The Value of Prospecting with a Monthly Newsletter-The Best Tool of All!

Hello!

I thought it might be helpful to share some of my experiences with a monthly Newsletter targeted at a specific neighborhood. This tool has been the most effective for me in obtaining new listings and referral buyers from home owners. A monthly or quarterly newsletter with just a few photgraphs and the history of houses listed, sold, and pending is good cocktail conversation or bathroom reading but that's about all.

We have one Realtor who has built the most amazing e-mail address list in the Hilton Head area and he is extremely informative but he has few listings. The reason why he is so ineffective is he is thought of as a consultant not someone who is interested in listings. He never never never asks for the order.

Let me make my point. When I worked for a large corporation you were never allowed to use the word "I"-every success had to be explained in the terms of "we"-everyone worked in teams and individuals on the surface were never allowed to take personal credit. Potenital buyers and sellers in real estate want to know how and what you think. They want you to be the expert on real estate in their neighborhood. They want you to be the specialist that can guide them and they want facts. You need to pick an interesting subject every month, send the newsletter about the same time every month, and you will see quick results.

Your Newsletter needs to be the major selling tool to "sell you" - don't be shy to tell people what your goals, objectives, and successes have been in their neighborhood. Use the word "I" over and over and over. Let them know if you rank high, how hard you work, show them properties "you" have sold. Even if you were the listing agent on a transaction and another Realtor was the buyer's representative, there is nothing wrong with showing a photograph of the home and the caption reads " Listed and Marketed by George Cobb".

People like to be associated with winners and every Realtor is first or best in something! Find it and tell the world about it. Every Newsletter needs to have State of the nation but not too long. A newsletter should have a number of short paragraphs and written in a "run spot run" context. You need to be the mentor for the neighborhood-let them know you care about making things better-stay away from controversey.

Newsletter are epensive to mail so be careful about your audience-who are your customers and why. Don't waste mailings to a mass home farmland neighborhood if you specialize in luxury waterfront properties.

We are successful with our mailings and if anybody would like a copy just e-mail me.