There are fun things to do that week, but it’s also kind of relaxing. The rush of holiday shopping is done. It’s a time when you can finally enjoy the season without the break-neck pace that’s so common in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
On the work front, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is awesome. Few meetings are scheduled. Most of your clients are in vacation mode. Hardly any of your colleagues show up at the office, and those who do, don’t stick around very long. It’s quiet. Not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. These are ideal conditions for getting things done.
Some CRE brokers might be wondering what they can do to be productive during the holiday-bookended interlude next week. Here are four things that might be worth your time:
1. Update your CRM – as the year goes by, the data in your Client Relationship Management software system can get outdated. When you’re busy prospecting and closing deals, you don’t have time to clean it up. Next week is a great time to do that.
If you’re not currently using a CRM, next week might be the ideal time to finally get started. Do a little research to determine which CRM program is right for you. I recommend you choose one that is specifically designed for commercial real estate brokerage.
Depending on the program you choose, you might have to customize a couple things. Then populate your new CRM with your contacts and leads. If you’re going to use your CRM to send prospecting emails, you can set up that process next week too.
2. Catch up on reading and learning – When you’re doing deals, you tend to put off “sharpening the saw” activities. Next week is a good time to read all those real estate articles you’ve been collecting and watch some sales training videos.
3. Lead generation and research – Next week could be an ideal time to develop a target list of high-value prospects for next year. You can take your time, looking up companies and studying individual LinkedIn profiles. You could do pre-call research during this quiet week, so you’re ready to start calling in January.
4. Finish your brokerage goals and do them right – You don’t want to half-ass your goals. Make them detailed. Those agents who have clear, unambiguous and quantitative goals are more likely to be successful than those who have no goals or lightly developed goals.
If you haven’t finalized your 2023 brokerage goals, don’t go to your New Year’s Eve party until they’re done!