As of this writing, I have attended the Keller Williams Family Reunion annual convention 14 times. Because of my experience with attending KW Family Reunion so many time, I am often asked if I can offer any tips of how to get the most out of this real estate training event.
To Get the most out of Keller Williams Family Reunion, you should focus on planning ahead with regards to travel, hotels, food and breakout sessions you are attending. You should also network during the days and evenings. If at all possible, stay a few extra days to enjoy the sites in the host city before jumping back into your real estate business.
The goal of Keller Williams Realty is to offer the absolute best to their agents. Aspiring from that idea, they hold an annual summit for all agents to gather and share their thoughts and experience to achieve something more. But to accomplish something, you must have some guidance beforehand to make the most out of this reunion.
This reunion is a golden opportunity for any agent to transcend in this sector. You have to maintain a systematic approach to achieve something. The goal here is to socialize with others. Have a clear-cut strategy, attend seminars, share your business card, meet new people. Plan ahead properly and you won’t return barehanded.
Traveling to a new city to attend crowded conferences can be tedious. You can be easily perplexed if you go there unprepared. Reaching there early, booking a room in a hotel in advance etc. there is so much to cover. In this article, I will walk you through the steps you have to follow to be successful at KW family reunion.
Register Early
Keller Williams reunion is the largest get together of real estate agents in the country. The downside is that it has limited capacity. So, register early to make sure that you can attend the convention. Everyone is super excited to attend these events so available seats are scarce. Early registration is the only way to ensure that you will be able to join this event.
You may have to travel a huge distance depending on your residence. You would not want to miss anything after so much hassle and the traveling cost. Registering early means you can go there early. You can get a hold of the entire land of the convention. You will be able to receive your tags etc. without waiting in long queues.
There are small but important chores you will have to take care of like Hotel booking, restaurant seat booking, etc. If you reach there early, you can take care of all of these with a serene mind and without hustling. So early registration is the most important factor to be successful at this reunion.
Plan where you are going to stay
Planning your stay is very important due to limited capacities in residential hotels. All the participants are from different parts of the country and that’s the reason why hotels are booked fast. Planning ahead can spare you being in a helpless situation. Wherever you want to stay, don’t wait till the last moment. You may regret procrastinating.
You can book rooms online in advance. All of the hotels have their own websites. Also, you can book through various online forums, Facebook groups, etc. There are Facebook groups where hotel rooms are exchanged or transferred. Keep your eyes pried for any chance to get a room in a convenient location.
There are cheaper seasonal boarding houses that may be available nearby due to heavy demand. You can also look for those if you haven’t found any hotel rooms yet. Sharing a room with your colleagues shall be economic. If you have any friends nearby then it’s your lucky day. You can always crash in there for a night or two. The summary is do not delay and fix your staying fast.
Plan what you are going to wear
We dress to impress but that’s not the case here, at least partially. Your dresses have to be attractive and comfortable at the same time. You are not going to be there for just a few hours. You will attend the reunion for several days and run from there throughout the entire day. So, if your dress is comfortable and easily mobile, you won’t be tired easily.
Shoes make attire. For some reason, people notice your shoe subconsciously. Wear great shoes but do not compromise comfort. In fact, you should emphasize comfort rather than good looks in this case. Oftentimes you will have to stand on your feet or walk several miles for the whole day. Flat sandals are a good choice for these situations.
Wearing high heels for girls is a big no-no. Even if you do, keep a spare pair of flip flops with you. Maybe in your purse or in a separate bag. Change them often if you feel uncomfortable. Always try to wear lightweight running shoes. They’ll be your best friend in conventions like this.
The weather may be hot or cold but the interiors always remain cold thanks to air conditioning. So, bringing a couple of light sweaters can be a very good idea. You can wear them if you are cold or just tie them around your waist. That’s the best thing about sweaters that you don’t have to worry about where to keep them.
Schedule your meals and drinks
No matter where you are or what you are doing, you have to stay energized and hydrated. Our brains do not work without glucose. So, we have to eat. Be sure to have a big enough breakfast before going to the convention. Even after that, keep dry foods and fruits with you as small snacks from time to time.
Keep a bottle of water with you all the time. Do not go for soft drinks as they contain excessive sugars. Don’t rely on food courts inside the festival as they tend to be heavily crowded. Keeping sports drinks instead of plain water can be a great alternative. They contain essential minerals at the right proportion so your body electrolytes stay balanced and you remain hydrated.
Café and fine dining restaurants are filled to their capacity during this time of the year. You can always have any friend of yours to make a reservation. Try to take a high protein diet as it keeps your stomach full for a longer time. Drink plenty of water. Most importantly try to stay away from alcohol. No one would want to remember a drunk real estate agent.
Change your social media photo
Your face is the most valuable identity of yours in this business. Your face value only can boost your brand to the top or throw it to the bottom. So it’s always nice to have a good profile picture in your social media account. A picture that everyone notices and remembers. If you are in a group photo, change it to a single one. Make sure your face is clearly visible and it is a recent photo.
Your social media photo and business card photo should be identical. Don’t add any extra effects in your profile picture. Try to keep it as natural as you can. You have to make sure one thing that your real face, your social media picture, and your business card picture are all the same. If your profile picture is clean shaved, shave your beard before attending the reunion.
