33 Touch: Client-for-Life & Advocate Appreciation Plans

33 Touch: Client-for-Life & Advocate Appreciation Plans

1.0 Introduction: The Science of Relationship Marketing in Real Estate

Relationship marketing centers on building strong, lasting connections with customers to foster loyalty and advocacy. In real estate, where transactions are often infrequent but high-value, nurturing relationships is critical for long-term success. The “33 Touch” plan is a structured system designed to maintain consistent contact❓❓ with clients and advocates, reinforcing their connection to the real estate professional and promoting referrals. This lesson explores the underlying psychological and marketing principles of the 33 Touch plan, focusing on its scientific basis and practical implementation for cultivating clients-for-life and advocate networks.

2.0 Psychological Foundations of the 33 Touch Plan

The effectiveness of the 33 Touch plan hinges on several key psychological principles:

• 2.1 The Mere-Exposure Effect (Zajonc, 1968): Repeated exposure to a stimulus (in this case, the real estate professional’s brand and contact) increases familiarity and liking. The 33 Touch plan ensures regular contact, leveraging this effect to enhance client affinity and trust.
  • Mathematical representation of the mere-exposure effect (simplified): Affinity = k * Frequency, where Affinity is the level of positive feeling towards the real estate professional, k is a constant representing individual susceptibility to the effect, and Frequency is the number of exposures.
• 2.2 Reciprocity Principle (Cialdini, 1984): People feel obligated to reciprocate when they receive something of value. The “Advocate Appreciation” plan, in particular, leverages this principle by providing items of value and personalized attention to those who have referred business, increasing the likelihood of continued referrals.
• 2.3 social❓ Exchange Theory (Homans, 1958): Relationships are maintained when the perceived benefits outweigh the costs. The 33 Touch plan aims to maximize the perceived benefits of staying connected with the real estate professional by providing valuable information, personalized attention, and appreciation, while minimizing the cost (time, effort) for the client. The perceived value can be measured in terms of utility: Utility = Benefits - Costs. A positive utility encourages continued engagement.
• 2.4 Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger, 1957): Individuals strive for consistency between their beliefs and actions. When a client refers business to a real estate professional, they experience cognitive dissonance if they subsequently perceive the real estate professional negatively. The 33 Touch plan reinforces the client’s positive perception, reducing cognitive dissonance and solidifying their advocacy.

3.0 The 33 Touch Framework: A System for Consistent Contact

The 33 Touch plan is a structured communication schedule designed to maintain consistent contact with clients and advocates over a year. The goal is to remain top-of-mind, build rapport, and encourage repeat business and referrals.

• 3.1 Plan Components: The core components of a typical 33 Touch plan include:
  • Newsletters: Provide valuable market insights and updates (12 touches).
  • Holiday Cards: Offer personalized greetings and maintain a personal connection (7 touches).
  • Telephone Calls: Facilitate direct interaction and relationship building (5 touches).
  • “Great Talking to You” Letters: Reinforce positive interactions and maintain communication channels (3 touches).
  • Personal Observance Cards: Acknowledge important life events and demonstrate individualized attention (4 touches).
  • Usable Giveaways: Provide tangible reminders of the real estate professional’s brand (2 touches).
• 3.2 Customization & Segmentation: The 33 Touch plan should be customized based on client segmentation. For example, the “Client-for-Life” plan focuses on maintaining contact with past clients, while the “Advocate Appreciation” plan is tailored to those who have provided referrals. Customization increases the relevance and impact of each touchpoint.

4.0 Designing Effective Touchpoints: Applying Marketing Principles

Each touchpoint within the 33 Touch plan should be designed to maximize its impact, incorporating relevant marketing principles:

• 4.1 Message Framing: Frame messages to emphasize the benefits of working with the real estate professional, such as expertise, reliability, and personalized service. Use positive framing to enhance receptivity to the message (Tversky & Kahneman, 1981).
• 4.2 Call-to-Action Optimization: Include a clear and compelling call-to-action in each touchpoint, encouraging referrals and repeat business. Optimize the call-to-action based on A/B testing to maximize conversion rates. Conversion Rate = (Number of Desired Actions / Number of Touchpoints Delivered) * 100
• 4.3 Personalization: Personalize each touchpoint with the client’s name, past transaction details, and relevant information to demonstrate individualized attention and increase engagement.

5.0 Advocate Appreciation Plan: Fostering Referral Networks

The Advocate Appreciation plan is a specialized 33 Touch plan designed to cultivate and reward referral sources.

• 5.1 Strategic Incentivization: The plan incorporates items of value, personalized gifts, and exclusive offers to incentivize continued referrals. The perceived value of these incentives should be aligned with the client’s needs and preferences.
• 5.2 Reinforcement Learning: The Advocate Appreciation plan can be viewed through the lens of reinforcement learning. Positive reinforcement (gifts, recognition) increases the probability of future referral behavior. The timing and magnitude of the reinforcement should be carefully considered to maximize its effectiveness.
• 5.3 Social Proof: Highlighting successful referrals and testimonials from satisfied clients reinforces the value of the real estate professional’s services and encourages others to refer business.
  • Experiment: Track referrals from advocates who receive social proof-focused communication versus a control group who receive standard Advocate Appreciation communication. Measure referral rates in both groups to determine the effectiveness of social proof.

6.0 Measuring and Optimizing the 33 Touch Plan

The effectiveness of the 33 Touch plan should be continuously measured and optimized based on key performance indicators (KPIs):

• 6.1 Referral Rate: Track the number of referrals generated from clients and advocates over time. Calculate the referral rate as: Referral Rate = (Number of Referrals / Number of Contacts in Plan) * 100.
• 6.2 Conversion Rate: Measure the percentage of referrals that convert into closed transactions.
• 6.3 Client Retention Rate: Track the percentage of past clients who return for repeat business.
• 6.4 Net Promoter Score (NPS): Measure client satisfaction and loyalty using the NPS survey.
  • NPS = % of Promoters (score 9-10) - % of Detractors (score 0-6)

By analyzing these KPIs and conducting A/B testing on different touchpoint strategies, real estate professionals can continuously refine their 33 Touch plan to maximize its effectiveness in building client-for-life relationships and fostering advocate networks.

7.0 Conclusion: The Scientific Imperative for Relationship Marketing

The 33 Touch plan is not merely a collection of random contacts; it is a strategically designed system based on proven psychological and marketing principles. By understanding and applying these principles, real estate professionals can create lasting relationships, cultivate advocate networks, and achieve sustainable success. Continuous measurement, analysis, and optimization are essential to ensure that the 33 Touch plan remains effective in a dynamic marketplace.

References

• Cialdini, R. B. (1984). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. William Morrow.
• Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford University Press.
• Homans, G. C. (1958). Social behavior as exchange. American Journal of Sociology, 63(6), 597-606.
• Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1981). The framing of decisions and the psychology of choice. Science, 211(4481), 453-458.
• Zajonc, R. B. (1968). Attitudinal effects of mere exposure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9(2, Pt. 2), 1-27.