Postcards
Intersested in seeing or hearing about others marketing postcards. I use a double sided single color postcard I print myself. I have had good success with it but I would like to try designs that others have found success with. I am getting about 1-2% response rate
Blessings
Brian
What kind of numbers areyou receiving from your cold calling?
Bri
1 signed deal for every 14 live calls. These are calls to active sellers and landlords.
Interesting what is your market / tired lanloard preforeclosure?
Bri
Getting back to postcards... Although I too think cold calling is a great resource..
We image brand everything.. And I am not referring to our image but what we say... Kind of confusing..
From our build boards Newspaper display ads, our TV commercials to our postcards they all have the same look... I want people to say "I see you all over town"
We use a 3-color postcard of various sizes.
What size post cards are you using? Small size or the larger size. Are you doing followup on the post cards?Maverickstar
we use 4x6 6x9 and 9x13 depending on which mailing it is.
So far I have used 4x6 cards for all of my mailings...5 cards to each list all the same card some have responded to each mailing from 1st to 5th
Brian
Good People - As opposed to mailings, what would be your definitions of cold calling techniques? Any examples?
Thanks
Tricky
Cold Home owners
Hi this is ___________________ with _______________________ we are looking for 2 and 3 bedroom homes in your area and I was wondering who do you know who is planning on moving? (No one) (Great)
Absentee Owners
Hi this is ___________________ with _______________________ I noticed that you have some rentals… and I was wondering…were you planning on selling any…or were you wanting to invest in additional units? (No/yes) (Great)
Pre-Foreclosures
Hi this is ___________________ with _______________________ As you are probably aware your house has come up on our computers as a pre-foreclosure…and I was calling… to offer you our help… to figure out all of the confusing paperwork. You do know… time is not on your side… don’t you? (No/yes) (Great)
There are entire scripts on this stuff but these should get you through..
Remember only let the telephone ring 3 times before you call another number...
When calling cold get your lists from the title companies, they supply them for free.
Just ask them for a farm with address, name and telephone number.
And set a time of day that you call… When I first started I would call between 9 and 11am and could stop early if I made an appointment.
Good Luck
[addsig]
hardtime- That would certainly seem to be a warm if not "HOT" call. What is your closure rate from this stategy on average?
Thanx
Tricky
If I may answer hards question...
you should get an appointment for 1 out of 20 expireds, FSBO and Foreclosure...
Cold 1 out of 100..
Now the difference is that the cold may not be talking to someone else where as the Expired , FSBO and foreclosure everyone is contacting them...
The Absentee owners if called from the newspaper you should get 1-10
_________________
Michael Quarles
"Marketing is the key to Successful Investing"[ Edited by IBuyHousesInc on Date 11/18/2005 ]
Okay, Okay.. ) Point taken..
As I systematize I will, I am sure, outsource all of my advertising with exception of message content. I do concur that making your own can never look as nice as glossed offset printed cards but in the begining I really liked watching tv at the end of the night and addressing my own cards. I guess it became a habit and I just do it now. As this venture takes over or surpasses my Govt salary(hopefully by spring)I am sure that focuses will change, it will become more of a job, and I will do only the things in my lane.
In regard to message I agree benefits are of primary concern. creating image and self promoting can follow.
Blessings
Bri
We are predators... however Isn’t it like hunting with a permit.
We didn’t put them in foreclosure we saved some of their equity... If the news really wanted a story they should talk about the foreclosure laws and unfair lending practice.
Any news cast that wants to debate who is wrong in the preforeclosure purchase market just give me a call.
As investors we don’t have the big business lobbyist to protect us...
So here is the option of the seller let Bank of *merica foreclose and sell at the door steps legally and give nothing t the owner or let the investor give something better than nothing to the seller and buy the house...
As investors we should not be afraid or feel bad for what we do. We offer a service to those whose only option is nothing.
Not so bad publicity. When it gets to Fox News we will see it "Fair and Balanced".[ Edited by theREIkid on Date 11/15/2005 ]
Since when has the media shown how things really are? If you wanna get into it, then ALL of the news is BS, watching the news and reading newspapers will not put any extra money in your pocket, so save your money and energy....and read some good books instead.
