Monday, October 7, 2024

Your Bottom Line Depends On It

by Julie Escobar

An agent’s ability to earn consistently and continuously earn referrals is in direct proportion to their willingness and ability to stay top of mind with their sphere and farm.

Consistency. Since the beginning of real estate there have been agents that send one or two massive mailings and when they unsurprisingly get no results, stop marketing.  Many others take the “holiday” approach to staying in touch by sending an annual holiday card in the hopes that they are remembered. Both of these approaches are a waste of time, energy and valuable marketing dollars.

To stay ahead of the curve, you should be in contact with your sphere of influence at least every 30-45 days. Using the popularlisting-inventory send-call-see approach (part of our free BusinessBASETM), you can easily set up a system for contacting your VIPs each month. Send a postcard, letter, newsletter, flyer, novelty or note one month.  Many of our customers find the Listing Inventory Series, Content Cards, and Market Dominator among their favorites.

One other series that is growing in popularity is one of this month’s Master Marketing Schedule tip which are our Call to Action Postcards which include powerful direct response offers call to actionthat help make your phone ring!

Once you’ve gotten in the habit of “touching” your sphere and farm once a month, be sure to deploy the call part of send-call-see.

Call with a friendly event reminder, helpful hint, or just to say hello the following month. During the third month, arrange to see them via a networking event, social gathering or quick in-person visit (with notice, of course) where you drop off a small token, informational item or card. Then start the “rotation” over again. Such consistency creates vital ‘top-of-mind’ awareness that often becomes “the key to the kingdom” when growing your referral base and creating a reliable income.

If you’re not sure where to start, our popular Master Marketing Schedule shares monthly Action Items that agents tell us help them stay consistently on track.

SEND-CALL-SEE.  Be the resource they need and want in a time where consumers have LOTS of questions regarding the value of their property, their buying power, investment opportunities, and what’s happening in their market.  You’re not bothering people – you’re providing a SERVICE.

What can you SEND?

What can you SAY when you CALL?

  • Hi.  I have buyers, the Smiths (insert real names!), that are looking for a home in the _____________ neighborhood, and I wanted to know if you’ve ever thought about selling your home or know someone who is so I can help this nice family find what they are looking for?
  • Hi!  Just checking in on you! We’ve got a lot of activity in our market, and I thought you might have some questions—do you?
  • Is there anything I can do to help you?
  • I’m expanding my business and I could use your help…
  • Have you thought about selling your house now or in the near future?
  • Have you been receiving my information?  Any questions?

What do you do when you SEE them? 

  • Create opportunities for appointments
  • Take someone to lunch
  • Attend a neighborhood block party
  • Organize a charity drive in the community
  • Sponsor a free workshop and invite everyone to attend
  • Get out there and be visible in the community you’re servicing
  • Walk your farm and start making friends

Working ON your business requires dedication and a commitment to the activities that earn you top dollar and allow you to “feed” the career you’re building. Never lose sight of the fact that prospecting, presenting and closing should always be at the top of your list.

Visit http://www.prospectsplus.com/ to get your FREE copy of our BusinessBASETM (Plus learn the 250 people who should be in your SOI), and be sure to bookmark our Master Marketing ScheduleTM .

Go for it. Remember that we’re here if you need anything. Contact our team today at 866.405.3638. 

For the Next Master Marketing Magazine

by Julie EscobarMasket-Marketing-Magazine-3D (1)

Calling all ProspectsPLUS! Customers!  We’re thrilled to be currently compiling new content for the fifth edition of the Master Marketing Magazine.  We are interested in interviewing five to seven of you to be featured as contributors to share your experience as real estate marketers.  Our magazine goes out to approximately 40,000+ agents and brokers across North America, offering the potential for referrals and exposure.

We are interested in interviewing agents who are…

Any of those things sound like you?  Then reach out to me today for an interview! All chosen contributors will be featured in the January magazine and will receive:

  • $100 ProspectsPLUS.com gift card
  • 10 Magazines to use in your marketing
  • A chance to be featured alongside some of the best coaches and minds in the business
  • Referral opportunities across North America

If you’d like to read the last edition — Experts and Insights online, visit here.  If you’d like to be considered for one of the limited contributor spots, connect with me via email and let’s set a time!

Need more assistance?  Contact our team at 866-405-3638 or visit us online at www.prospectsplus.com. 

Happy man enjoying the rain of money

Why So Many Agents Choose SupportPLUS! Memberships

by Julie Escobar

There’s a lot to be said for those agents who weigh out all their options and look for ways to get the most marketing for their money. We respect that and certainly want to help agents stretch their marketing dollars as far as possible, while providing the kind of tools that we know will reap them results each and every month.

That’s why we do all that we can to deliver powerful opportunities to the agents who have made the choice SaveDownPayment_thumb (1)to be in our exclusive SupportPLUS! Membership program.  Here’s what you may not know:  ALL members of our ProspectsPLUS.com site have access to dollar saving promo codes and a chance to see what’s new each month on our Specials Page.  Our standard savings codes usually will save agents roughly 10% on their orders.

