How to Finish the Year Strong

The Orange Stack
Oct 8, 2018
3 min read

With just a few weeks to the end of the year, most agents will be winding things down as they anticipate the holiday season. You’ve heard that line before, “things are slow during the holidays so it is best to slow down as well.” Well, the thing about saying such things is that they get in your way of driving more business in the holiday season. In fact, what this mentality does is that it forces you to lose out on any opportunities that may be had during the holidays. As such, the difference between the agents who are the “haves” and “have-nots” is in large part because of what they do over the holidays. In this article, we share with you what “Have Agents” do during the holidays that keeps them ahead of “Have-not Agents.”

They Keep Their Pipeline Going

As an agent, your pipeline is everything. Cold calls and prospects lead to leads, which leads to appointments, which leads to consideration, which leads to listings, which leads to sales, which leads to commissions. As the holidays approach, Have Agents know they cannot allow the holiday season to interfere with this pipeline. They know this pipeline must keep being fed and nurtured as it is how they get paid. Have-not Agents, on the other hand, turn the tap on their pipeline off over the holidays, denying themselves the value that comes to from keeping their pipeline going. So, as the holidays approach, keep your pipeline going to make sure those commissions keep rolling in.

They Balance Holidays and Work

Holidays are great for spending time with family and reconnecting with people you have not seen all year. But the truth is that Have Agents know how to balance holidays and all the activities that come with them and work. This does not mean going into the office over the holidays. What it means is that you always know what is going on with your pipeline and business throughout the holidays. Such agents carve out a few hours each day to work on their business, even though they have made holiday plans. Have-not Agents, on the other hand, put everything on hold over the holidays, telling themselves they will start with a bang come January. What such agents do not account for is momentum.

They Know Momentum is Everything

Making calls, booking appointments, making presentations, closing deals; all these activities rely on momentum to keep going. For instance, if you slow down during the holidays, it means in January, you will have to book more appointments to cater for the lost time over the holidays. This does not make sense. Instead, Have Agents keep making sales calls, booking appointments and closing deals as they know momentum is everything. By keeping this momentum going, they also signal to their clients and prospects that they are available to help even during the holidays. Clients and prospects of Have-not Agents, on the other hand, know not to look for them over the holidays.

They Finish Strong to Start Strong

Most agents finish weak at the end of the year because of the false belief that the end of the year is generally slow for business. While it may be true, not many people buy houses over Christmas, it is also true that people looking to sell their homes keep trying to do so over Christmas. The holidays do not roll in and they take their home off the market simply because the holidays are here. Understanding this will help you finish strong and start strong in the following year. Think about it, if you keep making sales calls and booking appointments all through the holidays, January will find you fully booked while those who “took some time off” will be wondering where to start looking for appointments.

Conclusion

It’s a fact that Have Agents and Have-not Agents are distinguished by what they do when everyone else is taking a break. To become a Have Agent, you must be willing to buck the trend and do the things most agents are not willing to do. Doing the things outlined above is one way to ensure you remain solidly ahead of your competition.