We're having a Christmas party!

I've teamed up with another agent in my office to throw a party. What better time than Christmas! I would love to share our idea with you.

Since Christmas is more about giving than receiving we decided to make it a pajama drive to benefit children in need. Leez PJ's 4 Kids is a local organization that distributes the pajamas to various organizations that assist the homeless. They also distribute to military moms. We like that too, because San Diego has a huge military presence! Choose an organization that is near and dear to your heart. It doesn't even need to be Christmas time.

We created a music video invitation on Animoto.com. Very easy! You just select your template design, choose your music, insert the text, and add any pictures that you want. Here is our invitation:

You're Invited! 

In addition to the music video, we created a flyer to share. (flyer) It would have been great if we had taken the time to pass them out to the local businesses around our office...maybe next year :)

You can create an event on Facebook, tweet, and email to all! Leez PJ's for Kids provided us with a drop off box at our office and everyone has been coming by to drop off pajamas and say hello! It's been a great way to connect. We are excited and hoping for a great turnout for the Saturday brunch and pictures with Santa!

Here is the goody bag that we created to give to the children. Each little bag has 8 whoppers & 1 cherry sour tied up with a ribbon--Reindeer Noses!!

                           
Once again...it was pinterest to the rescue for inspiration! Here is my pinterest board that I use to clip inspiration for future pop by ideas. Maybe you will see some of these in the future adapted for a pop by. Maybe it will inspire you, too!

My pinterest marketing board

I hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas! And oh by the way!...If you have any clients moving to beautiful, sunny San Diego, I'm never too busy for your referrals!

Halloween Booty Bag!

The holidays are always a great time to drop in on your clients and say hello. Beginning with Halloween, I have a couple of fun things that you can try! I was at my local craft store today and picked up a Martha Stewart book on holiday craft ideas. I will be the first to admit that I am no Martha Stewart...not even close, but I did get a little inspiration from the book which I decided to adapt for a pop by.

Back to the brown paper lunch bag...I love this because it's so cheap :) You can decorate your bags any way you want to, but since I'm not the most creative when it comes to decorating, I needed a little help. I found some black "caution tape" with a pirate head that I thought would be super easy. $4 for the roll and I was ready to get started. My first challenge was what to put IN the paper bag. Naturally, since it's for Halloween, candy is the first thing to come to mind. But I was thinking more along the lines of popcorn just in case I had to leave it on the front porch, so that's what I went in search for. What I found were these cute individual bags of white cheddar rice & corn puffs. They were in Halloween pirate wrapping and for just a little over $5 for a package of 6. I bought 3 bags, so for approximately $19, I could make 18 pop bys!

Here is what I did: I took the lunch sack and turned down the top about 2 inches. Then I wrote Trick or Treat? I stuffed the pirate bag of white cheddar rice & corn puffs inside the paper bag and turned down the top. I attached the pop by tag to the back of the bag like this:

It says: I know just the TRICK. Refer your friends & clients to me and I will TREAT them with the highest level of service! Be sure and add your name & number. Then I just wrapped a piece of the caution tape around the bag and here's the finished product!

This cute little pumpkin was my pop by idea last year. Same tag, just printed in color and stuck in the pumpkin with a toothpick. Be creative and decorate your pumpkin any way that inspires you!

Have a safe and happy Halloween! And remember, if any of your friends or clients are moving to San Diego, I'm never too busy for YOUR referrals!

Here's another idea to put those business cards that you collected to good use. If you capitalize on the tools available to you under the coaching program through Brian Buffini, you have access to your very own online Business Directory! Log in to your members area and then click on Business Directory. You can choose a template, input all the information from your business cards, and customize your link. Don't forget to set up your profile and a link to your website. Now you are ready to send it out to your client database as an item of value! Try facebook, twitter, an email blast, etc. And let those businesses know that you are working for them. They will do the same for you!

Here's what mine looks like:

My Business Directory

And don't forget...if you have clients moving to the San Diego area, I'm never too busy for YOUR referrals! Have a wonderful weekend!

Business Card Book

Because I am always asking for referrals, I decided to try to come up with an idea where I could GIVE referrals. Not really sure how the idea would play out, I began to share my thoughts with some of my favorite business owners and asked for 25 of their business cards. As realtors, we are often a great resource of referrals. We know plumbers, electricians, carpet cleaners, window cleaners, landscapers, lawyers, accountants...you name it! Right off the bat, I discovered it was a great way to network with area businesses and also to ask for their referrals. Here are all the business cards that I collected--25 cards from 26 different business owners plus my own. Yes, don't forget your own :) Well worth the time it took to collect them all!

I wanted to package these cards in such a way that they would not end up in the trash! I got my inspiration from the Etsy shop of Erin Zamrzla of Santa Monica, CA. See her idea here

My very talented friend, Nikki Morales, printed a front and back cover for the cards on regular card stock paper and then I took them to my local Postal Annex and had them laminated. Just print whatever design you want. These are a little bit larger than the business cards, but you could actually print right onto a blank business card and then laminate. When trimmed, they will end up a little bit larger than your cards. Here is what mine look like:

The front cover has a title: Business Card Book and the rest of it says "Here is a sampling of my top referrals! Add some of your own favorites and keep your collection of business cards all in one place!" Be sure and add your contact information.

The back cover says: "Oh, and by the way...I always love YOUR referrals! Taking care of your referrals is at the top of my business!" Again, add your contact information.

Punch a hole in all those cards (this was the time consuming part!) and package it all together with a binder ring. Since I collected 25 cards from each business, I have 25 booklets to give away!

To finish it off, I secured each booklet with a rubber band and tied a bow with a piece of string! Here is the finished product. Super easy. Hoping they will end up in a drawer and be an ongoing source of referrals!

Hope you get many referrals from your own pack of cards, and remember...I am never too busy for your San Diego referrals! Have a great day!

Father's Day Pop By

Now that Mother's Day is behind us, it's time to think about Father's Day! Know any special dads that you would like to drop in on? Here's my pop by idea for the dads in your client database. It's useful, quick and easy!

Stop by your local hardware store and pick up some small cans of WD-40...as many as you want. You can download my tag here: Father's Day Tag

The tag says: Hope your day goes SMOOTHLY. And if I can help you or your friends SLIDE EASILY thru their next real estate transaction, call me! I punched a hole in the card along with my business card and tied them both to the can with a ribbon. Here's the finished product. So easy!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! And remember, if you have any friends or clients moving to the San Diego area, I am never too busy for YOUR referrals!

Mother's Day Pop By

I don't know about you, but Mother's Day has crept up on me. Just a few days away and I'm thinking it'd be a great time to do a pop by! But what can we do that's quick and easy? Pinterest to the rescue! I found my inspiration from Better Homes and Gardens. Their idea was for a wedding centerpiece, and quite frankly, is much prettier (wedding centerpiece). But I liked the idea and had one of those "I can do that" moments, so I adapted it for my pop by.

I started out with just a plain brown paper lunch bag and trimmed about 2" off the top so it wouldn't be so tall.

I purchased some small 4" pots of Marigolds at Home Depot for $1.19ea. and a roll of ribbon.

Then just fold down the top of the paper bag, insert your little plant and tie it off with bow!  The card says "Your Referrals Make My Business Bloom. Happy Mother's Day!" You can include your business card, too. Just stick it behind the card, or put them both in the bag sticking out of the dirt.

Mother's Day Bloom - Tag

Here's the finished product...

Don't forget, if you have friends, family, or clients moving to the San Diego area, I'm never too busy for YOUR referrals!  Happy Mother's Day...to you or to yours :)

I'm Fishing for Your Referrals

I'm starting off with one of my favorites!  I saw a whole tub of these small 2oz. boxes of Goldfish crackers at my local pharmacy (also seen them at the grocery store).  They were $1 each so go grab as many as you'd like.  Then swing by the fabric store and get any kind of fabric that resembles fishnet.

My very creative friend made the tags for me that say "I'm fishing for your referrals!"  Just wrap the tag up in the netting and tie it off.  (I threw in my business card, too.)  You are now ready to go fishing for referrals!

Now here's the best part...you can download your own tag for free right here!  (I use SugarSync to share files.  Just download and print--use Avery template 8371)  I hope you enjoy handing them out to your clients as much as I did.  And remember, if you have clients moving to the San Diego area...I'm never too busy for YOUR referrals!

Pop By Tag - Fishing for Your Referrals