I think we can all agree that with every career there are good and bad aspects that come with the territory of each job we do. For me, one of the "bad" aspects of being a Realtor is the rejection. I did not realize until I entered this field of work how much rejection there is and how much I would be influenced by it. These days with 87% of consumers shopping online and advertising ch anging dramatically from door to door, cold-calling and paper to online (Internet), a lot of my work is done through email and Internet advertising and Social Media such as Facebook and Localism. So when I send an email to a new client or am keeping in touch with old clients or my list of contacts, the normal thought process(expectation!) is that I will get a response back. Many times though, I do not get a reply or response. Rejection. Nothing, not even my email being returned. I guess it's no different from door to door or cold calls, say if no one answers the door or no answer on the phone and you leave message after message. Some kind of reply, even a negative reply is acknowledgment and communication and one can then formulate the next step or plan of action, ..or not. Getting a reply let's me know that my emails are 1) arriving at their destination, 2) being opened, 3) even being read. I can wish can't I??
One of the best vehicles for prospects that do not respond and for that matter, all of one's database is the theory and practice of drip campaigns. Drip campaigns , also known as email marketing, are equivalent to the monthly newsletter. It is the best vehicle for staying in front of your clients or your sphere of influence when they do not respond. The key is Staying on their radar.
Think back many moons ago (?) say 10-15 years wow, even 5 years ago, when paper advertising was the best form of advertising, before Social Media and Internet and ecorrespondence. The monthly newsletter that came in the mail, the monthly door hangers, calendar magnets, whatever it was, it was continuous and consistent. Methodical. So if and when we needed an insurance agent, oil change, Realtor, we went to our faithful pile of resources that we had been compiling ( throwing in the junk drawer) or had stuck to the refrigerator. Times have changed as we all know it and advertising has changed, and whatever avenue of advertising we choose, the end result has remained the same, to get those calls from prospective clients/leads.
I send out a weekly blog on my website, SellingBellingham.net, to all of my clients/leads/past clients/sphere of influence. I send out a Monthly market report to this same list of contacts. I have them set up on autosearches with our local MLS so that it sends listings to various clients that have communicated their wants and needs. I send out as much information as I can regarding the market and lending changes. I continue this march even when I don't get a reply because I'm confident that someone is reading my information and tracking it or at best, keeping my information on hand. They will contact me when they are ready and in need. And they will contact who first comes to mind. That Realtor who kept sending emails, that realtor who sent all the blogs, that realtor who sent us listings, that realtor who left all the phone messages. That Realtor who remained on their radar. 
And so it is this past week that I received communication from two clients. One I've been working with for 8 months and hadn't heard from in awhile. She replied to one of my monthly emails last week, and yes she is still in the market. The other client came to me as an online consumer apprx. four months ago and up to this point we had not made contact with each other. Zero. Zilch. Nada. No replies to my initial emails. No replies to my reports and no reply to my phone calls. But, he did reply today, and thus my advertising routine is reinforced.
So I will continue this campaign of ecorrespondence with blogs, photos, reports, listings, keeping in touch emails because I do get a reply......eventually.
If you are considering relocating to Bellingham or looking to sell or buy locally, feel free to contact me @ 360-303-3898 or http://sellingbellingham.net.
Or if you are interested in learning more about our company and how it can improve your business and income, feel free to contact me @ 360-303-3898
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