Real Stories of Real Estate Success.

In case you haven't seen the new http://www.mailprint.com/ yet, I want to encourage you to check it out... especially the Case Studies page. This is one of my favorite parts of the new site because it shares real stories of real estate agents and other business people who we've helped overcome their challenges and achieve real results. I want to share some snippets from just a few of the case studies:

Beth Franklin is a broker and office owner who came to Mail Print for help with her prospecting efforts. Within just a couple of months of using one of our monthly mailing programs, she was already seeing results... two listing and a sale. Over the following months, she continued to see similar results.


Scott Thompson came to Mail Print as a newer agent who was trying to establish himself and target an up-scale audience. We created a personal branding package for Scott that gave him a professional logo, look and a bevy of marketing materials with his unique design. Within six weeks of starting to use his new materials, Scott had seven listing, two sales and two referrals as a result.


Teresa Grindinger is a successful real estate team leader who found herself spending too much time on her Just Listed/Sold mailings. When Teresa came to Mail Print, we helped her out by creating a custom postcard template and automating her mailings for her. No more applying stamps and lables! Within six months, the new program had already generated three listings for the team.

Top 8 Things Agents Do to Sabotage Their Mail Lists

So you’ve got your mailing list ready to go. That’s great. But just having a list is not enough. You'll need to maintain, clean, and most importantly, use your list to get the results you want.

Here are some of the ways agents routinely mess up their lists and miss out on valuable business and referrals.

1. Using incomplete addresses.

Make sure your list entries are as complete and accurate as possible. Mailings with incomplete addresses will often not reach their destinations. Or a client will receive a mailing with the wrong name or a misspelled name. These kinds of oversights detract from your professional image and damage your credibility. Make sure entries are complete and correct. Mail Print can help you with this with our data management and database marketing solutions.

2. Not adding new contacts.

Update your list often. Add new contacts to your list as soon as you get them. You want to begin contacting these prospects and generating business, so put them on the list.

Remove old contacts if they are deceased or have moved from the area. This will save you some money and embarrassment and save the new residents from mail that isn’t for them.

3. Failing to add themselves and their family to the list.

Having yourself on the list is a great way to monitor your mailing campaigns. This way you will know when clients receive your mailings. And, you’ll have a chance to see exactly what your clients are receiving and the quality of the product.

Don’t be shy about mailing to your family. They have need for your services just like everyone else and are a great source for referrals. They will likely enjoy seeing your cards and take pride in your industrious nature.

4. Failing to keep the data current.

Stay on top of developments such as marriage, divorce, and death. You don’t want to send mailings to a widow’s departed husband. You want to address the surviving widow. Similarly, you don’t want to send postcards addressed to both Jim and Mary if they are divorced. Keep your data complete and avoid some potentially embarrassing situations.

5. Not making personal contact with people on their lists.

Making phone calls may not be your favorite part of the job. But it is part of the job. Talking with your clients at least once a quarter helps maintain a personal connection, and it gives you a chance to double-check your records. If there is incomplete data, like a missing email address, get it while you’re on the phone.

6. Failing to add past clients to their mailing list.

Stay in touch with those nice people who bought a home with you. They may not need your services for a few years, but that doesn’t mean they won’t bring you referrals. And if you keep in touch, they will be much more likely to do business with you again.

7. Not having a list at all.

If you don’t have a list, start putting one together. This is the most valuable tool you could have. It will bring in lots of business for you if you use it.

8. Mailing to the list only once or twice a year.

Again, mail to your list at least 12-33 times a year. If you mail only once or twice in a year, you might as well just burn your money instead. Repetition is the most important element to any type of advertising. If you want clients to respond to your message, you need them to see the message multiple times.

-Gina

RELATED POSTS: Five Steps to Creating a Winning Mail List, 7 Keys to Making Money with Postcards, Keep your mailing list CLEAN

What’s the very best way to get referrals? Ask for them!

Many businesspeople are uncomfortable asking for referrals, but their discomfort is unfounded. Asking for referrals is simple and vital to the success of your business. People often give what you ask for, and those who refer once can and will refer many more times if prompted to do so.

Research shows that the average person has an immediate circle of influence of fifty-two other people. However, the average satisfied customer only tells three other people about the satisfactory experience. Getting that person to tell fifty instead of three takes action on your part. And that action needs to focus on giving appreciation and recognition.

