Albert, Cheerleading, and My Car
Some frickin smart guy with sweet hair once said, "GREAT spirits have always encountered violent OPPOSITION from mediocre MINDS" and dangit, he's right.
You want to get somewhere in this business? You want to make a splash turn into a tidal wave? THEN STOP being like everyone else, stop following the other lemmings off the cliff (which I found out the other day, they don't do....ruined my whole day). This business is about attracting people, it's about bringing people in, setting up deals from the start even before you talk to them. You gotta think man...keep moving...but stay on course. Floating like butterfly but stinging like a frickin' bee who's been pumping iron for 20 years and just found out his woman left him. I'm talking savage but sweet marketing, the essence of this business.
You want leads...I'LL GIVE YOU LEADS! But you have to do something first. You have to go over to the mirror....come on, not kidding, go over to the mirror. Now look at yourself, check out your hair, your makeup and then very calmly start out with this, "I'm a Real Estate Investor and I'm a Nut....I'm a Real Estate Investor and I'm a Nut" Say it louder people! "I'M A REAL ESTATE INVESTOR AND I'M A NUT!" Start prancing around the room, act like a monkey, bring your kids in....did they get scared? Good, you're doing everything right then. Wife calling the lawyer? Sweet, it's all coming together.
You see, as tough as it is you have to learn how to break out of your shell and make a fool out of yourself in order to go somewhere. The sooner you realize that things around don't matter, that people will always be pulling you back into "their" reality, the better. Thinking outside the box doesn't take a genius; it doesn't take years of marketing school or clown college (sometimes one in the same). What it takes is being able to do something you never were programmed to do.
You see, I was the shyest boy all my life, always picked on, always made fun of. But when I got to college, I saw a campus ad for learning to be a male cheerleader (stop laughing). I actually sat there with this stupid grin on my face, because I was thinking how cool this would be (plus where my hand would always be). I knew it would be so hard for me to yell in front of 60,000 people and make a fool out of myself, but I knew I had to do it. It was like the cheerleading god who touched my shoulder and said, "It's time, you have to go now". I spent the next five years of college 
cheering for thousands of fans, making a fool out of myself, and you know what....people started to talk to me and actually respected me. Guys loved me because I knew the hottest chic’s, girls loved me because I was in touch with my feminine side. I broke my mold, I faced my enemy and slapped it like a pimp.
So I have this car, this 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse and I was sitting around the other day, thinkin' about Tahiti dream when all of sudden it hit me. If I could really come up with something great to put on my car, some sort of ad that wouldn't cost much and would attract attention, it would be perfect. So I hooked up with a local sign firm and we developed a simple but effective vinyl lettering for the car. And I mean ALL OVER the car. It doesn't look trashy, but gets attention. Has my message, but doesn't overdo it. Plus...PLUS it's permanent advertising...done, don't have to pay for it anymore. Even if I go broke, it's still there. It's perfect, but here's the catch. I have friends, I have a girlfriend, and I have parents...all people who love me...but after they saw the car...they questioned my sanity.
You hear the quotes, you see the posters with great sayings on them, but I swear the hardest thing to do is what you think you can't do. I push the box because I know what my box is made of...my fears. So when you get out there to advertise and market your service or product....what is your box made of?
Oh yeah, the car has receive more attention and calls then most of my advertising.
And No, I can not be hired to do personal cheers for your parties.
Christian Beebe
The Solutions Kid
Just to give you an idea, it only cost about $200 bucks maybe. Just make sure it looks bright and not cheesy.
Good luck with everything!
The Solutions Kid
Many long years ago, I was trying very hard to develop a list of investors who would buy hardmoney seconds that I was creating. I only had a few lenders and at the volume of loans coming into the office I needed more. Much more.
Of course at the time I had very little money as I was finaly starting up on my own. I had rented a tiny office on Third Street near the Farmers Market, Lovely place, they killed chickens next door. Every time we had a client come in one of us had to leave, there just was not enough room.
There was a Mortgage Service Organization right down Wilshire Blvd. from my office. They had been in business a good many years and did an excellent job of servicing private investors. But when it came to producing paper they were not good.
In any case the Office Manager called me and asked me to lunch said she had something really important to discuss.
At lunch she suggested that I come to work for them and set up a Mortgage Brokerage Firm specializing in high yield second mortgages which in those days meant 10% interest with a two to three year due date. To impress me she handed me a list of the private lenders they were servicing. and attached by a clip was a duplicate list. Names, amounts, Home telephone numbers and Home Addresses. We had a lovely lunch and I picked up the check. Why you ask, well I think for all those lender leads I should pay something. I even paid the Valet for her parking. She had the big 500 Mercedes, parked right in front of my VW Beetle, the one with the other front seat out and a desk and typewriter installed. Even had a little file slot for deeds and my notary stamp.
Of course what she did not realized is that we sold all of our notes with Full Recourse. The note went bad, we as Trustee began the foreclosure and we got the property unless someone overbid the sale and of course we got the Trustees fees on each and every foreclosure. Under our Recourse agreement we did not give them back their money and interest to date until the Sale was completed. I think that paying for that lunch was paying for the best source of lender information in the world. I love advertising when it pays off.
Cheers Lucius
Niiiiice.
This is NICE!!! I mean, you did it professionally and doesn't look tacky at all. The image in my head was that you had plastered endless stickers all over your car..sideways, long ways, kind of like a collage. It was a scarey thought. I thought maybe you did lose your mind. But of course, one's mind is always worse than what it actually is. Then when I saw your car, it's done nicely. Well done......
Great Article. I am considering doing the same thing on my car, but I still can't bring myself to actually doing it... I mean, people will LOOK AT ME!!!! Heh, it is ridiculous but I think it will be a little while before I get the b*lls to do it. Oh well, off to an appointment... gonna get me a HOUSE today for TEN BUCKS! Oh yeah baby!
P.S. My wife thought I was INSANE with my CRAZY REAL ESTATE ideas... until I came home from my FIRST appointment with a SIGNED contract that brings in $400 bucks a month plus a nice payoff on the back end! That was last week, and here goes another! I don't mind looking like a fool... as long as the payoff is worth it.
iglooman
So please, please, can you post a picture of your car somewhere for us? Gotta see it,
thanks
Shelly B
Atlanta