The holidays are upon us! Halloween costumes sit on store shelves next to Christmas lights and tinsel. This means that we’re about 2 ½ months away from 2013. I continue unpacking and organizing my office after the recent move, while juggling bookings and client calls. On the upside however, the last minute holiday bookings are starting to flow in. One booking that I recently deposited was a direct result of my participation in the sports fest show back in June. This commission alone covers the expenses related to the show; so we can now chalk that event up as a resounding success!
I have finally carved out a few minutes here and there to work on my 2013 marketing plan. The TRO archives provide a wealth of information about marketing, including how to construct a marketing plan properly. It definitely takes time, and is not something that can be banged out in a matter of hours. I anticipate being done shortly after Thanksgiving. In the meantime I am reviewing a lot of the TRO articles as well as the best practices of other successful agents. The skeleton of my plan is set up. Now I need to fill in the blanks.
I also need to get back into the networking world. During the move I took a sabbatical from networking because I simply did not have the time to attend any meetings. After six weeks though, I am falling into the home-based agent trap. The trap I’m referring to is that one where we sit in the home office waiting for the phone to ring, or an email from a client to pop up in our inbox. This is definitely a business that requires constant marketing and networking–and I’m already feeling the effects of six weeks it. So I have resolved that no later than next week, I will get back out and network, no matter how many boxes still need to be unpacked in the office.
One other goal this year is to send holiday cards out to all clients–past and present. I try not to get lost in the shuffle with all of the Christmas cards and aim for one of the other holidays. With my time crunch, I am thinking Thanksgiving is a pipe dream. I will have my cards signed, sealed, stamped in and the mail shortly after Christmas for a New Year’s greeting.
Finally, my end goal for 2012 is to take my own advice – to unplug, unwind and RELAX! We’ve had this discussion in the community forum, and Barbara Oliver even wrote an Agent Perspective article about it several months ago. If we don’t step away from the business every once in a while we’ll burn out. Working 24/7/365 is not good for the individual or for the business. It’s hard when you are home-based working as a one-agent shop. But that’s where building relationships with other agents is crucial. Take the time to back each other up and everyone can have a chance to unwind and rejuvenate!
So what are your plans for the rest of 2012? Are you ready to ring in 2013 yet?
