While each follow-up is unique (call it the art of conversation), there is a solution that will work in any follow-up situation. These four guidelines will help you engage in a more natural conversation that will put both you and your clients at ease.

Break the ice

This may be the most challenging part of the follow-up call. If you tend to get nervous or a little stiff, try calling when you’re already in a good mood, like after a great client meeting or a closing.

Let the recipient know who you are and why you’re calling. There is no need to say, “I’m calling to find out if there are any real estate needs I can help you with.” Just mention that you’re calling to follow-up because you haven’t spoken in a while. If you aren’t that close with a client, try something like, “I was making my way through my contact base, and I thought I’d call to say hello.” Simple as that—casual and unassuming.

Need more specific ideas?  Try these. And if you’re in need of some good scripts, you can download this free resource from our Resource Library.

Make it personal

Don’t forget to focus on the client. Asking how they’re doing is not enough.

Make a personal connection by asking about their family, their dog, their job, or even their spring/summer/fall/winter. Have they been on vacation lately? Are their kids getting big/driving yet/graduating soon? Did you assist them in a move a while back? Call to see how they’re enjoying the neighborhood and if they have any restaurant recommendations. You get the point—just make it about them.

If you’re following up on a referral, let the person on the other line know. Ask about their relationship with the referral, and then explain yours.

State your intent

After a little casual conversation, let them know that you’re available to assist them, should they need it. Offer to follow up again in another month or two, and that you’ll be adding them to your magazine mailing list. (More on that in a minute.) And, of course, let them know how to contact you should they need your services or know someone who does.

Thank them

If you take only one thing away from this blog post, it should be this: People live busy lives these days, and there is nothing more necessary in business than saying, “I appreciate your time.”

If you follow the client-centered approach, you’ll be mastering your follow-up calls in no time. And remember, powerful connections come from conversations.

Want an easy, no-pressure reason to call?

The reason we produce personally branded magazines for our clients is to give them an organic reason to call the people in their sphere. These coffee-table quality publications are branded to you in six key locations. Every two months, we mail a copy to your list of recipients while making sure no one else can mail to the same address. They function to keep you top of mind for referrals and repeat business. In fact, our most recent reader survey reports that because of the magazine, 31% of recipients referred the professional who sent it to them!

Click here, and we’ll send a free PDF sample of our most recent issue to your inbox. There’s no obligation. We promise, you’re going to be blown away by the quality.

Here’s how they work

The week your magazine arrives in their mailboxes, plan to call your recipients. Before connecting, read through your magazine and consult your contact database for notes about each client. Given the wide variety of content in these professional publications and the options to customize them, you’re bound to find something that each will find especially appealing.

For example, perhaps you know Margaret, who you helped find her first home last year, loves to garden. You can call to ask if she’s had a chance to read the article about spring planting. Or maybe you had Stephen in mind when you selected a vegetarian recipe for one of your two tear out cards. Plan to ask if he’s had a chance to try it yet. From there, let the conversation evolve. It really is that easy.

Get your free sample copy today, and discover how easy it is to call your clients when your goal is simply to talk about what interests them.