When we look at our clients, we can put them into two categories:  those that give us customers and referral opportunities and those that we do the actual transaction with.  For the purpose of this article, we will concentrate on those customers that we have completed a transaction with. 

Where does your customer rate? 

When it comes to rating your customer, you can utilize the A, B and C method.  Let me explain:

“C” clients are those who probably purchased their last home or will not be a good referral source for future business.  These individuals will receive a minimum of eight mailings a year as it still important to keep your contact information in front of them. 

“B” clients enjoyed your service, and will likely be purchasing again.  They also seem to be connected with enough people to provide you with referrals.  This group will receive the mailings that you are sending out to your “C” clients along with a minimum of two calls per year to see how they are doing and for you to ask them if there are any changes personally that warrants a meeting with you.

“A” clients are highly connected or are interested in buying additional real estate in the future.  You need to put these future referral sources on the mailings, phone calls and create opportunities to meet with them on a regular basis.  “A” and “B” clients should receive 80% of your time and marketing allocation that you have established for past-client retention.  The rest of the 20% can be utilized for your “C” past clients. 

The Cluster Approach

As previously mentioned, “A’s” and possibly “B” clients tend to be highly connected.  They also hang out with those that have similar interests such as owning additional real estate.  Because of this, you may consider creating a monthly Real Estate Investors Forum that will educate your “A’s” and “B’s” about the opportunities, changes and trends in your market-place.  Make sure that you communicate to those that you invite to bring along their friends, family members and co-workers to this monthly forum.  Those that created such a forum can tell you the success they’ve received from their efforts.

The Rule of 250

They say that the average wedding or funeral will have around 250 attendees.  You can restate this as everyone tends to know about 250 people.  If you have 250 acquaintances and the acquaintances know 250 individuals, which multiply to 62,500 people—that’s a lot of opportunities.  You should go through the math exercise for a couple of reasons.  Just think if you had 250 “A” and “B” relationships, I’m sure that there are a few that would refer you to in their sphere and two, just think if you had a monthly Real Estate Forum and you were “passing this information” to all 250 and they were passing this information to their friends, what opportunities could be gained from this.

{sidebar id=5}Should all clients be treated as Equals?

Hopefully, you’ll want to spend your time, money and energy with those that provide you with the greatest return and those that you enjoy being around.  Most of our competition, at the minimum put their past clients on a mailing list.  This minimal effort of marketing will not bring your client back to you.  Sending out mailings is “touching” the client, but it’s not keeping in touch with the client.  Phone calls and creating opportunities to see your highly connected clients at special events are imperative for a perpetual and sustainable business. 

Final Thought

All of us are guilty to some degree of not doing a more thorough job in staying in touch with our clients the way we should.  It takes much more time and monies to create new relationships than concentrating on those that we have already done business with.  Remember the 250 Rule. Our clients have around 250 relationships.  Wouldn’t it be awesome that your past clients become an extension to your sales force? 

Look at your current marketing plan for your past clients.  Categorize them into A, B and C’s and differentiate how you will market to each group.  Consider a monthly Real Estate Investors Forum that will educate the A and B clients of the opportunities that are in your market place.

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