When a satisfied customer sends someone to you, you should immediately thank them. This should include a phone call or thank you card at a bare minimum. A gift is usually appropriate and effective. The gift should be something you don’t normally sell (good examples are steaks, clocks, books, small electronic devices, etc.), and it should be different with each referral from the same source. The positive impact this can make is impressive.

Not sending thanks can have just as impressive of a negative effect. It could mean you don’t get any more referrals from that source.

One great way to stimulate more referrals is the second party gift certificate. As a way to encourage referrals, you give your regular customers a ten-dollar gift certificate that is redeemable only by a second party. They address and send it over to a friend. Your client gets to give a free gift certificate to a friend, and you get a referral. This works extremely well in just about any retail business, service business, restaurant, store, etc.

Then just wait for the referred customers to come in. And be sure to send some sort of recognition to your client who gave the referral.

-Gina

8 Tips for Effective Newsletters

Newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with clients and to keep your name fresh in their minds. A good newsletter also builds credibility, image, and relationships. Follow these 8 guidelines to have an enjoyable newsletter for your clients.

1. Have a Plan

Your newsletter should have a purpose. Set objectives and have a defined audience. These will help you frame the type of material to include.

2. Stick to a Schedule

Decide how often the newsletter should be published. Be realistic. It’s better to increase the number of issues than to decrease it. It is wise to begin with a quarterly or bimonthly piece.

Stick to the schedule you’ve decided on. Set deadlines and make sure you hit them. Give yourself some cushion time just in case. After just a few issues, your audience will start to expect and look forward to your piece.

3. Choose Your Offering

There are two ways to produce a newsletter. You can produce it yourself, or you can hire professionals to do it for you. Doing it yourself of course gives you more direct control over content, but also takes up more of your time. You will need to balance the benefits of time saved using professional quality writing against costs.

4. Gather Information

If you are producing your own content, there are numerous sources for material. Solicit information from customers, suppliers, consultants, and employees. Look in business, trade, professional, and government publications.

5. Have Relevant Information

Don’t waste your clients’ time with puffed-up sales hype. Include useful facts and advice that will help your clients be well-informed consumers.

Things to include: case studies on clients using your product or service (get their permission first), trends in the industry, new product/service information, quizzes, humor or cartoons, quotes, quick tips and information on how to obtain a free consultation or more information.

6. Stimulate Feedback

The newsletter is a one-way communication tool. It is important to stimulate feedback to help make the piece more useful. Write about items that require people to call you for more details. Offer free advice. Make it easy for them to respond. Have an 800 number to call, an easy to use fax form, or e-mail and web addresses.

7. Keep It Friendly and Brief

Your writing style should be personal and relaxed. Keep stories short at less than half a page each. If the reading is easy and enjoyable, your customers will read the newsletter.

8. Make It Mandatory

Make sure any staff members read the newsletter. They need to be current with any information written, especially when customers may call for more information.

Newsletters are most successful when they offer practical information. They should not be viewed as advertising pieces. Keep the newsletter’s purpose in mind: building your image and causing people to want to work with you.

At Mail Print, we have several types of newsletters so you can decide the amount of time you want to devote to your newsletter. Our bimonthly Home Talk newsletters have an eye-catching design and content focused on home maintenance and beautification. We also have many newsletter templates that allow you to insert your own text for more involved newsletters. Please give us a call at 1.800.660.0108 for samples or more information.

Gina

Testimonials - Providing Evidence of Excellence

What’s the best way to convince a potential customer that your service is worthwhile? What could convince them to trust you? How about the words of a satisfied customer? Or a picture of the beaming customer next to their new house?

This is testimonial marketing, and it is one of the most powerful tools you can use to build confidence in your potential customer that you really provide the kind of service they deserve.

People in general are more accepting of a third-person point of view than hearing someone talk about themselves. Put yourself in the consumers shoes; which sounds better to you? "I am more experienced and knowledgeable than any other area agent" or "Susie's experience and knowledge makes her stand out from any other agent I've worked with."

Getting testimonials doesn't have to be hard. Just ask, “What do you think of my service?” Ask and record. Get them to write it down. Or write it down for them. Take a picture. Make a lasting record of your great service and your client’s happiness.

-Gina

RELATED POSTS: Top Tips For Gaining More Referrals (Part 2 of 2), Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques, Creating Powerful Testimonials That Attract Customers

Influencing Your SOI - Increasing Your Referrals

Asking for referrals from your sphere of influence is an uncomfortable proposition for many real estate agents. And passive actions like putting "I Love Referrals" on your business card are not enough. Most consumers don't clearly understand what the cliched phrase means, nor how dependant your livelihood is on their consistent lead introduction.

