| By Larry Easto |
Keeping in touch with clients and network contacts is a key element of generating new business.
By maintaining regular contact with your contacts you can help remind them of the service that you provide. This helps generate new business from clients hiring you again and referrals from people who know and like you.
Frequency Of Keeping In Touch
It's often difficult to know how often to keep in touch with your clients. Many people are annoyed by contact that is too frequent. However, if you do not keep in touch often enough, you and the service that you provide will start to fade from memory.
Knowing your clients well will help you decide what frequency and approach to keeping in touch is best for them. But if you aren't sure, ask them what they prefer.
Using a simple questionnaire, ask them how frequently they would like you to keep in touch with them. Suggest 4-5 alternatives such as: monthly, bi-monthly (every other month),quarterly, semi-annually or annually.
You could also ask about specific information that they might welcome. Choices could include market trends, economic conditions, home maintenance and tax issues.
And of course you will also want to know the preferred format: hard copy (paper) or electronic (web-based) .
You can use the your survey to launch a more formal program of keeping in touch. When sending your questionnaire, explain that you are launching a new keeping in touch program and would like their opinion.
Keeping In Touch With Family and Friends
As well as keeping in touch with clients, it's also a good idea to keep in touch with other referral sources such as your family, friends, network contacts and referral partners.
Unfortunately family and friends are too close to you to offer objective or unbiased recommendations. Also, since they know you as a family member or a friend, they may not know how you serve clients.
They can however promote your personal qualities to people who don’t know you.
Keeping In Touch With Network Contacts
Your network contacts include the people that you meet as you go about your daily activities ...in stores, offices and other places. Also included in this group are the people you have met through formal networking and your participation in clubs, organizations, community events, social activities, religious services and so on.
While these people may be unfamiliar with how you serve clients, they do know people you don't know but can help. By keeping in touch with them, you remind them of the service that you provide to clients. This will help them make referrals to you.
Make sure that your family, friends and contacts understand the type of clients you are looking for.
Also ensure that they all have a small supply of your business cards to give to people they want to refer to you. This makes it easier for people to make referrals and help prospective clients contact you.
A final word of warning on keeping in touch. Once you start the practice, it is essential that you continue. Interrupting or even worse ending your practice of keeping in touch with out an explanation can seriously compromise your credibility.
To Learn more about Cebu Real Estate Industry, Call:
RealtyOPTIONS Marketing & Consultancy Inc.- President/CEO
Tel Nos: (+63 32) 5166194 / 2550374
Mobile: (+63 918) 9236123 / 0922.8236123
www.laosamuel.com
www.laosamuelmls.blogspot.com
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