Hello everyone, I am just getting started purchasing newer homes subject to the existing mortgage. If I am focusing on newer homes should I be using a more professional looking postcard. I sent out about 400 postcards on regular teal colored paper and have only gotten two responses so far. I am not sure if it is my message, the fact that they look cheap or both.
Just so you know this is how my postcard reads:
Sell Your House in 48 Hours
-No Equity No Problem
-No Closing Cost
-No Realtor Fees
-Get Fair Market Value
-Call today so you can start packing tonight
I really appreciate any advise you guys can give me.
notice on Michaels he has instant credibility “As seen on TV” whether someone has ever seen his adds on TV or not. This also helps in linking his marketing together; branding. I’ll never forget getting a phone call and the lady on the other end said she wouldnt even consider doing business with us because we were not in the phone book, and she just wanted to let us know that she had over 100k in equity, the white pages at that. We have been there ever sence. Homeowners are looking for some sort of credibility whether its BBB, real estate group, ASOTV, testimonials, phone book, etc…
in addition to copying the set up of mike’s card you should also strongly consider if you have targeted the right MESSAGE to the right MARKET… it seems like you just picked a newer community and sent them cards and if that is the case then (2) responses is par for the course…
I would go for a more defined list, say of that 400 if you could determine who were behind or recently expired and that may narrow the list down to 100 and now you mail to them 4 times instead of mailing to 400 once… now you get several touches (this shows consistency to the property owner) and it hammers your message in their heads to where you have top-of mind consciousness…
also, i think it is to your advantage that you are a woman so i would put my photo on the card so that it becomes personable; if you have kids put a photo of you and your kids, as in many cases with newer homes if they are looking to sell a lot of times that nasty “D” word is the culprit DIVORCE… so it will be comforting for a female property owner to know that she will be talking to and/or dealing with another woman…
on a sub-conscious level all of these things come into play… before EVER mailing any marketing always spend time thinking about exactly who you are marketing to and what strategic advantages do you possess that you can present in a manner that comforts and helps your potential prospect FEEL more at ease with you…
Lastly, try using letters with creatively designed envelopes in your marketing sequence because with a letter you get to tell you story and identify your strengths much better than on a postcard, hope this helps and sorry i went a little long-winded on that one… needed to get it all out!
I just want to thank you guys for your ideas and suggestions. I am new at this. This was my first mailing. I was planning on sending out a postcard every 3 weeks. Do you think this is to frequent or not frequent enough?
Fadi in response to your question I bought a list of names in particular subdivisions that I am targeting. Like I said before I am not quite sure how often I should be contacting them.
Sorry to bug you guys but I forgot to find out if you use professional card stock or if you just use regular colored paper. I am targeting homes that are in the 110k to 180k price range. I live in Houston so 180k can buy you a pretty nice house that is why I was leaning towards having a more professional looking postcard made.
Michelle… I do a ton of direct mail and have a software system just for that… as for bying your lists stop doing that, most title companies will give them for free…
Don’t let the design of any cards sway you in any thing. Market to Message is a proven point. Some people think mailing is a form of branding. I can show where I have mailed a post card 5 times and the seller calls telling me that this is the 1st time they see it? Why? Because my message hit him where he was in that space and time.
I use the old USPS.com cards. I mail about 20,000 pieces per year. I also use greeting cards for follow up and my referral database.
But to each to its own. I have never been a fan of FLASH. I am simple. I am the KISS guy for sure. Keep IT Simple Stupid.
All my marketing is personalized. Letters, Post Cards and Greeting Cards.
Just maybe those four other postcards embedded into the sellers mind to call you… Which is what branding does… Heck I could care less that the seller can remember my company name when they don’t need me as long as the remember me when the do need me…
I congratulate you on sticking to your mail… Most people who don’t understand frequency and reach would become disgruntled and more on…
And this is also why I mail out 3 types of mail…
Professional letters - Types and in a 310 double window envelope, just like the doctors use.
May letters - Handwritten in a #10 cheap envelope
Postcards - 4x 5.5 so I can get 4 up from my printer and same money…
I have to say that Michael’s post cards are very impressive.
IMO, what you should do is engage in old-style ‘industrial espionage’. You should look at what your colleagues in the area are doing (by looking at the cards THEY send out, natch), and trying to either imitate them, or differentiate yourself from them, but do it in such a way as not to appear unprofessional.
Consulting a marketing professional is always a good idea. In fact that applies to consulting any professional when you need one.
i too am in houston and have a few additional observations regarding whom you are marketing to…
is the community you are mailing to one that has plenty of foreclosure activity; for instance in NW Houston there are several Bear Creek communities that have plenty of foreclosure activivity where you could have done the same mailing and gotten plenty of calls; the same is true for certain communities in SW Houston as well (Teal Run and in Missouri City)
personally i focus primarily on ft. bend and recently sent 50 cards and got about 7 calls and thus far have 2 homes (short sales) and 2 more that i will be signing up on monday, but the key was i matched my list with a compelling message tailor made for their situation - NO EQUITY & NEED TO SELL FAST!
In order to successful with what you mailed you need to do multiple mailings over a period of time because you don’t know their motivation so you have to wait for your marketing to match the exact timing of their need in order to realize calls that convert into deals which equals $$$$
What lists will some Title companies give you for free? Would you already or in the past have done some business with them, or just call?
Thank you in advance!