Q: Denise, I am looking ahead towards fall and I want to have a client event this year. However, I have a diverse group of past clients. I can see an oil and water situation happening if I try to have one big event. What do you think about two different events?
A: You can certainly do that if you like. In fact, I have many clients who have multiple smaller events every year and love it (their clients do too!). The key is to find something that works for you and your clients.
If the thought of booking two venues, sending out two sets of invitations, and making sure you remember what client was invited to what event in case you run into them at the grocery store is enough to stress you out to the point of not doing an event at all, then consider doing just one event. You can find common ground for all your clients somewhere, whether that be booking a movie theater for a screening of It’s a Wonderful Life at Christmas (family-friendly and it appeals to all age groups) or Thanksgiving pumpkin pie pickup (even if a client doesn’t enjoy pumpkin pie, they can always bring it to Thanksgiving dinner wherever they are having it). The point is to just find an opportunity to have an event that gives you the opportunity to get in front of your clients live and thank them for your business.
Have a great idea for a client event? Please share it in the comments below!
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Denise:
Hi, I haven’t been reading your newsletters for a while although I’m always happy to see this in my email .
In response to your first question about having multiple events a year. This really sounds like marginalizing your clients unless you have so many clients and need to split them alphabetically. It doesn’t sound like a oil and water thing it sounds like the agents perception that itl will be oil and vinegar. I know we all go with our gut feelings, in this response I didn’t think the answer was the best advice.
Just saying,
Tom
Tom, thank you for your contribution and thank you for following my newsletters!
I have worked with a number of agents over the years and have heard a lot of client concerns over client appreciation events. There is anxiety around choosing an activity that will allow everyone to mingle naturally. Some agents never wind up doing an event due to this worry. I agree that since it is tough to please everyone anyway the agent may be better off simply choosing an activity like I have suggested such as a holiday movie or a pie event. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for every agent and I know that there are still some agents who would be concerned about alienating a segment of their past client database. For those folks, thinking outside the box and doing two events is better than never doing an event at all due to the worry. I am thrilled to hear from you!
I agree that client appreciation parties can be daunting. Trying to figure out how many will attend, planning the event, etc., all aspects of an event can be stressful. For 15+ years my son and I have hosted Grizzly football tailgates at the University of Montana. It is hugely successful, we have the system down pat, and all our clients are invited to attend any one of the 6 or 7 home games. We partner with lenders, title companies, and selected real estate affiliated businesses who financially chip in & also send their employees to mingle (and have fun). Is this a lot of work? Yes, it is. Is it worth it? Absolutely! We see about 200 people usually at each home game, so there’s lots of reunions because often this is the only time we see them since helping them buy or sell real estate. We have found this series of client parties to be one of our best sources of referrals too.
Judy – What a GREAT idea! You’ve turned something you enjoy – football – into a big win-win event for everyone, making it possible for you to continue networking with clients and maintain relationships with service vendors at the same time. Yes, it takes work, but my coaching clients who do these events end up doing them again and again too because they are so successful. Good work!
I love hearing stories like this! I hope more people will share about events they have done.