And hard... the problem with reading too many books is that you no longer have your own opinion but one that youve read...
Once youve done more than a handfull of deals come back and help others...
We all look forward to that day...
these stupid and illegal bandit signs are the ugliest, lamest form of advertising...your advice to ignore zoning officials phone calls is ridiculous. I hope they track you down and fine you.
.[ Edited by harddtime on Date 11/16/2005 ]
harddtime.. I just figured out why you haven’t made a ton of money.... Your math is horrible...
You wrote:
With the bandit signs, we seem to get 1 deal per 500 signs up, we put up avg of 100 signs a week,
that’s 10+ deals and you just said you only have done 4.... Did I miss something?
i personally like the post lol.
Had a queston though. how much does it cost you to put up all those signs. where do you buy them what do they say and where do you hang them?
Thinking I might do the same, but for loans.
o yea what is a telescopic ladder?[ Edited by loandudefromsac on Date 11/16/2005 ]
Okay I assumed that their other post that said what they did in their first year full time was a 12 month period.
My Mistake... Heck I make mistakes all of the time...
How many calls a month do you receive from your bandit signs?
we average like 3-4 a day, most are unmotivated
is this a double post i thought this guy already posted the same thing. If he did a search he wouldve seen that this topic has been covered a thousand times. So its hardly new "marketing advice". Your other post had some decent information but this one should just be deleted.
No offense, i use bandit signs heavily but they are starting to lose there effect with all these other people putting them up carelessly everywhere. You dont come off as very profesional when your only form of marketing is bandit signs and gloat about how many of them you put up. If you made 100k on a deal then go buy some billboards and radio time to go along with bandits. Dont overdo it or you will ruin it for a lot of people who are more carefull and strategic about where they put there signs.
hardtime, I appreciate your posts. They are from personal experience, you are new to the game, you have a plan that anyone could follow, and you are not trying to sell us anything. You have the ability to inspire many new investors so please keep it up.
Here is someone who is enthusiastic and actually doing it. Maybe not doing it "your way", but they are in real estate investing full time and making a living. I belong to two real estate investment clubs and out of 800+ members maybe only 50 have ever done a deal and maybe only 5 are full time. So you two old timers who are suggesting that new investors spent multiple thousands of dollars on marketing per month buying billboards and TV commercials are out of touch with new investors and what it takes to get the average new investor starting in the business.
Brenda...
I love it when you argue my point... 5 people in 800 are full time because the others do not know how to or what it takes to be successful in REI... And its more than bandit signs and pointless conversation..
One of the largest problems in our industry is everyone says their an investor... I am sure the 800 members of your REI group do...
Then these people who know little or nothing buy the wrong property for the wrong price and loose their investment or give up because the minimum wage job they just bought for themselves isn’t worth their time...
Our industry doesn’t need more "everyone can do it speeches" Because everyone cant... If you do not have a system in place for every aspect of this business than you will fail..
You and I have spoke and you told me all you wanted was a marketing plan... Well Hard something has one for you... But mine will out produce his all day long , nights too...
And hard something, I have 25 Billboards up they range in price from 400.00 to the most expensive is 2500.00 per month... And I would gladly pay 8k a month if a board produced.
My Newspaper display ads, Classified ads, TV commercials, Informercials, Billboards, charity and Mail campaigns will produce a 130 deals this year.... And put over 2 million NET in my bank account.
So hard something don’t tell me you know what your doing because you have no idea...
My Buyers all will all earn over 150,000 this year. And at the same time get an education that is invaluable... Its called a mentoring program for a reason… Go find one…
And Zin you’re still my Hero...
Michael Quarles "Marketing is the Key to Successful Investing"
[ Edited by IBuyHousesInc on Date 11/18/2005 ]
Actually, scratch that, i gotta drive some redemptions......but "ill be back"
Wow......a mature response, with no hint of sarcasm, no condesending tone, and no wise ass remarks......i feel obligated to take back everything immature i said in this thread, and hell, i even appoligize publicly for being immature and everything for everything else offending that i said.
I agree with everything that you said about about fear, raising your bar of success and the rest, and thank you for the congradulations, i appreciate it.