Creative Ways to Stay in Touch with Clients (Social Distancing Style)
While things may be slowly opening back up, it’s going to be awhile before we are all meeting prospective clients in coffee shops, driving clients around the city, and hoping for packed open houses. While this is exceptionally hard for those of us that are more social, we have to push through and see what we can do. And what we can do, is to get creative with how we DO stay in touch with clients. Below are a few of our ideas, and we’d love to hear yours in the comments!
Live Stream Open Houses & Virtual Walkthroughs
Open houses are certainly not a social distanced activity - but showing a house is not off limits, especially if it’s virtual. Pick a date and time where you are “going live” for a (sort of) open house, walkthrough hybrid. Whether it’s on Instagram Live, Facebook Live, or Youtube - create a video of walking through a home pointing out what you would normally want to touch base on in person! Depending on what platform you are using, you can even answer questions about the home in real time from viewers. Be sure to market the time before, and save the recording to send to those that couldn’t make it. Who knows - you just may have MORE people seeing the home than normal open houses because it can be done so efficiently for anyone interested. For tips and best practices, check out these steps.
Add Video to Emails
Feel like you’re in constant email communication, with no end in sight? Instead of non-stop emails that feel impersonal, try emailing quick videos. The joy of this is two fold - not only do you get to show your smiling face and give a little more personality to your clients, but you ALSO don’t have to be continuously typing non-stop. There are tools like Hippo Video and BombBomb that help make it super simple.
Send Something Fun
Not all communication is typically “down to business” and now is no exception. Whether it’s a unique postcard, a little “pandemic survival kit” or even a local treat, take advantage of good ol’ fashion snail mail to delight past, current, and future clients. (We can all agree, mail has gotten WAY more exciting these days!).
Authentic Social Media
Social media isn't anything new - but perhaps focus a little on the “authenticity” of the you that you are presenting. People are tired of social media being purely the highlight reel of someone’s life or company. Be authentic (we know, easier said than done), but show people the real you that your friends and family know and love.
Social Media Groups
If you’ve ever thought about creating an online community, say, a Facebook Group, but never felt the need to start (or continue the one you’ve created), now is the time! People are looking for community, and now could be your chance to really hone in on some of your expertise of your community.
Ask Questions
Now is a time for questions. We spend so much time wondering what clients are wanting, thinking, worried about, etc. and often forget that if we just slowed down and listened more, they may be telling us those very things! Try on social media, email, or any platform that you connect with the most clients on to have everyone ask their questions. You could be the resource in home buying, home selling, moving, or the neighborhood that someone has been waiting for.
Be a “Host”
At this point, we may have all had enough video conferencing for awhile - but if you have multiple clients with the same questions, or multiple prospective clients that are curious about similar things - make it an “event”. Instead of hopping on a call individually, send a slightly more playful invite inviting them to “coffee and closures” and send a digital $5 Starbucks gift card, or a local coffee shop where the drive through is open, with a time for everyone to hop on a video call. Just because in person meetings are out, doesn’t mean you can’t still be a great host!
Porch Drop Offs
For local clients that just closed, are about to move, etc., surprise them with a closing gift just like you would in normal life only do it as a surprise porch drop off! With so little human interaction now, the simple act of leaving something on someone’s doorstep is such a fun, endearing surprise right now!