After receiving an email from an ActiveRainer mentioning that she's thinking about how to increase the number of listings in her inventory, I decided it was time to revisit direct mail marketing and share my success with this method of making the phone ring with listing calls.  I've been consistently doing direct mail marketing for decades.  I mail over 7,000 postcards once every month.  My cards have a different theme every month, but they offer the same service of "Free Market Analysis."

It's always a very simple card, easy to read with the same layout and the same font but with a different theme.  There's always an action statement, and my phone continually rings with potential listings.  I refer all of the listing calls to my team members.  During the first visit to future listing, quite often they are told by the sellers that they have been receiving my cards for years and now the time has come to take us up on our offer of a Free Market Analysis.  Well, isn't that just what I wanted???   Absolutely!!  That's the result of consistent marketing. 

The longer I consistently mail postcards, the more consistently the telephone rings.  I started many years ago with a data base of 1,000 names, then it increased to 3,000 names.  Now I mail to all of the single family homes in the entire town of Franklin, MA.  The cards are at the post office at the end of the month, and the calls begin coming in a few days later and continue throughout the next month.   There is enough business from my mailings to keep three agents busy all year.  We maintain an inventory of resale listings from 20 to 25 listings at all times.  As they sell, they are continually replaced with new inventory.

It's not free, but if you start with a database of 1,000 names, it's not financially painful.  In my opinion, it's an investment in yourself and your business.  It's more painful to sit idly waiting for business to find you.  It's up to you to make that first move and start marketing yourself to improve your business.  You need to do something to make the phone ring with listing calls and direct mail is a method that has worked successfully for decades for many service related professions.  It's a proven method to finding listings.  There are other methods of prospecting for listings, but they cannot reach the number of homes that direct mail accomplishes.

 

 


Copyright © 2013 The Kuney-Todaro Team - All Rights Reserved

LIKE Us on Facebook!
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe to Our Real Estate Listings Feed

 Visit Our Other Sites:

NewConstructionFranklinMA.com | FranklinMAHomeSales.com | FranklinMANewHomes.com

New Homes in Franklin Massachusetts
 
Post is included in group: Active Rain Newbies
Post is included in group: Most Active ActiveRain Blogging Agents
Post is included in group: RE/MAX Active Rain Bloggers
Post is included in group: Women And Their Business Hear The Roar

40 Comments on Direct Mail Marketing....It's A Numbers Game That Makes The Phone Ring

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

JUN
12
2010
1,522,345 Points 275 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Lottie....and I'm sure those folks look forward to that newsletter now....you should increase the database.....

9:47am • #22
1,522,345 Points 275 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Deborah.....I love desk calendars....I have people who ask me to send them 2 every year....one for home and one for their office....I buy the calendars with the small boxes so they can write in info....builders love them.

9:49am • #23
1 Featured Post

Three Decades?!  Geesh, you are a true marketing guru and you deserve all the success you have.  Thank you for sharing such an encouraging success story.

9:52am • #24
1,522,345 Points 275 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Akali....now you know I'm old!!!!!

9:55am • #25
989,175 Points 82 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

And there you have it!  You had a stategy and it worked, good for you.  Sounds like you share that "determination" with my Mom.

Always great to hear a success story Barbara, you have many, keep 'em coming!

10:27am • #26
1,522,345 Points 275 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

thanks, Roger.....is your mother home yet???  hope all is well.

10:32am • #27

Hi Barbara, thank you for sharing your statistics on your direct marketing plan.  Repetitive consistency seems to work well as people get familiar with your name over and over again.  They know who to go to when selling a home.  The length of time you've been doing it exhuberates experience and reliability.

10:43am • #28
109,882 Points 8 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Barbara,  Find what works and KEEP DOING IT.  Seems simple enough yet seldom happens.  I started with direct mail back in the 2004 and still do it today.  I have a large database, but cannot afford to do it every month.  So, I rotate...half one month, half the next, lather rinse repeat.  I have been doing it so long that people know to expect something every other month.

11:07am • #29
1,522,345 Points 275 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Tamara.....time period matters, for sure.....consistency makes it work.....

11:11am • #30
1,522,345 Points 275 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Jenna......that's a great track record.....and people do expect to get it consistently.....

11:12am • #31
281,205 Points 10 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Barbara,  I am a bit skeptical about jumping back into that boat just yet but I do believe the time is approaching once the foreclosure flood abates.

1:59pm • #32
1,522,345 Points 275 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Sara.....we get calls occasionally from people who are potential short sales....we set them up with an attorney who specializes in short sales and we list the property.....we have one we're closing on next month.....we have only had a few short sales.....our area has not been hit like yours.....not even a fraction of yours.

2:08pm • #33
448,711 Points 27 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Called Shot Master

Barbara - I have to agree that consistency is the key.  I have done this on a much smaller scale with postcards targeting condo complexes in my market area and could always count on it making the phone ring. 

4:34pm • #34
1,522,345 Points 275 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Donna.....yes, if you do it consistently, you can count on it making the phone ring.....so many don't understand that it doesn't happen overnight....but it will happen.

4:49pm • #35
JUN
13
2010
654,383 Points 49 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Always stick with what works. Direct mail marketing, when done right, works. I've been working on a postcard for a few condo and co-op developments. I will send them every month and will not stop. Will be interesting to see the results.

7:01am • #36
1,522,345 Points 275 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Jackie....if you do it consistently every month, it will work and your phone will ring.....good luck with it....make sure it's a direct statement and a very clean, non cluttered postcard.....less is better.

8:04am • #37
JUN
15
2010
164,593 Points Called Shot Master

Barbara, If you say it I believe it. You have given me some info before but if you sent Loreena some detailed info if you do not mind I would like a copy of the same info. Thanks Tom

11:34pm • #38
JUN
16
2010
1,522,345 Points 275 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Tom....I'll email you the same info that I emailed to Loreena....

2:32am • #39
AUG
03
2010
445,952 Points 11 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Barbara - Ditto for me, could you email me ca copy too?

10:42pm • #40
AUG
04
2010

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All


What does the graphic say?
Leave a response…


(optional)
Spam Prevention:
 
Todaro_new Rainmaker_large

Barbara Todaro "New Franklin MA Homes"

Franklin, MA

More about me…

RE/MAX Executive Realty

Address: 445 Franklin Village Drive, Franklin, Ma, 02038

Office Phone: (508) 520-9881

Cell Phone: (508) 918-9148

Email Me

The Kuney-Todaro Team is the "#1 team in Franklin's #1 office." Our expertise is in marketing new construction and resale properties. New construction is our niche and we have sold 40 subdivisions in the area of Franklin MA.


Listings

Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog