Real Estate Foreclosure Marketing Secrets

Posts Tagged ‘Postcard Campaign’

Ah!  Now we’ve come to a vital concept in your direct-mail postcard campaign.  In order to write the most effective copy for your real estate investing firm, you must know your customer.

Oh, I could tell you in general terms about his desires . . . his needs . . . and even his motivations.  Or you can sit back in your chair, staring at your computer screen and idly construct your typical customer.  But in the long run neither of these helps you much.

Oh, sure with enough trial and error you may end up getting pretty close to targeting him.  But what I’m about to suggest is a little . . . well . . . unconventional.

If you’ve already sent several mailings out and have received some interest, perhaps you’ve already met with some potential customers face to face.  And no doubt discussed business.

But the next time that telephone rings with a potential client on the phone, don’t visit him with the intention of making a sale.  Knock on his door with the intent of learning what he really wants.  That’s right!

Toss the sales script out of the car window on the way over to his home.  Sit down with him one on one and discuss why he wants to sell . . .also discuss why he resists selling. Get to know this one customer as a person.

Yes, perhaps this is a revolutionary approach.  And perhaps you won’t make a sale in this particular instance.  But that doesn’t mean that your time hasn’t been invested wisely. Because as you’re about to discover, it has.

When you return to your office after finding out everything you can from this indivdiual – including how he found himself in this position, what he intends to do after the sale and, if he’s willing to share, how this situation is affecting his life and that of his family – write it all down. (And don’t worry, the odds are great he’ll share this information with you.  Especially if you express a sincere interest in him.  He’s probably been waiting for someone to talk to.)

You see, you’ve just discovered “his problem.”  Your job is to offer him a solution.  And that should be the major focus of your next postcard campaign.  Write your copy to solve this person’s problems.  Don’t worry that your card isn’t going to just him.  Rest assured that his concerns, emotions and intentions are echoed throughout your territory by many others.

Take a good look at the mailing list you’re intending to use for this mailing.  It’s not a list of names.  It’s a list of people.  People whose lives are in transition.  What can your firm offer them that will eventually not only take the burden of the house off their backs, but start them on a new road to success?

If you can write copy that conveys this message, then you’ll have people ringing your phone like crazy.  And isn’t that the bottom line of your postcard campaign after all?

By Mark Bradley

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Real Estate Investor Insider Secret #6:

Consumer Decisions are Made From Our Emotions

This is without a doubt the most overlooked rule in copywriting strategy.  And even as a real estate investor about to embark on a postcard campaign, you should keep this uppermost in your mind.

Sure, people may say they research the products they intend to buy.  And, sure, consumers may say they search for the best prices.  And they may even say that they create charts with the advantages and disadvantages of specific products.  And in many cases they really do perform all these acts.

But when the ultimate decision is being made, more often than not, the consumer chooses using his gut emotions.  Don’t believe for a moment that your targeted audience is any different.  You can barrage him with facts . . . figures . . . logical arguments . . . all aimed at why selling his home right now to you is the right move. And of course you should present these compelling cases.

If, however, you can create some emotional connection  then you’ve really made that ultimate connection and have practically ensured your sale. If, on the other hand, you can’t excite him to the benefits of this decision, then you haven’t closed the sale.  So in addition to making a logical argument . . . don’t forget to make an emotional pitch as well. 

What are some of the emotional reasons people buy?  To gain peace of mind . . . to increase their financial bottom line . . . to feel better about themselves in general . . . out of fear of losing something . . . even from greed.

If you’re reading this, thinking that this “rule” doesn’t apply to the real estate market, you’re only fooling yourself.  Emotions play a powerful role in every single decision we make – even those that aren’t really consumer related. 

Let me give you one very dramatic example.  It’s from 1960. And it relates to a decision far more important than what dress to buy for the upcoming dinner party. It involves, in fact, the presidential election.  That’s right. The tipping point of this election occurred during the debate during the campaign between the two candidates, Richard M. Nixon for the Republicans and John F. Kennedy for the Democrats.

