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The Gun or the Noose? You’re Killing Yourself

By
Real Estate Agent with Ocean Capital Lending & Ocean Capital Real Estate Services Group NMLS# 1990881 SL# 3516742

Marketing incest - why does it happen over and over again? It's like reading the classified. Ad after ad says the same thing. Nothing new, just same old junk - no new twist. It's junk mail. It hits the can faster than a kid with the flu. So why am I still getting this in my mail? And why is someone paying to have it end up in my trash?

This afternoon I received the umpteenth hundred postcard telling me that ‘this house over here sold'. I get on a lot of agent's mailing lists. I do it purposely to see what is being sent out for real estate marketing in different areas. Normally, if it doesn't get my attention in less than two seconds, it's trash. I do that purposely too. I want to see who out there is getting attention with their direct mail. If it doesn't get my attention in 2 seconds, then it's not going to get your target market's attention. Pretentious... I think not.

Here's the deal... No-one, in their right mind, waits around all day to read the mail. Nope. No-one. They grab the mail, throw out the junk, open the bills, sigh and then read the personal mail. That's it. Unless you have a pic with a naked girl in the front yard, your postcard is garbage. (no... don't put a naked girl in the front yard...bad)

Ok, so I have to tell you about this post card... See if it sounds familiar. "123 sample street... listed & sold by Johnny Dogood, making the difference in real" (apparently ran out of room for ‘estate') then underneath it is a little rambling about how he is here to help if you are looking to buy or sell real estate. No pressure, no obligation... Quick question... Isn't every real estate agent ‘here to help' if you need to buy or sell. WOW. Ok. Well here the clincher... Here's the show dog... ready... Wanna hear it... "Free market analysis." I am floored. I have got to call this guy, forget the bills, forget the letter from granny... I have to call this guy right NOW before he runs out of free market analysis offers!

Trash.

Hello. What is going on here? The worst part is that the paper that he used for the mailing is of lesser quality than that of the paper that they print the ‘missing person with an ad.' It even FEELS like junk mail. How are you going to get anyone's attention if you are fading your marketing message amongst junk mail?

Two seconds from hand to trash... What do you have to say to get in the pile of ‘important enough to read' mail?

That's the question... that's the paradox... or is it? It's your paradox. You need to take your marketing seriously. I am sure that you think you are, but if you found the postcard story all but too familiar then you are wasting the precious 2 seconds you have to get someone's attention. They may not take the postcard and frame it, but if you can just get an extra 2, 3, 5 seconds out of them, then you have gotten a message across. You have gotten your money's worth out of your advertising. Make them chuckle; make them look twice, whatever. You can spend the same amount of money and have people run into you at the local grocery store and say, "Hey, I know you... you are the one that sent that postcard. Right?"

Look, direct mail is like an internet pop-up ad. No one asks for it, it is just there. The only difference is that you have the chance to make A LOT of pop-up ads in a very small target market and you have the chance to make it count. Make them chuckle this time, make them laugh the next and before you know it people are actually stopping to read YOUR mail. The bonus, you get to have fun with it and gain a lot of market saturation. They may not be ready to buy OR sell, but they now have formed a sort of relationship with YOU. When they decide its time to move...who are they going to call? I have my bets that they won't be calling ‘Johnny Dogood.' Where are your bets?

Posted by

 

 

as seen onCheryl Carradini, MBA | Marketing Strategist |  GoSIMC

Cheryl Carradini, BSB/MKT, MBA, is a Marketing Strategist for highly successful real estate professionals. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business with a concentration in Marketing and a Master’s of Business Administration. She is currently a Ph.D. student working on her Doctor of Philosophy with a concentration in Marketing. She is a US Navy Veteran and the president and founder of GoSIMC Inc. Her marketing firm specializes in providing website & IDX solutions for busy real estate professionals that want to dominate the search engines.  She has authored several books, Internet courses, and direct marketing manuals for small businesses and real estate agents around the world.   

Quote: "If you do not have a marketing strategy in place, then all you are doing is spending money on marketing that ‘might work’. Marketing is the single most important function in your business and you CANNOT afford to use guesswork as a strategy.

 

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Comments (29)

Bryant Tutas
Tutas Towne Realty, Inc and Garden Views Realty, LLC - Winter Garden, FL
Selling Florida one home at a time

I send out a lot of postcards and have quite a bit of success with them. Jumbo, high gloss and full color with my picture on them. Really doesn't matter to much to me what they say. I just want people to flip them over and see my name and face before they throw them away. I usually use humorous cards with a a cartoon or something on the front.

You are definitely correct about the quality of the mailer. If it's not a quality looking piece don't waste your money.

Jan 05, 2007 11:32 PM
Cheryl Waller, MBA
Ocean Capital Lending & Ocean Capital Real Estate Services Group - Vero Beach, FL
Florida REALTOR® & Mortgage Loan Originator

Doug, ok.ok .5 seconds  :)

Allison, thanks for the invite. I posted it to your group.

Jan 05, 2007 11:46 PM
Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers
Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ
Haven Express @ Keller Williams Arizona Realty
Cheryl - I agree that much of the junk goes straight to the rotary file - except for the "market research" by studying what the competition is doing.  Personally, I would prefer to build an opt-in email list and stay in touch for free....
Jan 06, 2007 12:06 AM
Jim Lee, REALTOR, CRS, ABR
RE/MAX Shoreline - Portsmouth, NH
Buying or Selling? Ann & Jim are the local experts

On the flip side of your argument, you and bunches of your neighbors saw "Johnny Dogood"'s name; how many of your neighbors saw your name???

If they see "Johnny Dogood" 4 or 5 times more during the year do you think that might create some 'top of mind' awareness of who Johnny is and that he sells a lot of houses in your neighborhood???

Do you think some 40 cents apiece post cards might lead to a listing if Johnny is consistent with his mailing program???

Jan 06, 2007 12:10 AM
Chris Griffith
Downing-Frye Realty, Bonita Springs, FL - Bonita Springs, FL
Bonita Springs Listing Specialist - Agent
Mail is opened directly over the shredder, these days.  It's hard to find a marketing piece that gets taken seriously.
Jan 06, 2007 12:11 AM
Stefan Scholl
Buyer's Broker of Northern Michigan, LLC - Petoskey, MI
Northern Michigan Real Estate
Do you feel that mailers can be effective?  If so, what type of message/graphic would you suggest to hold someone's attention?
Jan 06, 2007 12:40 AM
Val Allocco
Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island - Northport, NY
HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager, for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island

Cheryl,

First of all, I love your humorous outlook - you gave me a good chuckle...a great way to start my Saturday!

What you say is so true!  I know that when I look through my mail, if I receive anything that is 'unsolicited', I give it a glance and if it doesn't 'grab' me, out it goes!

With that in mind, I am very aware of the need to use an 'attention grabber' when creating my own marketing material.  Thanks to websites such as VistaPrint that allow you to go online and create using either your own images or theirs, and the ability to work with different fonts, colors and backgrounds, it is not very difficult to produce a quality 'mailer'.  I actually enjoy coming up with unique slogans or messages and try to change the text for every mailing.  For instance, in October I used the postcard below:

I try to send out one mailing a month, just to keep my company's name in mind, and I try to tie in how the season applies to Home Staging.

Advertising is fun and allows all kinds of 'creative juices' to flow - there is no excuse for 'shoddy' work.  What that inferior mailer does announce is that the customer doesn't matter all that much - the creator is doing 'hit or miss' marketing.  A dedicated professional always goes for the 'win'!

Jan 06, 2007 12:47 AM
Jason Price
Mortgage Financial Group, Inc (NMLS 219650) - Tavares, FL
The Mortgage Rider
And your post is exactly why I do not do mailings... I consider it a waste of money.  I put the money that I could use for mailings to other, more effective uses.  I don't want my stuff to be added to the out bin.
Jan 06, 2007 12:55 AM
Craig Bartels
The Indy Realty Shop - Indianapolis, IN

I never send out image postcards. The only postcards I now send out "find out how much your home is worth at ....."  Or "hundreds of free buyer and seller reports at ......  only things that will attract a customer to my website.  It still makes me laugh when I see the "look at me, I'm the best, I sold a home, I will work for you, blah, blah, blah".  Customers don't care about that, everyone is doing that. they want a good fair trade item.  Fill out  a form, get a cma.  Fill out a form, find out the top 15 reasons why homes don't sell, or go to my website and find out the 5 easiest ways to make your home easier to sell, etc, etc.

 

 

Jan 06, 2007 12:56 AM
Robert Hammerstein -
Christie's International Real Estate - Hillsdale, NJ
Bergen County NJ Real Estate

Great Post Cheryl!  Left us all to consider what makes a good mailing or did it?  Not sure how I regard your post but then leaving one with questions really does make for a good blog doesn't it?  After reading your post, I asked my team member, (my husband), what he thinks about stepping up our mailings and he responded with "he disagrees".  Thinks it's a waste of money.  So how do we reach the masses?!  And does anyone have the ability to name just "ONE" thing that gets results?  I think not.  I think each drop in the bucket eventually fills it but I think those drops come from many, many things we do and as long as we do something and we do it consistently, we can all stay in business.  Thanks for making us all think today!

 

Lisa

Jan 06, 2007 01:20 AM
Mike Jaquish
Realty Arts - Cary, NC
919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Great post!

I do mailers, and try to offer images that get a linger or a second look.

It must be a "Sticky" piece to do that, whether it is a one-time shot, or a farm mailing.

"First Time Buyers: Can't find an agent to play ball?  I will!"

Play Ball

Jan 06, 2007 01:34 AM
Jim & Maria Hart
Brand Name Real Estate - Charleston, SC
Charleston, SC Real Estate
Great post Cheryl!  We don't do a whole lot of mailings because we haven't found them very useful in our marketing.  But I love the example you gave!
Jan 06, 2007 02:32 AM
Teri Isner
Keller Williams Realty at the Lakes - Orlando, FL
GRI, CRS, CIPS
The house in this neighborhood sold for x per sq.ft in x days at x price yours could be next.  Believe me people in the neighborhood want to know this stuff especially if the comps are going up.
Jan 06, 2007 04:22 AM
Christopher Walker
Mission Grove Realty Inc. - Hemet, CA
Local Broker and Realtor - Hemet & San Jacinto, CA

Cheryl: Great info and a great reminder to all of us. Any suggestions out there for postcards "that work"? The one thing that I do like about postcards is the ability to make an instant impression. Better be something they will remember in the time it takes from hand to trash, I agree. Direct, unsolicited letters that must be opened and read are not something that I would recommend. Hand to trash and rarely opened.

Thanks Cheryl!

Jan 06, 2007 05:15 AM
Allison Stewart
St.Cloud Homes - Saint Cloud, FL
St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
Blog On Cheryl!  I love it when people shake things up and think outsode of the box!!! Bravo!
Jan 06, 2007 07:19 AM
Allison Stewart
St.Cloud Homes - Saint Cloud, FL
St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
For Doug!  I drive a 63 Convertible-it was the best investment to attract attention ever! I am known all over St. Cloud, Florida for it!  It pays to be different
Jan 06, 2007 07:21 AM
Dawn Shaffer Life is good!
Battle Ground, WA

Rock on, Cheryl!

I totally agree: Junk mail gets about half a second before it slides into the trash, so you'd better KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).

If you're face to face, you've got no more than 20 seconds before you've lost people's attention, whether it's buyers, sellers, or real estate professionals. In this world we are bombarded and don't have time for the white noise of life.

 

Jan 06, 2007 08:36 AM
Jeff Belonger
Social Media - Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc - Cherry Hill, NJ
The FHA Expert - FHA Loans - FHA mortgages - USDA loans - VA Loans

Cheryl....  great post.....  I it can go either way with mailers though. Look at what Mike wrote.... he is so correct when it comes to mailers.... a "sticky" piece is so important.  Mike, thanks for sharing.......

A gain, Cheryl, very good post.

Jan 07, 2007 01:35 AM
Mark Flanders
Consulting - Silverdale, WA
Good post Cheryl and good timing. I notice you practice what you preach, and yes that means you had me chuckling and I will remember your name!
Jan 07, 2007 02:08 PM
Ann Cummings
RE/MAX Shoreline - NH and Maine - Portsmouth, NH
Portsmouth NH Real Estate Preferrable Agent

Cheryl - CONGRATS on the mention in this week's "week in review"!  Great thought-provoking post on mailings.  I use both postcards and letters, the letters go to those with whom I've worked in the past and I know those get opened because of the feedback I get.  I know the postcards I use also work as I get a nice amount of business from them.  Do they work with everyone all the time?  Most assuredly not, but they work enough and bring me enough business that I will continue.  I use postcards that catch people's attention, and use humor often, too.  I took several marketing courses and know that I had few precious seconds to catch someone's attention, and work hard to do just that.

Thanks for a great post!
Ann

Jan 13, 2007 12:12 AM