Our SupportPLUS! Membership takes that a few steps further.  For just $99 per year your benefits would be:

  • 17% OFF! NO ONE gets a better deal or deeper discounts on products, services or tools than our SupportPLUS! Members. They are higher than ANY OTHER offer on our site month after month (think 17% off products rather than the standard 10%).
  • Free PDFs each month of every piece on our site! Valued at $19.95 each, you can choose from hundreds of marketing pieces that are easily customized and saved to your personal files as a PDF for you to print or use whenever you like! They make excellent calls to action, downloads on your site, or collateral at your open houses.cc 6 big
  • A Special VIP customer service line. Your satisfaction is our top priority. That’s why you’ll have access to our VIP service line to ensure that your questions get answered quickly and to help make your job so much easier!
  • No limits – our new site offers far more than postcards and flyers – you have access to direct mail solutionsbusiness cardsstationerynewslettersmarket dominatorsdoor hangersbrochures and so much more!
  • List Assistance. One of the biggest challenges for today’s agents are getting the right LISTS to mail mailing listand market to. Our exclusive MapMyMail product is perfect for helping you find the right marketing list for your business.  Our staff can help you manage your lists, purchase a specialty list or give you advice on how to build the perfect database foundation for growing your business.
  • Access to new pieces as soon as they come online!  We add 6-8 new marketing tools EACH MONTH. So far this year, we’ve added over SEVENTY new pieces! You’ll have access to all of them and have the ability to download any at no cost with your membership!

If you’re ready to make your marketing dollar go farther, join the top agents who are SupportPLUS!  Members for just $99 per year. Click Here to join this club or call our team today at 866.405.3638!

 

Real Estate Thank You Cards

Starts with a Little Appreciation

By Julie Escobar

People say a little appreciation goes a long way and they wouldn’t be wrong.  We know from massive research where business really comes from, and it’s not from where most business people think. Statistics show that 66% of all the business generated by 95% of successful professionals today comes from only four sources:

  • Family
  • Friends
  • Close Acquaintances
  • Referrals generated by the first three groups

Statistics also show us that when you stay in consistent touch, top of mind, and deliver excellent service and show your appreciation, you can expect either a referral or a transaction from one in every twelve people in your sphere.  So the questions to ask yourself is do you even know who is in your sphere, and how are you expertly staying in touch with them and delivering that top of mind service and appreciation?

If not, you’re leaving a lot of business on the table.  One powerful way to tap into spring of referrals starts customer-appreciation-direct-mail-real-estate-postcards (1)with two little words:  thank you.

A long time ago I learned from Floyd Wickman that, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”  Show them you care.

Here are four easy strategies to help you do that:

  1. Each month pull a list of every customer in your database who has an anniversary of either the sale or purchase of a home and send them a Customer Appreciation postcard with a personalized message on the back.
  2. Each month choose 25-50 people from your sphere database and send them either a Thank You or a Thinking of You postcard from the Customer Appreciation series with a personalized message on the back.
  3. Each month send a sphere-friendly postcard to the rest of your database to keep your name top of mind. Top customer picks would be the Listing Inventory Series, Content Cards, Holiday Cards, and Recipe Cards.holiday-listing-inventory-recipe-content-direct-mail-real-estate-postcards (1)
  4. Pull an idea (or a few) from the fun connection suggestions on our Master Marketing Schedule each month. For example, this month, April 22nd, is National Jelly Bean Day. Get little packages of jelly beans to give to clients, the admin staff at your office, co-workers and friends. There’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Day in May for a chance to deliver some tasty treats to ten top clients.  Or National Chocolate Day in July, where we suggest you grab ten of those little sampler boxes of chocolate and deliver to ten top clients with a note thanking them for being such a treat!  Or Aviation Day in August where we suggest you order cardboard or paper airplanes from www.orientaltrading.com and pass them out to your farm area this day with a note attached saying, “Buying and selling real estate today takes an experienced pilot.  I can help ensure you have a terrific landing!  Call me today!” The schedule is filled with fun ideas that help you stand out from your competition.  Try them!

Rising to the top of your game in your market means doing things differently than your competition. Where others show up once or twice – show up every month.  Where others wait for the phone to ring – pick up the phone or see everyone in your sphere at least twice a year.  Break the list into manageable numbers and call just to say hi, see if they have any questions, let them know you appreciate them and that you’re there when they need you. Where others sit on the sidelines, get in the mix every day. Be out and about in your community. Talk to your customers.  Walk your farm areas. (The goal is to get the folks in your farm so connected with you that they become part of your sphere!)

Lastly, never, ever forget to say thank you, in big ways and small.  To your customers, clients, colleagues, brokers, assistants, friends and family.  It is a gesture that will never go out of style, and will garner you good will again and again.  In a business built on relationships with people – good will goes a long way. On that note – a big THANK YOU to all of you who graciously allow us to be your marketing resource of choice!

Need help?  Call our marketing team today at 866.405.3638 to put the best systems in place to build your business easily, and cost-effectively.