Plump up your referral pipeline by putting together a Thanksgiving client event set to be the talk of the town.
When I decided to create my first-ever free Pie Drive event on Facebook, I was not only a newly licensed agent, but also a brand-new Colorado Springs resident. Yet, after creating the event, I found myself tasked with delivering 85 pies to complete strangers – a task I managed to complete in the span of four and a half days. My husband told me I’m crazy, I remember. But, let me share, out of those 85 people I touched in November of 2014, five of them became clients that are still with me to this day. They have done multiple transactions with me throughout my real estate career.
That first year, I swore by Costco’s pumpkin pie (a brand I still wholeheartedly recommend), with my business card attached to the delivery. But, the real estate rainmaker has come a long way in event planning since 2014. What started as a one woman delivery mission evolved first into a drive-in event hosted at my team’s (The Lana Rodriguez Group’s) office, and later into a ‘Pies and Smiles with Santa’ magnet event expected to bring in nearly 600 clients. Here is how I, whose team is on track for 300 transactions for 2021 – all referral based – gear up for one of my most successful events of the year.
Read more: The Lana Rodriguez Group
5 Tips to Plan the Ultimate Thanksgiving Client Event
Make sure your event is fun and valuable. Client events are a big part of our referral-based business. My main focus is to build a community and bring clients together, and many of our clients are single parents or married couples with one or two children. As such, when creating my event calendar for the year, I focus on family-friendly activities that my target audience will find value and convenience in. With this year’s ‘Pies and Smiles’ event, set to take place within a venue typically reserved for weddings, I am not just handing out a classic Thanksgiving favorite, but also bringing the added value of professional photos with Santa.
Leverage Facebook. Before any big event, my team and I work on booking the venue 90 to 120 days in advance, then go into full-fledged planning about 30 days prior. In order to gain immediate access to my sphere of influence, I rely on a private client Facebook group, which I nurture throughout the year and leverage to spread the message of upcoming events among my clients. Once the venue is booked, I create a Facebook event page to spread the word. We follow up with hard mailers, a funny video invitation, and an email blast. We also do personal touches like a phone call and a text message to spread the word.
Read more: Four Ways to Find Business Success with Facebook Groups
Comfort is key. The world of events has been constantly shifting since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. While live events are back in my neck of the woods and restrictions have loosened up, my team makes sure to create a space where guests feel comfortable and safe. We host our event in the middle of the day, a strategic time when kids are awake. We are also making use of time slots to space everyone out and limit the amount of people at any given time.
Create FOMO. I use social media to engage with my sphere up until the moments leading up to the event. I even show the moments when my team loads the pies into trucks and SUVs and tries to remind clients why they need to be there. For example, if I buy two thousand dollars worth of candy, you better believe I’m going to advertise that through Facebook Live.
Put your game face on. On the day of the event, my team and I arrive at the venue around 10:30 a.m. and begin unloading refreshments, including cookies and coffee for our clients. We generally wear matching uniforms for the occasion, and are ready to rock by 11:30 a.m., working under the assumption that some clients will arrive early. I’m always the first person they see when they come in, and the last person they see when they leave. Throughout the event, I keep an eye out for any faces that are not current clients. I can generally see that they are a little bit uncomfortable. So, I introduce them to the team and make them feel welcome. After the event, I add them on Facebook to keep in touch. Even if they do not want to sell or buy now, as long as they see me posting, I’m going to be the Realtor they think about once they are ready. At the end, clients and potential clients will leave with a pie with a subtle sticker. “Happy Holidays! We’re never too busy for a referral!”
There’s something very special about breaking bread with people. And, if you provide these community experiences to your clients, you will differentiate yourself from competitors. While my own events now garner interest from hundreds of clients, I want to remind agents that it is the activity, not the numbers, that matter. Start small. Go door to door and deliver that pumpkin pie. Because, guess what – your competition is not doing that.