Yikes! Check out this yellow letter response...

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Yikes! Check out this yellow letter response...

Brandon Sheffield
Real Estate Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2013 · 4 posts · 0 votes

So I sent out a bunch of yellow letters last week and I wanted to share one of my responses I got sent to my email address...


General Information

What a creep. You think old people are stupid enough to be tempted by handwritten notes with no last name, "Brandon"? Or that their relatives (hi, me) don't know how to reverse search phone numbers and find your equally sketchy website?

You contact my relative again and we will contact the attorney general and kelo.

Cheers!

I don't think she was very happy with my hand written letter. However, I do think that if she contacted the attorney general and Kelo (news team in our area) that it could have been some good advertising for me!

Maybe I shouldn't have bothered, but I replied to her with an apology and told her that her relative wouldn't receive any more letters from me. I wonder what's going to happen if another investor in our area sends her a letter? After all, the address came straight off the inheartance list!

Does anybody else have any negative responces to yellow letters that they would like to share? Over the years of being married with children, my skin is thick enough that this won't change my technique! :)

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Jerry PuckettPro Member
Wholesaler · Fort Worth, TX · Member since 2010 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
13y
Originally posted by Robert Steele:
But man, ya gotta get better at targeting.

Ah, and there's the rub. Lots of different indicators, but unfortunately, no magic wand to wave over my list to highlight only the people that NEED to sell.

4Reply
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  • Ryan Watson
    New to Real Estate · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2013 · 170 posts · 23 votes
    13y

    Good stories. I'm considering sending an REI in my neighborhood a yellow letter for kicks. Asking how much they want to sell for. The property is turning into a rat hole.

    0Reply
  • Jerry PuckettPro Member
    Wholesaler · Fort Worth, TX · Member since 2010 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    13y
    Originally posted by Robert Steele:
    But man, ya gotta get better at targeting.

    Ah, and there's the rub. Lots of different indicators, but unfortunately, no magic wand to wave over my list to highlight only the people that NEED to sell.

    4Reply
  • Andy M.
    Investor · Farmington, UT · Member since 2011 · 314 posts · 179 votes
    13y

    Lol, Amen Jerry.

    1Reply
  • Michael Quarles
    Flipper/Rehabber · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    13y

    There are a ton of threads about bad calls but what about the great ones.

    Heck. When a customer calls to say that they just landed a 240k profit deal I'm a little pissed off.

    My best day only been about 140k.

    Ill take the crap to get the gold.

    3Reply
  • James Hiddle
    Altus, OK · Member since 2008 · 2k+ posts · 690 votes
    13y
    Originally posted by Robert Steele:
    But man, ya gotta get better at targeting.

    Yeah like I have a crystal ball that tells me that the 1000 people on the list I got at listsource tells me the ones that are really distressed.

    Direct mail is like craps. You have to keep rolling even if you roll snake eyes until you get that luck winning roll.

    2Reply
  • George P.
    Real Estate Investor · Baltimore, MD · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 268 votes
    13y

    The key is not to take it personally.
    Say "F- it" and move on.

    2Reply
  • Billy Hills
    martinsvile, VA · Member since 2013 · 90 posts · 16 votes
    12y

    sorry I do not remember the name of the person who said a bad name in your profession will get out faster then a good one.

    But after everything I heard about trade mark I am surpised they even sent a letter back...

    0Reply
  • Stephen S.
    Wholesaler · Holiday, FL · Member since 2013 · 571 posts · 221 votes
    12y
    Or maybe you can post the name and address here and then we can all contact them? That might be fun. <g>

    stephen
    ------------

    Originally posted by Brandon Sheffield:
    So I sent out a bunch of yellow letters last week and I wanted to share one of my responses I got sent to my email address... [quote] [b]General Information [/b]
    What a creep. You think old people are stupid enough to be tempted by handwritten notes with no last name, "Brandon"? Or that their relatives (hi, me) don't know how to reverse search phone numbers and find your equally sketchy website?

    You contact my relative again and we will contact the attorney general and kelo.

    Cheers! [/quote]

    I don't think she was very happy with my hand written letter. However, I do think that if she contacted the attorney general and Kelo (news team in our area) that it could have been some good advertising for me!

    Maybe I shouldn't have bothered, but I replied to her with an apology and told her that her relative wouldn't receive any more letters from me. I wonder what's going to happen if another investor in our area sends her a letter? After all, the address came straight off the inheartance list!

    Does anybody else have any negative responces to yellow letters that they would like to share? Over the years of being married with children, my skin is thick enough that this won't change my technique! :)

    0Reply
  • Stephen S.
    Wholesaler · Holiday, FL · Member since 2013 · 571 posts · 221 votes
    12y
    I get the solicitations to purchase fairly often but the senders are all impossibly lazy. I offer to give them the property outright - but they want me to do all the leg work besides. They literally won't lift a finger. <g>

    stephen
    ------------

    0Reply
  • Steve Babiak
    Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
    12y

    @Stephen S.

    @Stephen S. - try this link:

    http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/87/topics/75756-angry-seller-calls

    0Reply
  • Michael Quarles
    Flipper/Rehabber · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    12y

    that link has move Steve. Here it is.

    http://yellowlettermail.homestead.com/Angry_2.mp3

    1Reply
  • Steve Babiak
    Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
    12y

    @Michael Quarles - better to fix it / update it in the original thread, so that anybody following that thread will be notified. Plus other may have linked to that thread already as well.

    0Reply
  • Clayton P.
    Landlord, Wholesaler and Agent · Newton, NJ · Member since 2013 · 97 posts · 46 votes
    12y

    small bump

    This just came over through two text messages about a minute apart haha

    Hi clayton my house will never go into foreclosure. I like the way u filled in my name. Lol.

    You and your partner are scammers. Is this how you meet women? Lol. Answer me or you will be reported. Lol

    I like the passive-aggressive Lol'ing. Did me a favor though, time to see how to make my handwritten personalizing blend better onto my printed letters :)

    0Reply
  • Darrell Shepherd
    Rehabber · Smyrna, GA · Member since 2013 · 864 posts · 510 votes
    12y

    I've gotten a few fun ones. One of the most vicious ones was a guy that called about a house I was selling in his neighborhood for a little above market (which I get regularly because I make 'em nice). "How DARE you ask that much for that house" then went into a tirade you wouldn't believe. Think I sold that thing in 3 weeks or so for pretty close to full asking price, too. I still have no idea what his beef was, but I think he was more vicious than any of the calls from mailouts to sellers.

    I used to do lumpy mail to foreclosures and got some interesting responses to that stuff. Just part of the game. I usually calm them down by killing them with kindness, then still ask them what they are doing about their situation. Any call is an opportunity. Most common thing there is "how'd you get my info?" Did get a few threats and such, but that's usually them just venting out the stress of their situation. We aren't doing anything wrong, so I pretty much just ignore the bitterness and end with an "OK, well let me know if I can help in any way, I've been in the business 14 years, feel free to keep my info if you have any real estate related questions down the road. I'm happy to help if I can whether we do business or not" (by the way, I mean that). I've gotten referrals from people I just gave advice to when they called.

    I do keep a database of the people that ask to not be mailed anymore, though.


    0Reply
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