The debated was not only broadcast on all three (and yes there were only three) television networks and all the radio stations as well.  Afterward, voters were asked who had won the debate.  Those who had listened on the radio said it was Nixon – hands down.

Those who had viewed the debate on television believed that Kennedy had won.  In fact, this was the overwhelming opinion.  Why?  Because Nixon wore a five o’clock shadow – the telltale shadowy outline of a beard that had been shaved too far ahead of the debate.  Kennedy just looked more presidential.

Emotions.  Never underestimate the ever present emotional appeal of a major decision . . . whether it’s a minor purchase a major consumer decision or even the choice of the president of the United States.

If you can not only logically persuade your audience to your side, but win them over emotionally, then you have closed that sale.  And yes, you can do this through your postcard mailing for your real estate investment firm.  Guaranteed!

  By Mark Bradley

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Real Estate Investor Insider Secret #5: Write Your Postcard Copy with Enthusiasm 

Writing can be exhausting.  No, it’s not the same physically exhausting work that roofing or waitressing can be.  But, to produce effective copy, you absolutely must write enthusiastically.  And that means you have to give of yourself.  Your postcard campaign deserves – demands in fact – that  you write from a position of pure enthusiasm.

 To ensure that your copy is effective, you might even say you have to approach your writing with a certain degree of passion.  If you’re sitting snickering at this seemingly silly idea, don’t.  If you can’t generate a certain amount of excitement about  your service – in this case your real estate investing service – how could you possibly expect any other person to be excited?

Consider the mindset of the average person reading your postcard.  These days there exists a general cynicism about  advertising in general.  Couple this with a person’s natural resistance to the very idea of selling a family home – no matter how dire his finances might be.  You must be enthusiastic . . . highlight the benefits . . . create how this transaction can actually transform his life into something better.

In other words, you must – in order to be effective – create enough enthusiasm to overcome your reader’s natural hesitancy and cynicism toward advertising in general . . . as well as any personal objections to your offer.

When you create a passion for your product – as a real estate investor this would be the idea of selling a house and starting over – you’ll undoubtedly touch something within your reader’s spirit.  When you reach this point with your words, then your customer will be inextricably drawn to action.  Guaranteed!

Remember, though, I said at the beginning that copywriting can be exhausting.  In fact, this is a great way to test your writing.  If you’re not even a little bit tired when you’re through creating your copy, then maybe you haven’t generated enough enthusiasm.

Another valuable way of testing the true enthusiastic nature of your copy is to set it aside overnight.  That’s right!  Write it one day and just let it “settle” until the next.  The following day pull it out.  Reread it.  Does it still sound as good as it did the day before.

Don’t be too disappointed if it didn’t.  Many times, even for those professional copywriters who have been in the business for years, the copy fails this “overnight” test miserably.

That doesn’t mean you need to totally give up.  Failure, as you know, is not an option.  No you salvage what you can, tweak the copy where you need to and keep on writing.  Then again, you set it aside overnight and come back to it.

You may find after the “overnight’ test that you only need to create a few transitional phrases or rev up a few verbs to create a brighter, more vivid image.  Great.  If you’re satisfied after this minor editing, then you’re ready to take it to the printer.  By Mark Bradley

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Real Estate Investor Insider Secret #2:

TurboCharge Your Postcard Campaign:

Tune Into WIIFM

Are you tuned into WIIFM?  No, it’s not the latest radio station in your area.  It’s shorthand for a fundamental direct-mail principle   – a principle every real estate investor should keep uppermost in his mind.

WIIFM.  An acronym for What’s In It For Me?  When your recipient receives your postcard in the mail, you have a scant 30 second or less to grab their attention.  That means you need to answer that question for them.

If you’re offering something to them, that “something” must be beneficial to them in some way.  You may have heard this phrase in another way.  Perhaps some staid, academic copywriter once told you to emphasize benefits, not features.

And you probably nodded and went on your way, only later wondering what the real difference was between a benefit and a feature.  That’s exactly where WIIFM comes in loud and clear.

