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Pocket book getting lighter? Don’t stop marketing, increase it!

Photo courtesy of scol22

Everyday I hear it from my students that they stopped sending news letters or post cards because they couldn’t afford to send them anymore. This is absolutely the wrong time to stop sending them, that is the time to send twice as much, blog twice as much do what every you have to get your name out there.

Many agents stop advertising all together when the pocket book gets light and then just wait for that next referral that they just happen to get by accident and then they are sitting for months without any business. Don’t let this happen, when business is slow, increase your marketing.

When I got into the business in 1989, I quickly realized that the more I mailed out, the more business I got, it was a complete numbers game. So, why would you stop advertising when times got tough?

Today it is a lot easier than when I was in the business though. You have the internet and I see the same thing happen here, as agents business goes down, they get depressed and stop doing what got them business and that is their marketing, even if that marketing is FREE as it is with sites like Activerain.

Why do people stop blogging when they are depressed and have no business, increase it, have Google find you new clients even when you are asleep! If you don’t feed Google, it can’t feed you. If you are posting to your blog 3 times a week, make it 6, if posting 6 times a week, make it 12, what does it matter it isn’t costing you anymore, it is just finding you your future commission check.

No, longer do you need to spend the money on stamps, but if you ask the top producers in your office I’ll bet every one of them still sends mailers and gets tons of business from it! WHY? Because no one else is! They are branding themselves with each mailer and they are telling their clients to get daily updates to visit their blogs. They are increasing their web traffic by increasing their mailings.

I had 197 different letters I sent out during my career and every one of them increased my business, they each had a call to action, what are you doing to increase your business when your wallet is getting lighter?

197 Letters

George Paukert, "Mr. Real Estate"
Road to Wealth Inc.
Phone: 561-883-2222
E-Mail: george@roadtowealth.com

Posted by George & Arlene Paukert on 05/10/2009 07:57 PM

Comments (50)

Advertising in the Sales Strategies / Tactics Channel

mailings, direct mail, advertising, business building

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50 Comments on Pocket book getting lighter? Don’t stop marketing, increase it!

MAY

I agree we should spend on marketing. It is easy and inexpensive to use the internet.

George, thank you so much for the affirmation! Amazing in the "Techno Era" that there are still people without internet access - nor do they want it! And it would appear that I have found "them"! :)

There are months where tweaking those pennies gets a bit tougher, and I question whether to cut back or totally eliminate sections of my farm area! I listen to the statistics of how many returns for each mailing and it can get depressing, but, I argue with myself to do it just one more month...and then I do!

It's amazing to me, but just by being visible and being faithful to an area - Hmmm, being faithful to an "area", does that mean this agent will be faithful to me?

Let me tell you; people DO watch this behavior and it DOES bring them to you!

George, I agree 100%. I'm not letting up one bit. I believe if I do then the money already spent was a waste of money.

George Ditto, I agree too, not the time to save money if you want to make money.

Well said George. Back in the '90's during the slow down we did exactly what you said, we "bit the bullet" and doubled everything we were doing......it paid off massively. Funny though, this time around we were hesitant. Thinking it's different now, what with the internet in full bloom & the world wide economy effect, til we read your post. Thanks

George,

I agree, and have been increasing some of my advertising, however, I am mostly increasing the free Things such as Blogging that I can do!

George, I would like to disagree. If you're not making money, it's because your marketting isn't working right. So, don't just spend more. Do research and spend it wisely!

More marketing, what a concept... I agree but Gabe does make a great point. I have always tested, tested and when all else failed I tested.

George,

This is very good advice. We work hard to get the ball up the hill and once we get it there and the business is coming in we STOP doing what it toook to get the ball up the hill! Why?

Oh, such good advice! Thank you for this timely reminder. The universe always rewards proactive people.

You are soooo right George! Now is the time to seize the moment and take hold of the great opportunities we have in this current real estate climate.

Btw, I love how your post is formatted. What tool do you use to get it to look so neat and the font so big?

Good post. It sounds like you have a bit of experience and you must enjoy it from the tone of the post.

-Monika

As the old addage goes--You have to spend money to make it rings SO true in our current business climate! Excellent advice, George.

You are right you need to build your business by marketing more in this environment.

People say that they can't afford to market; I say that they cannot afford not to!

Do what no one else is doing usually works.

I agree. I have not stopped and I find I do more and more all the time. I also find in these little slower times I have spend more time in classes also. It motivates me.

Great advice. This is a great time to capture the market share by doing what most others have stopped doing.

I agree! I don't have a lot of money to market, but the Internet is pretty much free! Not to mention, that is where most of the buyers and sellers are these days!

Every day I market some for today and some for tomorrow. You will always have work if you work that way.

You cant pull back and get more business. However I have increased my business and I dont mail people.

You are very right. We have stepped up our marketing during the downturn and it definitely gives us exposure and credibility when taking new listings. Sellers want to know you can afford to market - without asking if you're solvent.

I cant agree more, marketing is important when business is bad and good. There are lots of ways to market without spending much money, it just takes more work.

