Monday Morning Match is a quick post – maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea – intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.
Who’s ready for a party?
I held a Client Appreciation event last week. It was a happy hour/dinner gathering with several of the clients I’ve had the honor to work with since jumping back into the sales side of the business. We had a great time and it was nice to spend some personal time with them and let them meet each other. The stories about being a homeowner were fun to listen to and I was proud of all the people who were such good customers and are now becoming great members of their neighborhoods and communities.
It’s certainly getting to be that time of year for gatherings. In the next few months, we’ll have First Communion celebrations and Kentucky Derby watching events. The Spring weather will bring cookouts and neighbors chatting over the fence or on the sidewalks and come the end of May, we will start to see the tents and “Congratulations _________” signs go up across town as graduation season will be upon us. Remember, we all love a reason to celebrate so that doesn’t just mean college or high school graduation parties – it could mean middle school, elementary school, pre-school or even Sunday School.
It’s also a proven fact that every human being has at least one birthday every year…and that alone is a reason to celebrate. Some companies and offices have birthday lunches while others hold a happy hour or go out to dinner when someone turns another year older. Even if there’s no cake or cocktails, the least you could do is see who among your Facebook friends just added a year to their age and reach out and say “Happy Birthday.” Who knows, they might invite you to share that cake or cocktail.
Social events are a great chance to connect with customers and clients or meet strangers who might someday become customers or clients. School or church events are great reasons to gather with friends or connect with strangers, as are sporting events or community activities like fundraisers or festivals. It’s a smart idea to make sure that some part of your marketing budget is going towards activities that will put you in front of potential home buyers or home sellers who might need your real estate services or advice now or in the near future…or know someone who does.
Start looking for opportunities to get more engaged with people in and around your sphere of influence. Watch the local news to see what events are coming up in your area and add them to your calendar. Check out Facebook Events and see if any of your friends are involved with anything in the next week or so. You don’t need to invite yourself or crash a party you weren’t invited to but maybe you can reach out and assist with something or simply send them a note saying “good luck…I hope you have a great time.”
Take a lesson from the fresh flowers you see all around you this spring. Poke your head out and share your bloom with the world. You might just be surprised with the energy you will get from being part of the party.
The alternative is being a stick-in-the-mud who doesn’t want to chat with people, engage in an activity or get involved with something that may not appear to have an immediate ROI. It’s hard to build relationships, solve problems and have fun when you’re holed up behind closed doors being a party pooper.
So tell me…where’s the party?