What to do? Here are some tips for effectively communicating with your SOI from coach Maya Bailey. Click here to read the article in its entirety in Broker Agent News.

"Tip 1: Have a script so you know what to say

What you decide to say may vary from person to person. The way you talk to a close friend may be quite different from the way you talk to a distant acquaintance.

There is no one formula of what to say. However, it is very helpful to have something to offer when you call. One idea that many of my clients have found helpful is to call your sphere of influence and offer to be a referral source for them.

In other words, let them know that you have plenty of connections to people who could help them. For example, you know many painters, electrician's, plumbers, etc. and your sphere of influence should know that if they need any names and phone numbers they should call you and you will be happy to provide a referral source for them.

Tip 2: Think of yourself as being "the giver"

Most of us love to be the giver. We know we will be well received and people will like us. We also know that "giving" leads to more business.

Before you pick up the phone to call your sphere of influence ask yourself "what can I give to them?" One way that you could be of service to them, is to offer to be a cross referral partner.
If they have their own business, ask them how their business is doing. Ask them how you could help them at their business. Ask them what kind of referrals they would like to receive. Let them know that you will do your best to send referrals to them. At the end of the conversation, you can say something like, "when you hear of anyone who's interested in buying or selling a home, please call me with their name and number. If it's okay with them, I will call them and make sure that their real estate needs are being taken care of."

Tip 3: Send an "Item of value" each month

What kind of item of value should you send? It used to be that sending newsletters was a hot item. However, most people have gotten too busy to read a newsletter.

The item that works the best is a colorful postcard that gives the events happening in their area. Their sphere of influence is likely to put that postcard on the refrigerator and refer to it often.
Of course, next to the list of events happening in the area is your photo, your phone number, and your tag line such as "relax and let me run the extra mile to fulfill your real estate needs.

• You start to enter their stream of consciousness.
• They start to associate positive ideas with you:
• You are associated with happy events in their area.
• You are associated with brilliant bright, happy colors in the postcard.
• Your face smiles at them every time they go to the refrigerator.

Let me ask you, do you think they are more likely to remember you the next time they have a real estate need or a real estate question?

Tip 4: Don't be afraid to call them too often

As long as you have a good reason to call, they will be happy to hear from you. Trust your own gut instinct about how often you should call them. Many real estate gurus suggest calling people in your sphere of influence about once a month. You may choose that to do that with your "A list", the people most likely to refer to you.
Since you are sending an item of value each month, you can always ask them "did you receive the postcard?" You can follow that with, "so what event are you going to go to?"

Tip 5: Assume the positive

Simply assume that they will be happy to hear from you. Why wouldn't they be? They are receiving a wonderful colorful, informative postcard from you each month, then you are calling and offering them something, and you are conditioning them to want to hear from you.
Assume that you have something valuable to offer, your friendship and your real estate expertise, and people want to hear from you.

Tip 6: Be excited about your business

Remember, "desperation does not sell", but "excitement" does. No matter what the current condition of your business, always say something like, "I am so excited about my business. I get to meet such wonderful people and I'm really in an expansion phase of my business. If you want to help out, just send people my way to have a real estate question or issue, I will be happy to help them."

RELATED POSTS: What’s the very best way to get referrals? Ask for them!, Top Tips For Gaining More Referrals (Part 2 of 2), The Power Of Direct Mail

Selling Without Selling Out: 10 Tips

Competing for clients without compromising your professional image and self respect can be a challenge. Here are 10 tips from author Lenann McGookey Gardner. You can read her article in its entirety here.

"1. Know who you'd like to have sending business your way. A Prospect List is not a list of organizations; it's a list of human beings who could send clients to you, but are not currently doing so. Do you have such a list? There is data saying that writing up a list of those with whom you would like to be doing business, and reading the list daily, increases the likelihood that you will actually establish those relationships!

2. Work your Prospect List. Don't let a single week go by without completing a minimum of two activities related to your Prospect List. Sometimes you can attend a meeting that is likely to put you face-to-face with targeted prospects; failing that, you may have to send an article of interest, and suggest an in-person meeting to discuss matters of mutual concern. Aaron chose to suggest coffee with the cardiologists he encountered when doing his rounds at the hospital with which he was affiliated.

