Looking to Build a system to help follow up with direct mail

[Benjamin Herrmann]

Hello, I want to get better at follow up when it comes to direct mail. I currently use a database called follow up boss for my real estate broker business. I am looking for a system or best practice on how to track all the letters I am sending and who owns what, who called me, what property they own, what we last talked about and what the letter I sent them looks like. I have tried deal machine and I really don’t like it, I want to have personalized letters go out after I drive for dollars. 

My current problem is - I will drive by a handful of homes I want to write letters to, I will write down the address on a note pad, find the pad a week later and forget why I wrote down the addresses. Or I will send them a letter and forget I sent them a letter.

Anyway, I am ADHD and great with people but not organization. Just being honest. Any input would be super helpful. 

Please leave a thoughtful response if you do comment. “Use a spreadsheet” Is really not helpful lol. 

[Ronald Allen Barney]

When I scout drive I head mount a GoPro and narrate to myself where I am, what I see, and why I wanna Golden Letter the place.  When I get back to my office I then type up mailing list notes based on playback from my video.  I start with a boilerplate Golden Letter and then where relevant I customize some to mention some items I noted on the scout drive.  Sometimes the notes are just for myself.  Anyone who calls back I enter into my standard CRM with a cross reference to my scout drive notes for address and notes about the property.  I work solo on a small scale so I haven't run into needing fancy software to facilitate any of that, but I have found the video style drive is much more efficient than a notepad drive (safer too!)

For picking areas to scout drive I cross reference some key data points:  crime trends, unemployment trends, home value trends, etc.  If an area used to be "nice" and that's melting away into a class C/D zone, that's lubrication for seller motivation.  Add peak market prices and you finally get people on the phone talking.