All Forum Posts by: Michael Quarles

Hello, I am getting ready to start my first letter marketing campaign and I have picked stuff up over the years but are there any resources, books, or posters I can follow that anyone recommends to learn about the best ways to market such as where to get lists and what type of letters to try.

I know it will be unique to my market but trying to get a good refresher in before spending money on marketing.

Hi Michael

Its not a book however I was on BP Podcast 77 and 81 and talk a lot about direct mail..

Also

As an investor who buys at 65-70% of “As Is” value it is important that I only market to properties which will produce that ability.

The following is the criteria I like the most

30 Plus % of equity
5 plus years of home ownership
No corporations
No trusts unless in a high trust state
Single Family Residences
Accessed value not to exceed the area’s median home value.
Absentee out of state owners

Because this list is typically small, mainly due to the filter of out of state absentee owners, I will add this list as well.

30 Plus % of equity
5 plus years of home ownership
No corporations
No trusts unless in a high trust state
Single Family Residences
Accessed value not to exceed the area’s median home value.
50% Absentee
50% Owner Occupied

If my budget was such that I could send to all home owners then I wouldn’t care what percentage of absentees to owner occupied there are.

Once I have the list I would market to it 6 months in a row using six different mail pieces. At the end of the six months I would rerun the list and start over.

Here are the pieces I like

Month 1 - Yellow Letter in an invitation envelope

Month 2 - small text postcard either yellow or pink

Month 3 - Yellow Letter in #10 envelope

Month 4 - Large text postcard always yellow

Month 5 - Typed Letter in #10 envelope with logo on envelope

Month 6 - Zip letter

Happy House Hunting

2 Votes

Originally posted by @May Emery:

So many postcards repeat the same thing - I WILL BUY YOUR PROPERTY FAST FOR CASH AS IS

You should consider a softer approach like "Selling your house can be easier than you think". The benefits of working with you will differ based on the audience. Seniors will appreciate that they don't have to fix up their house and have strangers traipsing through, invading their privacy. Absentee Owners have different hot spots.

Good luck

May good to meet you.

Your question is exactly why you should use a variety of delivery pieces. You never know which piece will turn your prospect into a seller.

I have seen very simple and very wordy messages and frankly both work...

I tend to like the wordy for Postcards and typed letters and simple for yellow letters.

One thing I am seeing that is working lately is adding a personal touch. Family photo or you and your dog.. That said you will still want to mix it up...

Here are several that work well.

Happy House Hunting

1 Vote

These are the pieces I like and know work...

1 Vote

dup

0 Votes

Originally posted by @Austin Malone:

I am able to see where absentee owners are. I am about to start direct mailing them does anyone have any suggestions on what my letter should actually say?

Also does the letter change if you are sending mail to out of state instead of in state?

WOW. You certainly received some advice.

Not certain some of it was true however what do I know

I like two letters.

Reach out and I’ll send them to you

1 Vote

True 100% human handwritten? The response is enormous. Cost is extreme too

Font written letters less however very good. Cost isn’t bad

Naked letters less. However not bad. Cost is very low

All in all about 5% to 25% depending on letter type and list.

However you need to send postcards too

0 Votes

Originally posted by @Jimmy Deringer:

@Erik McKenna

When I first got started I used excel for accounting, excel for lead management, mile IQ for tracking mileage, and I put my crappy systems into directions that I made in Microsoft word.

Now I use quickbooks for accounting, CallText for lead management (@Michael Quarles did a pretty good job making this), hum by Verizon for tracking mileage and I still use excel here and there but I've been doing more on google sheets to give to my VA when he needs to do research or format things. For a few dollars an hour it's worth my time to implement more google sheets and use excel less since it's so easy to share documents.

When you’re starting I think the answer is. “Get really good at excel!”

Hope that helps!

Jimmy thank you... BTW the whole system of CallText is upgrading with major improvement in 2 weeks. I think you'll like the addition...

1 Vote

Originally posted by @Dylan Barnard:

@Don Konipol We are going to set up a direct mail campaign for preforeclosures. Have you been on yellow letters lately? It doesn't look like you can customize your letters much anymore...

We can/do it for you now.

0 Votes

I’m old enough and young enough to survive.

Most can’t pluck a chicken or shuck corn much less grow it.

Who has a Years water supply. ME. And guns to protect it.

And I can start fire without a match.

Just saying

0 Votes

Originally posted by @Roy Ulmer:

I am getting prepared to do my first direct mail campaign, but am looking for help/ideas on what it should say. It just seems like saying "We Buy Houses for Cash Fast - Call xxx-xxx-xxxx" is almost too basic. Is there other things that I should be including on my mailers?

Hi Roy...

The mail piece type typically will dictate the length of the message, what is included or not and whether color, branding, even pictures of your family and pet is appropriate..

Trigger words are important...

At times testimonials and the BBB logo help.

Be Careful with expressing condolences, identifying problems and lengthy titles.

Short and direct tends to out pull long and boring.

You have a couple seconds at most to present so make it count.

Happy House Hunting

2 Votes

All Forum Posts by: Michael Quarles

Michael Quarles has started 130 posts and replied 3282 times.

Post: Guidance Starting a Direct Mail Campaign

Post: Direct mail wording?

Post: Direct Mail Absentee Owners

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Post: Have you used hand written ”Yellow Letters”

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