Would not it be wonderful to have all your clients come to you through referrals? I think most of us would love the ability to stay on the forefront of our past clients, friends and family members mind. People love to give referrals when you have served their needs well and have kept in touch with them continually. One of the most professional ways to keep in touch with a client is to constantly show appreciation and gratitude towards them. To keep in touch it is imperative to set a goal to contact each person 8 times a year which is about once every 45 days. Contacting a person every 30 days keeps your face in front of them more often, but it can be perceived as overbearing. If you wait to contact someone every 60 days you will be forgotten when the opportunity for a referral arises. Staying in front of your customer on a regular basis will keep your customers aware of you and that you are in business. You must be in constant communication with your referral sources, and when they think of Real Estate your name comes to their mind.

The main objective of Real Estate Marketing is to sell more homes. The most proven way to increase sells is to show appreciation to customers through the writing of thank you cards. Appreciation will win over self-promotion every time. It would be safe to say that 98% of all mail is bills, junk mail, or self-promoting blast mail outs. When someone receives a hand written card with your signature on it the sincerity can be felt on the other side. Now I'm not talking about a card sent out by your companies marketing department with you signature printed at the end of an impersonal card. I'm talking about a card with your handwriting and your signature with a personal written message inside from you to your customer.

Let's take it a step further. What do you think the response would be from your client if you sent a box of brownies with a "Welcome Home" card?. Everyone has a threshold and the more you give out the more they feel the need to give back. Since the only way a past customer is going to be able to contribute to your business is a referral they feel the need to send people your way. The best Real Estate Marketers are not the only person that wants their business to flourish, but the best of the best have turned their past customers into ambassadors out promoting their business at every opportunity. They do this not because the Realtor has continually asked for them to send referrals, but because they had such a good experience and felt so appreciated that they want everyone to have the same great experience they had.

Now, let's discuss the reason why people don't send cards. You poke through traffic to your local card shop, search through hundreds of cards, and wait in line to purchase your expensive cards and postage stamps. Then, once you've purchased the perfect card, you search for a pen so you can write a personal message, address and stamp the envelope, and drop it in the mailbox. Sound familiar? Even though you may want to build relationships and express appreciation, there are three primary reasons why most people don't send cards as often as they'd like to:

1. It's inconvenient and time-consuming to go to the card shop.
2. Greeting cards are expensive these days.
3. Many people forget important dates and occasions.

The great thing about the power of the internet today is you can find a service that fits all of your needs. There are many companies available to keep you in touch with your past clients. Here are three ways online companies have found to overcome the objections above.

1. With a simple click of your computer mouse you can select a card, write a message (using your own handwriting font and signature that has been scanned into the system) and send a printed greeting card in less than a minute. The companies will print it, stuff it, address it, stamp it, and send it in the mail for you. And you can even create your own custom card front in less than a minute using one of their many features! You can even request that your card be sent with a gift or a gift card.
2. These customized cards cost less than a dollar!
3. A reminder system will tell you when a card is needed, or you can simply choose a card anytime you want.

Send unexpected cards at unexpected times. Keep in touch with clients, prospects, and referral partners. Save time and money sending holiday cards for every occasion. Never forget another birthday. Never miss an opportunity to show appreciation or sympathy or offer congratulations. Leave your guilt trip behind. You can show appreciation now!