3. When you speak with your prospects, use the word "you" often, and the word "I" (or "we") seldom. Making the conversation more about your prospect and less about you will make conversations longer - perhaps long enough for trust to develop.

4. Begin every conversation with a prospect by adopting a "Clean Heart Position"- a sincere desire to see your prospects get what they want, whether or not they get it from you. Try to understand their practices/businesses, and what they're trying to accomplish; ask questions about that rather than turning the discussion to the fact that you want them to refer people to you. Once you feel you understand their objectives for their practices/businesses, restate their objectives, and be sure that the prospect agrees that you understand. If they do agree, then you can introduce the notion that you may be able to assist them in achieving those objectives, if you legitimately feel that you can.

5. At all stages of the process of cultivating referrals, be sure you are focused on the prospect, rather than on your objectives, your message, or your agenda. The way to make meaningful connections is to understand what your prospect is trying to achieve, and the extent to which he or she has PAIN that you may be able to alleviate.

For example, if you are an accountant seeking referrals from attorneys, you would want to focus a great deal on an attorney sharing with you that she has just had a bad experience referring one of her valued clients to an accountant who failed to return phone calls, thus angering the attorney's client. If that's the PAIN, then talk about that: "Oh no! The accountant you referred your client to didn't even bother to return your client's calls? Gee, that can't reflect well on you! Unbelievable!" Let the prospect know that you HEARD, and that you understand how this behavior works against what he's trying to achieve, rather than talking about yourself and saying something like, "Well, I always return MY calls before sundown." Of course, if you are asked your own protocol for returning calls, answer the question.

6. Keep your voice at the same volume level, and speak at the same pace as your prospect does, to build rapport. Research from Dr. Genie Laborde suggests that these may be the most powerful things you can do to help others to like you, quickly!

7. Express continued interest in your prospect. As Brian Tracy has said, listen as if he could speak for the next eight years, and you would still be here, listening attentively - rather than trying to make your point.

8. When speaking with prospects, make an effort to avoid using words that are rooted in the word "no", such as not, won't, can't, don't or aren't. There's evidence that such negativity will drive prospects away from you.

9. If the conversation gets to the possibility of working together, express enthusiasm for that, without going overboard or losing your professional demeanor.

10. Don't forget the people who ARE currently sending you referrals. In addition to conveying your thanks after every referral, have a regular program of base-touching with them, and put it into your scheduling program so you're reminded when to make the calls monthly, quarterly, or, at minimum, twice a year. And be sure to send business to them whenever you can - the best referral relationships are two-way!

Developing relationships with those who can refer others to you is possible, but it requires thought about whom you'd like to serve as referral sources—and action to cultivate these relationships. Follow these principles, and develop the referral sources who will support your organization's growth for years to come!"

RELATED ARTICLES: Finding Your Niche, The "P" Word, Keeping Clients For Life

Top Tips For Gaining More Referrals (Part 2 of 2)

Earlier this week, we looked at the first two of the top tips for gaining referrals: asking for them and joining referral networks. Today, let's wrap up the discussion with three more proven techniques for gaining referrals.

Referral Tip #3 – Use testimonials everywhere

People prefer to do business with someone they trust. Someone who comes recommended has a big advantage in the trust department. Testimonials perfectly announce that there are others who appreciate your work, and that they are so confident in your services that they are willing to stake their reputations on it.

Put together a booklet of testimonials or include testimonials in a brochure. Create audio recordings of happy clients giving their testimonials. Post testimonials on your website with pictures. Build instant credibility with every prospect with testimonials.

Referral Tip #4 – Hand out more business cards

Take a look at your business cards. Do they offer a compelling reason to contact you? They should. Do they offer a voice mail number that your prospects can call to hear about your services? And to hear success stories from happy clients? They should.

Is the backside of your card blank? It shouldn’t be. Put a testimonial, calendar, or sports schedule on the back. Turn your card into a dynamic lead generation piece.

Hand out at least TWO of your new business cards to everyone you meet. If someone tells you how great a job you’ve done, hand them FIVE!

Tell them something like: “I certainly appreciate the good word. If you think you’d be doing your friends and family a favor, maybe you could pass these out next time you see them and throw in a good word for me.”

Referral Tip #5 – Use Direct Mail

Direct mail is easy, time-efficient, and effective. All it takes is a simple postcard to your valued real estate customers and contacts once a month to remind them that you’re still in business and you appreciate referrals. That’s it.

