dionwisn 0 Report post Posted February 14, 2009 Anybody doing cold calling these days with any reasonable responses? MC, you still hiding from the phones or is the email approach still easier for you in south florida Whats been working for people on the boards these days. Has anyone done any direct mail for L/O's Of course free is allways better but when free aint producing you have to find other avenues. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MichaelC 160 Report post Posted February 14, 2009 Hiding from the phones? No. Just avoiding it as my first method of contact. As was explained here just recently, emails first, then the telephone after making a determination that the homeowner is somewhat serious and sane. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doug Pretorius (ON) 9 Report post Posted February 14, 2009 I think it's still all about the phone. Online advertisers are funny that way. They put an ad on the web with no phone number but as soon as you email them the first thing they ask is for you to call them Combine that with the fact that only a tiny percentage of the homes for sale are advertised on the likes of craigslist or FSBO sites. And you might as well just start off at the place you're going to end up anyway--talking to the seller on the phone. I've really been giving this email marketing thing a good go and the results have been pretty crappy. I don't know what it is but email and lease/options mix like oil and water for me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MichaelC 160 Report post Posted February 15, 2009 I have to disagree, Doug. Could be a cultural thing. There is, after all, quite a difference between Miami Beach and the Yukon. That said, my local newspapers used to be as thick as the phone book with FSBO ads. But that was years ago. Nowadays, my daily is as thin as a single ply paper napkin, and the company that owns it is battling bankruptcy. With 24/7 news channels all over the dial, and the internet being what it is, the newspaper industry will soon go the way of the dodo. My point being that, in my area at least, it seems most homeowners are opting to advertise online rather than in print. That's why I gear my marketing via emails now. And even the folks who reply to my first email with a request to "Call me!", I still automatically shoot them off my second email. If they don't reply again then I know I just saved myself some time and aggravation. But if they do, well, I'll give 'em a call and go from there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doug Pretorius (ON) 9 Report post Posted February 15, 2009 Sorry MC that's not what I meant, allow me to clarify. Print advertising is long gone here as well I haven't even looked to see if there are any ads left in the newspaper for a couple of years now. What I meant by there being only a small percentage is because 90%+ of the houses for sale are on the MLS. And since emailing agents is a waste of time that leaves only a handful of actual home owner ads on craigslist, kijiji, et al. compared to the total number of properties on the market. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MichaelC 160 Report post Posted February 15, 2009 Got it. I agree that the bulk of homes for sale are listed with Agents. Still, when you consider the vast number of properties that are always entering the market, even if only 10% are FSBO or FRBO, that still translates into large numbers of homeowners to contact. And if you're working CA's online, as has been discussed here numerous times, there is no need for anyone to limit themselves geographically. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dionwisn 0 Report post Posted February 15, 2009 Im moving more towards call blasting for my cold calls. It's been easier for me to hanldle No over the phone than in person. Signs are a pain in the rear and against the law. Direct mail is too expensive. What else has benn working. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonathan RexfordFL 8 Report post Posted February 15, 2009 I have gave up on voice blasting. I found out it made more people mad than anything else. Since I am not focusing on L/O or C/A as a business model per se here is what is working for me. SignsDirect MailReferral Marketing I am trying to step up Internet Marketing. But that has been a huge learning curve for me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jason (AL) 1 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 I am trying to step up Internet Marketing. But that has been a huge learning curve for me. Once you grasp it, it'll work wonders for you.Let me know if I can be of any help in this department. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonathan RexfordFL 8 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 Jason here is what I have so far..... My websites have beed Keyword for my area with the keywords that work on keyword searches.Blogs pointing back to websites have also been tagged and back linked to siteGot several youtube shows doing the same thing aboveI have am getting ready to submit several articles to several article submission sites I do have top position in google in my area "We buy houses Vero Beach" But I need to work it from there aloing with the Social sites. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GetSmart 0 Report post Posted February 17, 2009 if calling on the phone doesn't work and most houses are listed with realtors, why don't you find homes that have been listed for over 4-6 months and drop them a letter in the mail. most would be motivated since they tried listing with an agent and had no luck. i am debating a mail out to those types of sellers. you can tailor a pretty crafty letter to the fact that their agent isn't performing, maybe they should try creative methods./ as long as you aren't a realtor then contacting them is fair game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GetSmart 0 Report post Posted February 17, 2009 also Jon, how long did it take you to claim your spot on google for your keyword? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonathan RexfordFL 8 Report post Posted February 17, 2009 24hrs Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GetSmart 0 Report post Posted February 18, 2009 your website kicks butt then. not many websites rank that quickly, but i do see that your site is aged quite a bit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bwalston 1 Report post Posted February 19, 2009 I have gave up on voice blasting. I found out it made more people mad than anything else.How did you have your voice blast set up Jonathan? I've not made anyone mad yet, at least that I know of :-) I may do my voice blasts differently than some though. My blast is set up to leave a message only if the phone is answered by a machine. If the phone is answered by a person, the "blast" politely says "Sorry, wrong number" and hangs up. That number is then "flagged" so that I know that a message was not left and I can include the number in my next campaign. Messages are left about 80% of the time. I schedule my blast to go out between 9A-10A or 2P-3P when folks are more likely to be out and a machine takes the call. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites