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Are You Too Busy for Follow up?... For Success?

By
Home Stager with Staged First Impressions

Here's an easy, inexpensive way to follow up with customers and future customers. We know that a hand written note is a great way to market ourselves, but sometimes we need a kick in the rear to actually do it!

Well here it is...the "handwritten" note that you can personalize, add your own images and send...WITHOUT EVEN LICKING THE STAMP.

Sendoutcard.com does the work for you, for about $1.39 each, including postage!

  • set up an account thru Stephanie Whittaker of Ancaster, Ontario. (whittaker_stephanie@yahoo.com in case link doesn't work)
  • why Stephanie? She's the most down to earth, effective telemarketer on this planet, and I want to help her.
  • decide who you want to send a card to with a personalized message, and add up to 2 color photos, one on front of card, one on the inside. (One image could be your business card, your logo...)
  • load images from your browser.
  • type in your message choosing the color, font and font size you prefer (it's on good quality cardstock too.)
  • type in the name and address of your recipient. You can set up an address book, just like email.
  • click SEND.  
  • your personalized card, complete with 2 color images, with your message goes directly to a customer, potential customer, co-worker, friend....you get the idea...EASY follow-up, "thank you" note, "remember me?", "hello.", "Happy Holidays."
  • Ok, it can be a sappy card too   :>)
                                          

Marketing Ideas--
  • Home stagers: put your "after" home staging picture on the front of the card, and the "before" staging picture on the inside. Good for saying "thank you" to a customer, and great for showing your work to Realtors or homeowners.
  • Send a thank you note after each closing, with a picture of the house on the front, and your business card image on the inside. They'll probably keep the card for the memory of their old house? And to remember you?
  • Holidays: put a family picture on the cover, message on inside. EASY.
  • Photographers: show off your work! 

Give Stephanie a shout today, and say, "Sue Argue from New Hampshire says you're the cat's meow." 
        

Staged First Impressions, NH Home Staging company.

Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
Tim, I sent one to myself in the beginning to check out the quality, and the "hand writing" freaked me out!!
Mar 14, 2007 01:34 AM
Melissa Marro
Keller Williams First Coast Realty - The Marro Team - Orange Park, FL
Jacksonville Real Estate and Home Staging

Wow, I do a LOT of handwritten cards, maybe this is something great and new for agents who have already received a bunch from me..... so it stays fresh....

Thanks for the great info!

Mar 14, 2007 02:16 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager

Thank you Melissa!

If anyone can think of any additional ideas for utilizing these cards...please post in comments.

 

Mar 14, 2007 03:42 AM
Marci Toliver
438-4642 - Mauldin, SC
Anderson SC, Spartanburg,Greenville SC, Home Staging
Sue, I love your catch phrase!  I wont argue with you!  This is a great idea!  Thanks for sharing!
Mar 14, 2007 04:11 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
Marci, whenever I say your name to myself, I can't help but use a British accent...Marci Toliver...it sounds like a princess!! Which is what you are.  :>)
Mar 14, 2007 04:13 AM
James Frazier
James Frazier Personal Development Coach - Rockford, IL

Sue I love both of your tag lines!  They are great. I have a friend down in North Carolina who has turned his name into a get connecting point which everyone remembers as a result he has become wildly successful in his business.

His name is Ben Gay...you can imagine the teasing he got as a child. Anyway, he turned it into a major positive. So now when he introduces himself he says: My name is Ben Gay..don't rub it in.  Trust me no one forgets him.

Mar 14, 2007 06:27 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager

Ha! Poor guy! My kids get teased a lot. We've heard lots of Argue jokes...do you have a good one for me James? GA HEAD, let me hear it!!!

 

Mar 14, 2007 06:34 AM
Maureen Maureen
Orangeburg, NY

 

I will definitely check out these cards. Thanks for the tip.   

 

Mar 14, 2007 08:29 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager

You're right, just smile and embrace it. My maiden name was a teaser too!

Thanks Maureen :>) 

Mar 14, 2007 08:57 AM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes

Another great idea Sue!- another marketing use for the cards at the holidays again, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's as a way of thanking clients for their business and using your staging, real estate photos instead of a family photo or use your family and say something like

Thanksgiving  -"From our Family to Yours - Thank you for your business"  or "Our Family is Thankful for you" 

Christmas - "Of all the gifts this season, the gift of your friendship is the most cherished", "Thank you for the gift of your patronage"

New Year's - "Here's to another successful year"  or "Looking forward to another great year!" "Couldn't let the New Year start without wishing you much health, happiness and success"

I think Thanksgiving and New Year's cards are great times to send something because most people don't expect it then - especially at Thanksgiving - I know I'm always happy when I get my first Christmas card! So it's a nice surprise to get the unexpected card before the onslaught of cards arrive.  And New Year's no one is expecting anything - well maybe the late arrivals of cards but to wait until like after the 1st week of the year - it would remind them of you as well.

Mar 14, 2007 10:22 AM
Ann Cummings
RE/MAX Shoreline - NH and Maine - Portsmouth, NH
Portsmouth NH Real Estate Preferrable Agent

Hi Sue - another great post!!  I like this idea, and will make sure to check out this site.  A friend of mine sent me a link to a company that does this same thing - I'll have to check and see if they're one and the same.  I send out alot of handwritten notes to people - maybe this will help me with that.

Thanks for sharing this link and for the mention in your post - very much appreciated!
Ann

Mar 14, 2007 12:46 PM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager

Karen= good ideas here, thanks for writing them out!

Ann= You're welcome for the link, that sure is a popular blog you wrote!

You can of course print your own cards, but the price of ink cartridges, envelopes, stamps...these Sendoutcards are probably cheaper! 

I shared this blog with Stephanie Whittaker today, she called from Ontario to say thank you for the mention...what a peach she is. Thank you for helping out Stephanie and for reading this post!! 

Mar 14, 2007 02:47 PM
Joan Mirantz
Homequest Real Estate - Concord, NH
Realtor, GRI, CBR, SRES - Concord New Hampshire

Sue- That really is a great way to keep connected with your clients.

I also do "off" holidays (St. Patricks) and the Anniversary of when they bought their home!

I use the site American Greetings has. They have print & e-cards and also flyers,invitations,tags etc. Loads of stuff. They also have an adress book that you can mark the dates in and it will email you a reminder.    I think it's up to $19/year but you also get  2 free memberships for friends!

An idea for a tag...

If you love to Argue.....!

Mar 14, 2007 03:30 PM
Joni Van Deventer
RoomByRoomRedesign - Midland, TX
RoomByRoomRedesign

I like the card you showed but no one here would know what the white stuff was, oh yea, a few would remember snow but not like that.  Great idea, since email no one really does the hand written note, it should be something we don't lose.  Thanks for reminding me.

Mar 14, 2007 04:24 PM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
Joni- I probably should have shown an example of a BUSINESS photo, but I'm sappy and sentimental  :>)
Mar 15, 2007 12:13 AM
Julianna Hind
eXp Realty - Tacoma, WA
REALTOR, 206-679-4768, Tacoma Federal Way, Auburn, Kent, WA
Love this idea. Would love to see them incorporate gift cards into the service! Do you know if that is available?
Mar 15, 2007 09:57 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager

Joan, I haven't checked out that site but I will. Do they send the card out with postage for you? Oh yes, and I love to ARGUE...heehee.

Julianna, I do believe they can send out gift cards. Email Stephanie at address above and she can answer all questions.

Thanks to all for reading and commenting on this blog :>) 

Sue Argue 

Mar 15, 2007 11:53 AM
Joan Mirantz
Homequest Real Estate - Concord, NH
Realtor, GRI, CBR, SRES - Concord New Hampshire

Sue..

They do send a card out for you if you wish.

I like to do my own cause you can edit them to say whatever you want and then print them yourself!

Mar 15, 2007 01:15 PM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
Hi Sue,
 
It was enjoyable speaking to you last evening, and I would like to say thanks once again.
 
I was reading some of the responses and there are gift cards or checks that can be added to the card.
I would be happy to set up a gift account and people can try sending a card to experience the value of the system themselves.
Cheers,
Stephanie

Anything you really want, you can attain, if you really go after it.
Mar 15, 2007 01:24 PM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
ANYONE INTERESTED IN TRYING SENDOUTCARDS FOR FREE, SEE ABOVE COMMENT FROM STEPHANIE.
Mar 15, 2007 01:26 PM