Direct mail is THE way to stay in touch with a large number of contacts and have your contact information in their hands on a regular basis. Keep in mind that direct mail doesn’t replace phone and in-person contact, it is only meant to enhance those methods.

By regularly reminding your clients and contacts of your business and the real estate services you provide, you greatly increase the chances that they will remember you when they have a friend who needs your help. It’s amazing what a little postcard can do.

-Gina

Related Posts: Top Tips For Gaining More Referrals (Part 1 of 2), What’s the very best way to get referrals? Ask for them!, Five Reasons Why Direct Mail Postcards Work

Top Tips For Gaining More Referrals (Part 1 of 2)

Referrals, or word-of-mouth advertising, are absolutely the best form of marketing for real estate agents. A referred client has much less resistance than other clients. Why? Because he knows you or your friend. And this client already knows that you are credible. Better yet, referred clients come with little or no marketing costs.

Earn Your Referrals

You have to earn referrals through outstanding service. After a client receives great service, you would think they would naturally tell their friends and family. But it very often doesn’t happen. Why? Because they aren’t thinking of you, or about referring their friends. Not without prompting. Here are 5 tips you can use to get more referrals.

Referral Tip #1 – Ask for Them

Ask for what you want. Immediately and boldly after receiving a compliment on how well you’ve done.

Your clients will be glad to help you when you do a good job for them. They also feel good about helping friends and family by recommending your good service. So make it easy for them. Tell them you would appreciate it if they could spread the word about your wonderful service. It’s that simple.

Referral Tip #2 – Create or join a local or national referral network

There are a number of referral networks already established. And many of them are free. Join one or two of these services and participate. It is a simple way to pull in contacts.

You should also make deals with business owners you know. Talk to your accountant, dry cleaner, insurance agent, and other local business people. If you know they provide good services, offer to tell people about them. And ask them to return the favor.

Offer to include a mention of their business in your monthly mailings in return for handing out your business cards or fliers to every customer.

(To be continued...)

Build Your Business with Postcards

Using postcards in your 2007 marketing plan can greatly enhance sales. They can be sent out in search of new contacts, to follow-up, or to maintain and build relationships with referral sources. When a postcard is used properly, no other marketing tool can compare to it. Effective design and copy will grab your reader’s attention. Your postcard should also motivate consumers to action. Postcards are extremely effective and considerably cheaper than other marketing methods, and allow you to target specific contacts and areas for high return on investment.

Only 2% of sales are made on the first contact, so create a direct mail campaign that will send postcards to your customers several times a year. The more you send, the more likely they will remember you when they, or a friend, are ready to make a move. Here are some postcard ideas that will keep your customers interested:

Anniversary: These cards can be used for client wedding or home purchase anniversaries.

Birthdays: A simple birthday card can be a delightful surprise to unsuspecting customers.

Farming: Build recognition in your farm area by mailing a series of postcards that carry your name, photo and contact info.

Holiday Greetings: Send holiday wishes to your customers year round. There are holidays practically every day of the year, so pick one and create a contact around it.

Invitation: Invite frequent referral sources and current clients to an open house or "customer appreciation" party.

Just Listed/Sold: When you list or sell a home, let everyone in the surrounding neighborhood know you're the agent of choice. Great for getting the word out to key referral sources as well.

Promote New Service: Use your postcards to notify potential clients and referral sources about new services you now offer your clients.

Regain Lost Customers: Send out a series of postcards to customers who have not purchased from you in over a year.

Thank You: Send to clients to thank them for their past business or referrals.

Web Site: With so many web sites out there, a postcard can remind consumers of your site and boost Internet sales.

-Gina

Strategies for Brand Development

In the marketing-heavy, advertisement-inundated world of the 21st century, making your business stand out from the crowd is harder than ever. More and more businesses are marketing to niche audiences in order to have a point of differentiation from the competition. Marketing to very specific groups who are likely to need your services is much more effective and affordable than trying to get attention marketing to everyone.

This is particularly true in the real estate business, where many agents are discovering that targeting a niche audience brings great rewards.

Discover Your Strengths

What segment of the market do you know best? And what market group knows you best? This is where you should devote your marketing dollars. Rather than trying to open doors, why not go through the doors you already have a foot in?

Your sphere of influence and current clients are your most valuable source of future business. Take a look at your client list. What do these people have in common? Make a list of the things that your average customers have in common with each other. Then, market yourself to fit those needs, such as price range, area, specific interests, etc.