I'm actually planning on doing a cross promotional event...

I have been ramping up the marketing... build share in a down market.

Thanks for the post. I thought about not advertising next month. But now I will go ahead with it.

Great advice! Now is the time to send the mailers etc...while the "other" Realtors are not in the business. Once it turns around then our neighbors etc will be getting slammed with mailers.

Hi George -- Timeless and sage advice. I totally agree. It is hard when profits are down 50% and reality takes over, but you are 100% correct.

I think advertising only makes sense if you can actually predict some certainty how many leads you can generate with a specific ad. If you can't do this, you are probably wasting money.

Keep yourself in front of every seller buyer and past client let them know your still out their by sending monthly news letters as George suggests. You need to do what the next guy or girl are unwilling to do success will follow

In addition to the FREE advertising on Active Rain we also benefit from affordable printers where we can get GREAT DEALS online! I love my printer!

Thank you! Keep reminding us all!

I love the fact that there's so much free and inexpensive marketing available these days and avail myself of many different opportunities brought on by the internet.

MAY

I COULD NOT AGREE MORE! TRULY!

I try very hard to Time Manage my day, so my marketing does not stop!

I still have my title company do certain searches and create lists for me to target market! Every 10 letters, yields at LEAST 2 calls! That is money VERY WELL SPENT!

Oh, and how does the "VIDEO REALTOR" TIm M, drive & type, talk on the video phone, drink coffee and market all at the same time...oh, and while being safe?? I have no idea! :) LOL

Thanks again for the REMINDER!!!!

Darin

aka; Bucky

I have to say I am very judicious with print media. I have stepped up my web marketing, much of which is free. I have been able to attract five buyer's by going green. These prospective buyer's are more informed and ready to view and purchase, as they have done their homework. Make your marketing accountable and lead with revenue!

The web is where it is at, but you still have to work in both in time and money. If you don't, someone else will.

George.. What a great post.. this is so true.. Trust me.. I know... Been there ... done that... Direct mail is a great source of business.

George, I remember when you taught me this a few years ago, I thought you were crazy! I was glad I listened, because had I not... OUCH!

A mentor once told me:

"People advertise in a good market to feed ego, and advertise in a down mark to survive!"

It all makes sense to me now.

- Harrison Painter

George: thanks for the reminder. I appreciate it and agree with you. We may not be able to spend as much as we like when times are tougher, but we should still be doing the things necessary to sustain our business. I had a really tough year last year but continued to market to my sphere. It's the only way to let people know we're still around! Thanks again.

I agree, with you George, never stop marketing. Thanks for the swift kick.....

Bettina

Great points by mailing or blogging / emailing regularly. I can't agree more with the need for "call to action" in your marketing. You have to give the potential clients something to respond to.

Great post George - I agree...now is the time to be marketing more than ever!!!

I am sure that newspapers, real estate magazines, and post card companies would agree, not to mention the Post Office which rasied the price of stamps today because fewer and fewer people mail anything. I have checks from 6 years ago because of online banking. I do post card mailing so that I can get people to my blog. I agree with some comments above that we should work smarter. So much of the internet is free or low cost, the marketing expense is in the labor. I would rather find new ways to get my message out there like www.socialmarker.com that for free allows me to get my blog to about 50 social bookmarketing sites if I want. Rather than post cards, I would rather spend money nGoogle sponsored links to find new buyers and sellers, and although the social networks like linkedin.com has groups a bit too open ended, they have been somewhat effective for getting out investment property opportunities. At some point the postcard may go the way of the abacus, just like paper newpapers. Hello Seattle!

This is a reminder for me. Thanks for the head slap....so to speak!

Patricia Aulson/Portsmouth NH Real Estate

Hi Everybody -

Just want to say thanks for all of your great comments.

Sometimes we get so busy we forget about the basics - and that is exactly what direct mail is ... one of the basics of marketing. If it didn't still work, the Internet gurus like Yanik Silver would have stopped doing it a long time ago. It just reinforces their Internet presence.

Besides, there are many people who don't have Internet access or don't know how to benefit from it. That's where direct mail kicks in and makes you stand out from the crowd.

I keep a quote from John Paul Getty on the wall next to my desk. It says ...

If you want to make Big Money, do what NOBODY else is doing!

Keep up the good marketing,

George

We must keep advertising and promoting. The internet does give us some great promo options that were not available when I started in this business over 15 years ago. Great options.

I agree with you, I am spending more money now on internet marketing than ever before, BUT I have some agents thats really have no money. And you cannot spend what you don't have. I tell them about blogging but they don't think it is worth it. So I guess they will retire some time later this year!

Hi George,

Great post! Needed a little kick to get me going in the right direction.

I have indeed INCREASED my marketing. I am also farming and sending postcards to very small, targeted developments and I AM GETTING listings from it! Why? Nobody else is.

Agents do not invest enough in education and marketing. I constantly hear that "you can't spend what you don't have". What you do have is time and your experience - if you combine the two, there a number of marketing activities that will generate business. Partnering is another option.

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