you and the participating vendors creates high visibility and endless goodwill.

Inspect what you expect from your various service providers. 

Do a deep dive into inspecting what lead generation and CRM (client relationship management) platforms have proven to be profitable. When you study the actual return on the investment, you’re better equipped to make the decision to renew those particular services or start looking for a better solution. For example, if you’re using a lead-generation service, now is a great time to determine what percentage of those leads have resulted in sales. Service providers count on the fact that a monthly billing will continue to ping your credit card and go unnoticed. Knowing what your real costs are can make the difference between buying leads and actually converting them into real profit.

As the year draws to an end, keep your eye on the goal and we’ll see you in the profit zone!