All Forum Posts by: Justin Silverio

What are you currently sending now?  

@Devin Mann it sounds like you are looking for a solution to print out your own envelopes?  If so, you can use MS Word and a printer that will handle envelopes to do this.  Usually you have to load the envelopes on the smaller tray but it still works.

Using excel is easy and will prevent you from losing focus.  When you get a CRM, you have to play with it, figure it out and customize it somewhat.  All time that is wasted if you aren't sending a lot of mail.  Just my 2 cents.  

@Ken Betza - are you starting out with direct mail/REI? If so, I wouldn't get caught up in all the different systems, softwares, etc. that other people are using. When I started I was using excel and was able to track everything really well. It wasn't until I really ramped up my marketing efforts that I needed a CRM platform to ensure that all of my leads were being tended to.

While a website isn't necessary when starting out, I hired consultants off upwork and had them design my websites using wordpress.  I've also heard great things about Investor Carrot.

Regarding DM companies, I can't mention who I'd recommend but as you mentioned, selecting a company that offers unique mailers so you stand out from the competition is important.  This is one of the best ways to gain a competitive advantage and increase your response rates.

85%-90% of my deals come from direct mail.  I don't use yellow letters, rather high quality mailers that get noticed.

That's a great attitude to have and a very smart one as well.  You'll learn a lot from partnering with an experienced investor.  Just make sure they have a good reputation and are well known. 

90% of my deals come from my direct mail.  The other 10% are a mix of other sources (RE agents, internet, network, etc.)

@Chris Greene I'm a big advocate of direct mail.  I get about 90% of my deals this way and the spreads are much better than my other sources.  The big factors in an effective mailing campaign are: 

1) A quality list (the more difficult the list is to get, generally the better it is), 

2) A quality, unique mail piece that gets noticed (lots of competition so you don't want to blend with everyone else) 

3) Consistency (keep mailing to your prospects.  The rule of thumb is 5-7 touches, although I keep mailing until they tell me to take them off my list or they sell their house)

4) Follow up, follow up, follow up (if they call but the numbers are right for them then, keep following up.  This is were a lot of great deals can be found)

@Account Closed  Excellent question and one that more investors should ask.  I believe in using a quality mail piece rather than a cheap one.  Why?  Because if done correctly, you will get higher response rates.  In addition to the human handwriting vs. computer generated handwriting, take a look at the envelope style, the letter quality, the content on the letter, etc.  The key is that you want to stand out from your competition.  To do this, you'll need to send unique mailers.  Many investors don't take a step back to think about this so I commend you for doing that only after 1 round of mailers.

Good Luck!

@William Metts I am a big proponent of DFD and tax lien leads. Listsource definitely fills a space in the direct mail game, however, when starting out I believe you will get the best ROI from the lists that I mentioned.

Also, I agree with Claire.  If your looking to spend $4k on direct mail, then your monthly spend should be about $666 so you can market over a 6 month period.  

Good Luck!