Discover Your Passions

Draw on your unique identity. Look at the things you enjoy in life, and incorporate them into your business. If you like to ride your Harley on the weekends, network with the people you meet. Make your love of motorcycles part of your professional image. If you are a golf expert, use it to your advantage.

Remember not to be obnoxious about your hobby, but make sure that people know about your interests. You will attract others who have similar interests and hobbies.

Dig In!

Once you have found your niche market, build your business services and marketing efforts around it. It is simplest to focus on one niche, but that won’t always generate the business volume you want. Many times, you will have to develop two or three strong, small niches, such as Harley enthusiasts and relocation specialization. You will need to develop specific marketing materials for each niche, but it is better than being a generalist and getting lost in the crowd.

Build partnerships with other area businesses. If you are marketing to golfers, get to know a reputable golf shop. Ask them if you can leave business cards or brochures in their shop. Funnel your clients to them, and they will likely do the same for you. Beyond that, you can be a helpful resource to your customers in areas beyond your business.

Don’t forget to incorporate your niche markets and business friends into your website. Include links to these businesses in return for the same on their websites.

While instituting your brand into niche markets will involve expenses, your marketing costs will be reduced in the long run. Many of your contacts will be made in person, and your advertising efforts will be more focused and less costly than city-wide ads.

Niche marketing will make your job easier and more fun. Take time to work on your business, brainstorming for new ideas regularly. The rewards will be great!

-Gina.

The "P" Word

What's the key to building your real estate business year after year? Prospecting. Unfortunately, many agent's suffer because of their fright of prospecting. Jerry Pujals describes "the p-word" phenomenon and identifies key prospect groups in his article in Broker Agent News:

If there were one word to describe the ability to produce at higher levels, it would have to be "the p-word." That's right? Prospecting! Unfortunately, prospecting is probably the one task 95% of real estate agents avoid. Why? Because they're terrified of it.

We've all seen it: an agent who spends the majority of his time wondering what to do next, walking the halls, making water cooler talk, and babysitting the one or two deals he has in escrow. Deep down he knows he should be prospecting to generate new business, but he's just too scared to do so.

Whether you are a new agent or a veteran who wants different results, you must learn to love prospecting. Answer this: If you could earn an extra $200,000 per year by spending a mere two to four hours per day prospecting, would you do it? For most people, the answer is a resounding "yes."

However, most agents do anything possible NOT to create additional business. As simple as prospecting is and as handsomely as it pays off, it's still the single most difficult thing to get people in the real estate industry to do. But when done effectively and efficiently, prospecting can change your career.

Who to Prospect

Prospecting is actually simple when you know what to do. Following are some suggestions for focusing your prospecting activities.

Past Clients. The first category of prospecting should always be your past clients. That's obvious, yet many people neglect their past clients, even those they had incredible transactions with. This leaves the client with a negative impression. They think all real estate agents care about is getting the prize (the check), and then they're done. The ripple effect of this negative impression is huge. Therefore, you must prospect past clients on a regular basis.

Current clients. The second category is to call your current clients. Most agents forget to call their current clients even though they're talking about client loyalty all day long. But you must call your current clients, especially while they're happy with you. Sometimes, at the end of the transaction, they might not be happy with you anymore. So why not get a referral out of them when they're happy with you?

SOI. The third category is your SOI, which stands for Sphere of Influence. These are the people you refer business to who should be referring business back to you, like the lender, the title company, the insurance person, the home warranty company, etc. You refer these folks a multitude of transactions every month. Have you ever prospected them and asked if they would refer people to you? If they do not refer others to you, maybe you need to consider hiring somebody else who might reciprocate.

FSBO listings. The fourth category is FSBO listings. Any property that has a For Sale By Owner sign is being sold directly by the seller. We know that over 87% of properties that are for sale by owner will eventually be listed with a real estate agent. Therefore, you must call these people, show the value you can offer, and get the listing.

Expired listings. The fifth category is expired listings. Any listing that's expired becomes open season. If you have a lot of expired listings in your area, you must call them. If their property didn't sell and they didn't re-list with their current agent, it means one of two things: Either they decided not to sell for some reason, or they have a reason not to re-list with their current agent and are actively looking for a new agent. Why shouldn't you be the new agent for them?

Just listed/Just sold. The sixth category is those people who live in the same neighborhood as a house that has just sold or listed. On these calls you're just letting the person know that a neighbor's property got listed or sold, and you were calling to find out if he or she was thinking of moving.

