All Forum Posts by: Claire Trammell

@Lawrence Sudweekshas a great point! By looking at the response rates as opposed to the cost per piece, the money spent becomes less of an issue. The potential  should be the drive behind mailing direct.

Also, don't forget about follow ups. A single mailing to a list may not be enough. Sometimes it take 2, 3, or even 4 mailings before you receive a call. Not because your creating motivation with your mail, but because the potential seller may not be interested in selling when you send the first round, but in round 3 their situation may have changed and they are motivated now. This, as well as some may take some time to realize you are an actual person interested in their property.

An effective campaign will set you apart. Switching up what mail piece you send out will help you stand out to different types of sellers. While a postcard may appeal to one person, a letter may appeal to another, or a zip letter to another, etc. Keep this in mind as you explore more.

There is a campaign that Michael Quarles suggests that he uses himself as well as has his students use that utilizes 6 different marketing pieces in a 6 month campaign. He talks about it in quite a few of his podcasts. Definitely worth a look!

Oh no! Bummer when that stuff happens!

There are two options I would suggest:

1) Send out the same letter, with the correct phone number, with an addition of "Oops! I gave you the wrong phone number! Call me here!"

or 2) Send out a completely new mail piece with the correct phone number, as if it is someone else mailing to the potential sellers.

Either way I would send them out right away so that you don't lose a whole month of calls.

Hello @Neil J.!

There are a lot of different marketing strategies out there, and direct mail is a great one. I see that you have looked into the yellow letter mailings which typically brings in a good response rate. We've seen an average response rate around 9% with yellow letters. While that seems like a high percentage, it does include the angry callers, curious callers, tire-kickers, and quality calls all mixed together. But don't let the mixed response rate deter you! Not only is the practice a good thing, but in some cases you can use the mixed calls to start building a relationship and start guiding the conversations towards a deal.

500 letters to absentee owners is a good start! 

I'd say you are on the right track, but don't underestimate the power of a follow up mailings. Sometimes it takes 2, 3, 4, or even 5 mailings before someone responds. Also, think about sending a letter next. Switching up your mail piece is a good way to have your message read each time. If you send the same postcard or a similar postcard again and again, the seller will begin to recognize it and there is a higher chance they will toss it.

Again, you are on the right track for sure! Keep on keepin' on!

This is a great success story for your first mailing! Absolutely inspiring!

I agree with @Chris Boyd, hard work definitely pays off!

Well done and congratulations! 

I listen to the podcasts all the time. I particularly liked Podcast 74 and 77. 

Podcast 74: https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/06/1...

Podcast 77: https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/07/0...

Another idea to do between now and when the pone starts ringing is to look into some scripts. To get some basic questions to ask the potential sellers. And if you practice what you might say or ask it'll become second nature to you when you have a seller on the line.

Congrats on taking the plunge @Justin Fussell!!

I hear that a little bit of fear is a good thing. Check out some of the podcasts here in BP. I've listened to multiple that have great advice about what to say on the phone when people start calling and even what to do in the next steps.

Good luck!! 

Sure! I do work for YellowLetters.com which is a source of direct mail marketing. One of the best ways to get started with direct mail is to compile a list of names and addresses you are interested in mailing to. By determining who you want to target you can then determine which marketing piece is appropriate and what message you would like to send.

For example, if you are sending to search for potential sellers then a short and sweet letter or postcard would suffice for the first round. As opposed to a message to those around you where you already purchased a property might be appropriate to have a lengthier message.

There are a lot of options when it comes to direct mail marketing.

Welcome @Jackie Thomas! Glad to have you in the BP Community!

Welcome @Keith Tate!

Glad you took the plunge into the BP Community!