A benefit answers the question:  What’s In It For Me?  When you tell the potential seller what he can gain from this arrangement, then you have him thinking about selling.  Far too many real estate investors spend far too much time telling the seller about his business.

Yes, it is reassuring to know if you’ve been in business for so many years . . . and that you’ve sold so many houses . . . and you’ve generated so much extra cash for your customers.  Those, however, are all features – very important features of course.

You need to turn these features around to make them attractive to your seller.  Then and only then you turn your feature into a benefit.

Remember, when push comes to shove, an individual potential customer sitting at his kitchen table reading your post card will eventually stand up and wonder:  What’s In It For Me?

Answer that question for him and you’re succeeding in your marketing campaign. It’s not a simple question to answer – not when it comes to real estate investing.  You must consider exactly what your customer wants.

If he’s facing foreclosure, he wants out of this nightmare.  But more than that he probably wants to keep his house.  You may be tempted to go with “I’ll give you fast cash for your house.”  And for some individuals this certainly may work.

But maybe – just maybe – in addition to wanting the money, he may want to be reassured that whoever buys the house will treat it well . . . will love it the way he and his family has.  After all, to him, the house is more than just a structure . . . it’s a home where his children played and slept, where family meals were eaten . . . where family stories were shared.

Keep these things in mind when you attempt to answer the question – from the seller’s perspective – What’s In It For Me?

Fast Cash?  Sure.  But perhaps just a little bit more as well. If you can deliver – through your postcard campaign — an angle that includes care for the home and even peace of mind for the homeowner, then you’ll well on your way to closing that sale. And you’re becoming the successful real estate investor you always knew you could be.

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Real Estate Investor Insider Secret #1:

One Simple Way to Make Your Postcard Campaign Come Alive

Okay.  So you know that the most effective direct mail campaign involves an address that at least appears to be handwritten and a live stamp – as opposed to preprinted labels.

But did you realize that the message on the back would be monumentally more effective if you could somewhere make it look more personal – with handwriting – as well?

In fact, direct-marketing experience tells us over and over again (yeah, it really does shout at us!) that the most effective campaigns are those that appear to come from the “Mom and Pop” enterprises.

While, as a business owner, you may want to have your firm look professional and polished.That very same look, though, can drive your customers away in a direct-mail campaign.  Don’t ask me why.   No “expert” has ever given a reason. 

Personally, I think it has to do with trust.  A “Mom and Pop” firm is more likely to keep its promise and give the average person a fair deal. Besides, slick professional brochures and polished postcards just feel impersonal, which is the direct antithesis of a direct-response mailing.

To highlight the personalization of postcards, many real estate marketers insist that they always hand address their postcards and place a live stamp on them.

But,now, thanks to this clever idea, you can go one step further.  What if your potential customers received what appeared to be a “handwritten” post card from you?  With a very personal message. 

Not only is this an original idea in the area of mailing postcards, it falls right in line with the cardinal suggestions.  Your face needn’t fall at the thought of writing each postcard by hand, because you won’t have to.

In fact, right here, right now, while you’re reading this article you can create a message that will totally knock the socks off your customers and have them ringing your phone faster than you can say “I want to buy your house!”

Start by taking a piece of what computer paper – 8 ½ inches by 11 inches.  Now fold it in half in one direction – either on the vertical axis or the horizontal.  Now fold it again in the opposite direction.  When you open it you should have creases that create four equal spaces. 

These “spaces” are just about the size of postcards.  And that’s exactly what you’re going to use them as – eventually.

Now, grab a black felt-tip pen.  Handwrite a quick message that conveys your intent in your mailing in each “postcard space.”  It could be as simple as “I want to buy your house.  Call me.  Ryan.” With your phone number.

Or you could make it look a little more personal and say, “Was passing by, loved your house.  Would love to buy it. Interested?  Call me.” Put the message on all four “postcard squares.”

Take this to an office supply or duplicating establishment.  Have them copy this page on card stock – yellow if you like.  Next, address and stamp them.

Send them off!  Yes, it’s that easy!

 I’m betting it’ll be one of the most effective postcard campaigns you’ve ever created for your real estate investing business!

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