Five Steps to Creating a Winning Mail List

When it comes to building a mailing list, bigger is often better. Being in front of as many people as possible on a continuous and on-going basis will allow you to reap huge rewards. Remember the movie phrase, “if you build it, they will come?” Build your list, and you’ll see clients – and profits – come your way.

1. Put everyone on your mailing list – Everyone. Don’t even hesitate to think, “should I?” the answer is always YES!

If you’re not sure who “everyone” is, start with past clients, friends and family, Chamber of Commerce members and members of any social group you belong to.

Don’t forget the vendors you do business with. They certainly appreciate the fact that you spend money with them and are sure to acknowledge that they “owe” you a few favors. You use their services – could they use yours?

2. Use what you’ve already got –How many people do you meet every day? Do you part ways before you get their address and phone number? Don’t let that happen!

Anyone who you meet during the course of a day will make a great addition to your mailing list. Think about it – you've already established a personal connection, and you can easily get their business card or phone number during the course of your conversation. Don’t pass up opportunities you create every day

3. Segment your list – Get more out of your mailings by dividing your master list into several smaller lists that will allow you to send specific, personalized messages to your contacts. You can send a “thank you for your business” card to your past clients on a regular basis; mail an “I enjoy our business relationship” piece to all of your vendor clients; or send a “free consultation” postcard to prospective clients.

Don’t underestimate the value of a personal message that recognizes your contact as an individual – not just another name on your list.

4. Take a number – Think of a good client meeting like a good first date – you want to get their phone number, so you can turn that good start into a great relationship.

Putting phone numbers on your mailing list can increase the success of your mail campaign. Phone calls add a personal touch to your relationship and ingrain you deeply in the memories of prospects and referral sources. If you've never done it before, try calling all of your past clients to say “thank you” for their business and wishing them a happy New Year. With phone numbers and addresses on the same list, you can quickly mail a follow-up note as soon as you’ve made the call.

5. Mail monthly, call quarterly, or more often – Many companies will take the time to build a killer mail list, but then mail on an inconsistent basis, or not mail at all! Direct mail is the most time- and cost-efficient means of keeping in touch with your prospects and clients. With real estate marketing postcards, you can be in their hands every month for just a few dollars per year. When you figure the lifetime and referral value of a client, those few dollars can return huge profits!

Direct mail, when executed consistently, works wonders for real estate agents. Just don’t forget to make personal contact with your prospects and clients. Most people procrastinate so long that eventually they don’t make the calls at all. To keep current with your contacts, set aside a few minutes every day to make 5-10 calls from your prospect list (don’t try to call all your prospects at one time – you’ll find yourself feeling very overwhelmed!).

If you’ve read through each of these steps and you’re still asking yourself more questions than you know the answers to, feel free to email or call me.

-Gina.

Simple Secrets To Earning Referrals

Is your phone ringing off the hook with “referral” business? If not, all hope is not lost. With a little diligence and these simple steps, you can create a “referral” business that makes your dream of increasing client numbers into a referral reality:

Provide Impeccable Service

Providing great service is the first step toward earning referrals. And remember that part of great service is effective communication. Talk with your clients. Find out if they are satisfied with your service. If they aren’t, find out why so you can fix the problem. This will leave the client saying positive things about you and might earn a referral in the future.

Ask For Referrals

Stay in touch with your current and past clients. Give them a phone call or send them a postcard. Thank them for their loyal business and find out if they know anyone else who needs your services. Ask clients how you could earn a referral from them and then ask for the referral. This extra effort will eventually pay off and increase your client base.

Track Your Client Information

When new clients enter your business, ask them if they were referred, and if so, who referred them? With this information, set up a system to track your referrals. You’ll soon figure out where your referrals are coming from and where you should spend the most energy, time, and effort when mining for referrals in the future. If a particular client has sent several referrals your way, send the client a handwritten thank you note and reward the client with a free service or a gift.

Get Testimonials and Use Them

Clients do business with real estate agents they know or trust. They also do business with agents recommended to them by people they know or trust. Putting your testimonials out there takes it one step further. It’s a way to show everyone that your clients trust you, appreciate the service you offer, and feel confident about recommending you to others. Testimonials can be posted to your Web site, included in flyers, brochures, postcards, presentations, or even advertised in your catalog or compiled together into a “booklet of testimonials.”