Use Direct Mail
To Connect With Identified Prospects

A specialized form of advertising , direct mail can help identify and generate leads . Whether in regular or e-mail format, you can send a specific message to people whose names and addresses you know. It also allows you more control over when, how often and to whom you send your message.

Qualify Your Prospects. If Not…(A true story)

One component of his business development plan is the use of direct mail. In building his list of contacts, he has taken my name from the membership list of the organization to which he and I belong. And with list assembled, he has started regular mailings to his contacts, including me.

I am less concerned that he is mailing to me without my consent than I am puzzled by why he considers me a prospect. I have never discussed with him either real estate in general or my housing preferences in particular. I am no more sure that if I were looking for an agent he would be the right one for me than I would be a suitable client for him.

Unfortunately the mailings confirm this uncertainty. In creating the image of a dream home for last year’s Christmas card, the agent described a scenario that is about as far from my ideal home as it’s possible to be. It may well have been his vision of a dream home; it certainly wasn’t mine.

In the overall scheme of things, receiving several mailings a year from this agent is not a big deal. These mailings do however illustrate the down side of the ease of communicating, especially sending direct mail.

Certainly it’s easy to assemble a list of people to whom newsletters can be sent. But just because you have some one’s name and address, that does not automatically mean that person is interested in hearing from you, let alone choosing you as their real estate agent. Undoubtedly, like many marketing programs, the agent’s direct mail program is driven by the best of intentions and with no desire to annoy anyone.

Ironically, in attempting to build or perhaps enhance a relationship with me, he has inadvertently caused me to question his skills as a real estate agent.

Why did he not pre-qualify me as some one who would be interested in receiving his newsletters? And why did he think my idea of a dream home is the same as his?

In the overall scheme of things, these issues are insignificant. However, in a competitive industry like real estate, they become relevant factors in the decision-making process.

When and if it comes to pass that I am looking for an agent for my own needs or to refer to some one else, who will appeal most to me? The agent who doesn’t know much about me and continues to demonstrate this through his mailings? Or am I likely to be more attracted to another agent who is prepared to take the time to get to know my preferences, needs and wants

What Results Do You Want To Achieve?

As well as qualifying your prospects, your mailings must be carefully planned, prepared and presented.

Benefits of Direct Mail

• Target your audience
  • you control the target audience
  • you control content of your message

• Prompt Response
  • well prepared promotions can bring about instant responses

• you can tell your complete story
  • you can offer factual specific reasons why you are prospects’ most logical choice

Drawbacks of Direct Mail

• Expensive
  • acquiring or developing a mailing list, preparing and distributing the mailing are all expensive

• Advertising clutter
  • direct mail adds to the advertising clutter that prospects face
  • difficult to get prospects to open your mailings let alone read it and take the action you want them to take

• One-way communication
  • a one-way message to your target audience
  • virtually impossible to interact with or engage your audience
  
  
• Not believable
  • consumers are cynical: they tend to not believe promotional advertising

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