The fourth quarter. For all too many of us, when the fourth quarter hits, it’s our signal to slack off. But not Austin, Texas agent Tanya Kerr. For Tanya, the fourth quarter represents a time when she chooses to lean into her database the most. And this approach clearly pays off as she’s on track to close 120 units this year.

In a nutshell, Tanya describes her October, November, and December schedule as jam-packed. But there is a reason for this. After all, she finds that people are more likely to talk to their loved ones, friends, and family more during this time of year than any other time. Therefore, she plans different events and modalities to make sure she stays at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Tanya also ensures the events she hosts target a variety of audiences: some are to love on the people she knows, some are to get to know new people, and some are to increase brand awareness in her area. By staying relevant when people are at their most social in the lead up to the first quarter of the coming year – when pipelines typically need some attention – she’s able to set herself up for success with business and referrals.

Read on to find out what she does in each month of the fourth quarter to stay top of mind during the most important time of the year.

October

Tanya takes advantage of pre-existing events by piggybacking off of the things that are already being done locally. Once she determines an event that her team would like to be part of, they join it by sponsoring it, establishing a vendor booth, and giving something of value away. As Tanya shared, October is a time when they aren’t creating the wheel, they are using it to their advantage.

To promote the October portion of Tanya’s holiday blitz, her team sends out a newsletter detailing the calendar of events via email and text.

Desired outcome: Add to the database and get to know new people. An added bonus is giving attention to some people they already know by inviting them to attend the event.

November

November is a time for giving thanks, and Tanya is no exception. During the month of November, she creates gratitude cards for her clients with a personal handwritten note about them as well as the schedule of upcoming events for the remainder of the year and mails these cards to her clients. The events she hosts during the month give her an opportunity to turn each event into multiple contacts while loving on her database at the same time. For example, she hosts an interior design class with a holiday theme for the people who live in her neighborhood (which also happens to be her farm). She also hosts free 10-minute photo sessions with a professional photographer that she can, in turn, share with those who have signed up and make another connection through contribution. These events are shared with clients via a personal newsletter. As Tanya says, being a past client and VIP comes with privileges and this is one of them.

Desired outcome: To provide the people in her database with extra special love and attention.

December

Each year, Tanya hosts a large party with a theme, costumes, and more. She calls it “Fristmas” – short for Friend Christmas – and it is the place to be in December. In fact, the theme for the following year is announced at the current party. Talk about generating excitement!

Desired outcome: To give special attention and love on the people she knows, such as her friends, clients, colleagues, and vendors.

Want to take a page from Tanya’s book? Consider the following 5 tips:

1. Start early. Tanya ensures all events are planned the year ahead of time.

2. Ensure you have the proper amount of help. There is a huge opportunity in hosting events. However, you have to be able to mingle and talk to people. Enlist help where possible.

3. Start small. Pick one or two items from her blitz list and start there. For example, send gratitude cards or ornaments. Pick what feels authentic to you and let it grow naturally over time.

4. Plan in advance so you aren’t taking a break from your business at the end of the year. The point is to be in front of people when they are talking to their loved ones.

5. Personal invitations go a long way. People want to be able to support you. However, they have to know about what you’re doing in order to do so.

Want more? Tanya has provided an outline of her holiday blitz along with a slew of photos and other details to give our Inspire members a glimpse into the magic. Want to see for yourself? Join Inspire here.