Welcome to the fall. The season of preparedness. You know, getting ready for winter. You are ready for winter, right? Do you have a full pipeline that will provide you with consistent commissions, while allowing your business to continue to grow? Bears are getting ready to hibernate, squirrels are collecting their nuts and commercial real estate professionals–well at least the productive ones–are fortifying their client relationships and filling their pipelines.

If you are finding yourself scurrying around like the aforementioned squirrel, looking for your own food supply before winter comes, here are a few tips that should help you secure clients in this last quarter of 2017.

• Identify who exactly you are going to prospect. Define this as narrow as you can. 

• Define your specific value proposition for this specific prospect pool. What are their current needs and how can you clearly demonstrate why you are the best to service these needs?

• Establish your pro-active prospecting plan for these Q4 prospects. How do you intend to share your value proposition? Will you rely on calls, letters and/or meetings? 

• Craft your supporting marketing material for your prospecting efforts. Most likely you will rely on digital efforts, but you should strongly consider physical pieces as well.

• Execute your plan. Determine frequency, cadence and prepare for objectives and prepare for when a prospect says “yes.”

In a season where most of your peers are getting ready to slow things down, your job is to hustle like no season before. There is no better time to out shine than in Q4.

Rod Santomassimo, CCIM, is founder and president of Massimo Group, LLC, New York, N.Y.