Hand-written note cards are arguably one of the most effective tools a salesperson – or any businessperson for that matter – can use to build relationships that convert into sales. What if you could get the same results from a similar idea, that doesn’t actually require you to spend hours of your time writing… oh the hand cramps (and my terrible chicken scratch)!
The reality is, for decades now real estate agents have been using the holidays as a reason to reach out to their contacts, but very few have figured out how to capture new business or referrals from doing so. That’s all about to change, because I’m going to share with you the most proven combination of lead strategies that we’ve engineered over the last 20 years here at Agent Inner Circle.
This Thanksgiving marketing idea is an absolutely fantastic way to jump start a consistent flow of repeat and referral business, and with the right follow up system, this tactic will generate new clients all year long!
The Benefit of Saying “Thanks”
Thanksgiving is one of the rare holidays that gives you the perfect excuse to reach out with gratitude, and saying ‘thanks’ not only gives you something positive to build your business relationship on, it also reinforces the concept of reciprocity – which is when you do someone a favor, give them a gift or provide some kind of value to their life, they feel compelled to return the gesture.
Reciprocity plays an important role in sales because it creates an emotional obligation. It’s even been proven that saying ‘thank you’ actually moves customers to spend more money and tell their friends about their experience.
The Importance of Making it Personal
But the power of reciprocity doesn’t stop there. It’s also been shown that people put even more value on something when they think you’ve put thought and time into it, specifically for them.
Think about the gifts you’ve received over the years. Does the most thoughtful gift or the most expensive gift come to mind? Unless they happen to be one in the same, it’s usually the thoughtful gift that stands out the most.
The same principle works when you’re building relationships with your past clients, friends and family. By personally reaching out to say ‘thanks’, you’re continuing to strengthen your bond, and as always, we’ve made this easy for you to do!
The Thanksgiving Letter
Simply use this Thanksgiving letter along with the instructions below and watch the referrals pour in through December and beyond!
(Includes Letter and Social Templates)
Best Practices for Successful Direct Mailing
The digital world is slammed with birthday and holiday greetings, so getting into people’s physical mailboxes is once again the most genuine way to deliver your message. It’s easier than you think to get a big response with your mailing, and it all begins with our fantastically simple recipe for getting your Direct Mail SEEN, OPENED & READ:
- Stamps: Bulk mail postage is the #1 giveaway that it’s a mass mailing and those are the typical items we all toss in the garbage. It’s important that you use first-class postage stamps on the envelope (commemorative stamps can stand out even more in someone’s mail pile).
- Envelopes: The FREE template I’ve included above fits into a 6” x 9” envelope, which can be any color of your liking. When including your return address, only put your name and business address on the envelope. Do not include your brokerage logo, this is a personal message from you.
- Printing: The template prints x2 Thank You Letters to a page and I encourage you to use a bulkier paper (like 80 lb – 100 lb cardstock is ideal) to print on. The heavier paper makes your envelope more interesting which naturally creates curiosity in the recipient – meaning they’re more likely to open it!
- Signature: Once you have a beautifully printed card, you will need to take out that pen and sign it in your own handwriting. This is the most important step, because it signifies that you actually touched the card, which unconsciously makes people feel more connected to you. Pro Tip! Blue ink makes it much easier for the recipient to authenticate a real signature from a printed or photo copied one.
Pro Tip! Blue ink makes it much easier for the recipient to authenticate a real signature from a printed or photo copied one. If you have too many contacts, I recommend breaking them out into groups and signing letters for at least your top 100 past clients, friends and family.
Spread Your Gratitude Further with Digital
While printing and mailing this letter almost always gets the best response, you can reach even more people by sending the same message as an email. I don’t recommend this for your close personal contacts, or top-tier clients, however this can be a great way to reach out to vendors, business acquaintances and other important contacts you may not have deep connections with, or a physical mailing address for.
To send the letter as an email simply use “Thank you” as the subject line, and insert the copy from the FREE template above into the body of your email, and you’re good to go!
Add a Social Companion
Using a simple graphic, you can capture even more attention on social media, so why not send a sincere message of appreciation to your online community as well? I’ve included a FREE graphic below you can use on Facebook and Instagram, just use the first and last paragraphs from the FREE letter above as your post text.
(Includes Letter and Social Templates)
Follow Up for the Best Results
Sending the ‘thank you’ by itself is great, but if you’re looking to increase the conversion of your direct mail campaign, following up directly with the recipient is the way to go. Making a phone call or sending a text message will guarantee your mail is on their mind and that they’re looking for it, but it also instantly and absolutely personalizes what you sent, even if you mailed something that wasn’t!
You can choose one of two ways to execute the phone call part of this strategy and both are similarly effective:
- The ‘Lookout For’ Call – this is a call you place immediately before or after mailing something, and you make the call knowing the recipient has not yet received your package. You let them know something is on its way and to be on the lookout for it. This increases the likelihood of them receiving and opening the item, but it also gives you the opportunity to chat quickly, so you can ask them how they’ve been, and answer any questions they might have about their home or the real estate market.
- The ‘Did You Get It’ Call – this is a call you place 7-10 business days after you have sent the mailing, assuming people have received your package at that point. You let them know that you’re just calling to make sure they received your letter and that you just wanted to know how they’re doing and wish them well as the year comes to a close.
Effective Long-Term Follow-Up
If you’re already a Service For Life! member, I don’t need to tell you about the value of a monthly follow-up system, because you already know exactly what I’m talking about! Keep sending your newsletter each and every month, especially once you’ve taken the time to do this gratitude campaign.
For those who are unfamiliar, I highly recommend using this once monthly client retention tool, because it is the only way proven to put your business on a year-round cycle of 100% repeat and referral transactions… something any real estate agent can be thankful for throughout the entire year!
There’s Never a Bad Time to Say ‘Thank You’
The best thing about using this gratitude strategy is that ‘Thank You’ is a hard phrase to wear out, so the more often you say it, the more effective it becomes at generating reciprocity. There are so many ways you can thank your clients throughout the year, a few neat ideas include thanking someone after you complete a sale, after receiving a referral, when someone gives you a good review, or anytime you’re able to!
As my Mom would say, “there’s never a bad time to say thank you.” So this Thanksgiving, send some thank-you letters to as many people in your sphere of influence as possible, and then be sure to follow up immediately in December with the gift of Service For Life!®
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