Cut your hair. Long hair and beard change physiognomy beyond we could think. Don’t forget to change pictures of all of your social media accounts. Post regular updates about the convention. It will reflect your passion for this business. People are more influenced by social media than real-life events. Take advantage of those.
Have a special business card for a family reunion
Exchange business cards. Give yours and take others. Bring plenty of cards so that you don’t run out soon. You can design a specific business card, especially for this event. This will manifest your enthusiasm for this event. Not many people design a brand-new business card for just one event so everyone who received your card will surely remember you.
While designing a new card doesn’t mix things up. The new theme or design of the event should not replace your contact details or credentials. Having a two-sided design is a great idea. Put your name, picture, and other details on one side and themes for the reunion on the other side. It will serve both purposes without nullifying each other.
Contact any professional graphics designer to design a business card. Of course, there are thousands of free designs available on the internet. But they might lack the original touch. If thousands of other agents use random designs from the internet and yours is originally crafted from the mind of a designer, it’s sure to be unique and attract many potential clients.
Network before and after sessions
Like any other freelance job, having a network is crucial in this business. Building strong relationships with other people in this sector is pivotal for your success. And this family reunion is a great opportunity to form such networks. Don’t just sit around with your own people. Approach other people and say hi, maybe grab a cup of coffee.
Have a clear plan of who you want to meet before going to this reunion. Approach the specific person after sessions, exchange cards, email addresses, etc. so you can contact them later. Look out for gatherings in the evening. Exchange information as much as you can. You may find out something so useful that you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
Knowledge is increased by sharing. Don’t keep your thoughts to yourself. Tell people what your expectations are from this event, what your goal is for the next year, and how you are planning to achieve them. This way, other agents will also share their thoughts with you, and together all of you can become something more.
Try to remember important points from specific individuals. Later contact them and mention that specific point. This will surely cheer them up that you remembered them and took the conversation to heart. Most people do not listen to others. If you can prove yourself to be exceptional than other peoples, you are sure to have a strong network soon after.
Add Contacts to KW Command
While attending the reunion and meeting all sorts of people, exchanging ideas, smiling at each other don’t forget to take advantage of the technology. The KW command, Keller Williams groundbreaking cloud-based AI-powered database that does all the time-consuming guesswork for you while you can interact with your clients.
Don’t sit and do nothing with all the business cards, other contact information you have gathered. Keep all of them in one place so that you don’t have to ransack your whole room to find them. Every information you gathered is important and can change the track of your business momentarily. So, there is no chance to neglect any of them.
Upload all the contact information to the KW command. Thus, you will be able to keep track of all of your contacts, potential leads, and prospects. This information will be synced across the cloud and every agent will have access to them. This creates an environment where you can share your ideas and thoughts to take your business to the next level.
Attend Sessions with your Office and without your office
This may sound a bit cynical but not really. The goal of this reunion is to expand your network, meet more people, and advertise your brand. You can’t do that while sitting with the people you already know. We all love to stay with the people we know and trust. But you have to look at the bigger picture here. Think about why you are here and what you must take back home.
It may feel a bit awkward initially but you have to get used to it. Leave your comfort zone and approach people. Talk to everyone. There is no reason to be shy because all of them are here for the same purpose. No one will take your friendly manner otherwise because they would have done the same.
Attend special events and sessions with your colleagues and co-workers but don’t stick to them all the time. Walk here and there away from your entourage. Also, tell your team to meet and greet new peoples, thus you and your team will make a big network that will prove fruitful at a later time.
Your business network shall continue to grow this way and you will be getting referrals from new people. You will be able to return them the favor and create relationships beneficial for your brand.
Attend Evening Events
Evening events are always crowded in particular. Keller Williams holds events like red bash in the evening so more people can join. So always try to be an active participant in evening events. Meeting people and promoting your brands will become so much easier. Bars and restaurants are also gathered points for people so keep an eye out for those as well.
Many agents and successful figures of this business arrange their own events in late afternoon or evening. They share their stories, how they struggled, how they persevered, and how they went on to be successful. These stories are mind-boggling and inspiring. You don’t want to miss out on those.
Stay in the Event City for a day or two after
Don’t rush back home and start working hastily. Staying a day or two after the events will not cost you much. In return, you will have something much more valuable. Go to the site seeing, enjoy the city’s nightlife, and get to know their cultures. Try their traditional foods etc. Visit historical places if any. Bring back some memories with you.
It will refresh your mind. You will be able to think clearly and focus on the goals you must achieve. After being through all the hustle and monotony of the last few days, your mind deserves some calmness and serenity. Your focus will be sharper and you will be able to gather all your thoughts in one place. It will be easier for you to decide where to start working.
You will be able to experience another way of life. Your state of mind will improve. This will also help you get rid of all the stress and anxiety you have been through for the last few days.
Conclusion
The brand that changed real estate inside out, Keller Williams has always aimed to be agent friendly. They never leave their agents unguided. The monumental event kw family reunion is one of many proves that Keller Williams always will usher their agents. Just by following some key rules, you can gain so much more from this event than you could imagine.