If a business letter had a baby with a YL

Marketing Your Property
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If a business letter had a baby with a YL

Tyler Weinrich
Investor · Oklahoma City, OK · Member since 2014 · 61 posts · 31 votes

Has anyone tried to send a handwritten (real or printed) letter on a business formatted letterhead? Just like a YL we all know but on company branded paper. 

It would seem that most of the personal effect which drives open rates would be retained because it is still "handwritten" on the envelop and the body itself is "handwritten" (printed font or real). However, when the recipient opens it, they'd be receiving a professional looking letterhead with my name, company name, phone and website in the header with the goal of coming across as serious and legitimate. 

I'm not saying it has to be decked out with lots of ink-wasting fluff, just more professional than the other 1000 people sending YL's. One more assumption or hope is that it would help to build a brand more effectively. People see your logo, they see your company name, anything from a sign to a website to a business card with the same branding would trigger your company in their minds.

Below is a VERY (hired-a-3rd-grader very) crude mockup. Includes a logo, company motto, company name, basic-basic-basic graphics (crossing lines or something like that) but still would leverage the personal, "handwritten" angle. 

  • Has anyone tried something like that? 
  • Does it really even matter? Would the more professional image help at all with marketing to motivated sellers? (absentees for example, I know probate and other targets are different animals)
  • Would this hurt you or negate the personal handwritten aspect because now you are coming across as the corporate, cold as steel, don't care about you acquisitions officer?
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Rick H.
Lender · Greater LA/Orange County area, CA · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
11y

I can assure that nothing is new and that some time or another, has been tried by other before you. Of course, you're unlikely to get feedback from their results here or elsewhere.

This is really academic since the only response that matters are from people who you end up monetizing. Even the ones that respond but don't close ought not by treated the same. And the marketer who did this yesterday, last year, 50 years ago, etc. doesn't count because s/he doesn't have the same message as you!

I agree with @Karen Margrave that you either go the non-pro approach or the biz-like way. 

The most effective campaigns are strategically designed and tactically implemented by multiple mailings, each intended to do a single job (educated, position, prepare, notice or take an action such as lead generation like call, send reply card, go online, etc.). Yellow letters pretty much limit you to getting people to call, else the "aw shucks" positioning is countered by too sophisticated a system. 

Is there any harm in a handwritten letterhead mailing? Probably not. However, it's hard to come back with letter #2, 3, etc. and appear like a humble small guy. You could also use the approach my friend Mike Cantu uses: a letterhead that looks typewritten.

Discussions about what you might do seem like the BP dreamers who are always going to get around to doing this or that but never do. 

Action is the word of the day.

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  • Karen MargraveBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Realtor, General Contractor, and Developer · Redding, CA · Member since 2009 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    11y

    @Tyler Weinrich  It seems to me that YL work because they look personal, period. If something is hand addressed and has a typewritten letter, it looks like a business sent it, and they were trying to trick you into thinking it was a personal letter. Not a good first impression seeming deceptive.

    I don't do mailout campaigns, as I have no need to. However; I can tell you that years ago when I did advertising for a real estate company I found out that the best ads were those that seemed to be FSBO and not professional real estate ads. Brokers cannot advertise like that anymore, because of the requirements for office name, etc.

    I'd go one way or the other. 

    1Reply
  • Rick H.
    Lender · Greater LA/Orange County area, CA · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    11y

    I can assure that nothing is new and that some time or another, has been tried by other before you. Of course, you're unlikely to get feedback from their results here or elsewhere.

    This is really academic since the only response that matters are from people who you end up monetizing. Even the ones that respond but don't close ought not by treated the same. And the marketer who did this yesterday, last year, 50 years ago, etc. doesn't count because s/he doesn't have the same message as you!

    I agree with @Karen Margrave that you either go the non-pro approach or the biz-like way. 

    The most effective campaigns are strategically designed and tactically implemented by multiple mailings, each intended to do a single job (educated, position, prepare, notice or take an action such as lead generation like call, send reply card, go online, etc.). Yellow letters pretty much limit you to getting people to call, else the "aw shucks" positioning is countered by too sophisticated a system. 

    Is there any harm in a handwritten letterhead mailing? Probably not. However, it's hard to come back with letter #2, 3, etc. and appear like a humble small guy. You could also use the approach my friend Mike Cantu uses: a letterhead that looks typewritten.

    Discussions about what you might do seem like the BP dreamers who are always going to get around to doing this or that but never do. 

    Action is the word of the day.

    2Reply
  • Jeremy T.
    Investor · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2014 · 266 posts · 240 votes
    11y
    Originally posted by @Rick H.:

    The most effective campaigns are strategically designed and tactically implemented by multiple mailings, each intended to do a single job (educated, position, prepare, notice or take an action such as lead generation like call, send reply card, go online, etc.). Yellow letters pretty much limit you to getting people to call, else the "aw shucks" positioning is countered by too sophisticated a system. 

    ^^ This.

    0Reply
  • Tyler Weinrich
    OP
    Investor · Oklahoma City, OK · Member since 2014 · 61 posts · 31 votes
    11y

    @Karen Margrave I see your point about going all the way pro or not. The deceiving factor is definitely an issue. thanks for the input.

    @Rick H. Not trying to be new as, like you said, it's all been done before. Just trying to make a marketing piece stand out a bit in a sea of YL's. It's all been done before, tactics ebb and flow with the times. The herd eventually eats all the grass on one side of the pasture only to run to other other where there are fewer and more grass. If the herd is still doing what works (basic YL), I'm all for doing that. I am just trying to be aware of what might be becoming overworked and adapt accordingly. 

    100% agree about taking action. I haven't sent out anything yet to be honest. I plan to like 10 million others. Dreaming? Yes. I also think that evaluating your competition before you make a move is smart planning. That's what I'm trying to do. If it turns out that I'm happy with relying on a hopefully superior message via YL, I'll do YL. Regardless, I'm sending something out this year. 

    My goal with that idea was just to try and stick out a bit. I think I might be overestimating the need for that and underestimating the power of consistency. Still in the planning stages so appreciate the input to help me think through it. 

    0Reply
  • Rick H.
    Lender · Greater LA/Orange County area, CA · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    11y
    Originally posted by @Tyler Weinrich:

    @Karen Margrave I see your point about going all the way pro or not. The deceiving factor is definitely an issue. thanks for the input.

    @Rick H. Not trying to be new as, like you said, it's all been done before. Just trying to make a marketing piece stand out a bit in a sea of YL's. It's all been done before, tactics ebb and flow with the times. The herd eventually eats all the grass on one side of the pasture only to run to other other where there are fewer and more grass. If the herd is still doing what works (basic YL), I'm all for doing that. I am just trying to be aware of what might be becoming overworked and adapt accordingly. 

    100% agree about taking action. I haven't sent out anything yet to be honest. I plan to like 10 million others. Dreaming? Yes. I also think that evaluating your competition before you make a move is smart planning. That's what I'm trying to do. If it turns out that I'm happy with relying on a hopefully superior message via YL, I'll do YL. Regardless, I'm sending something out this year. 

    My goal with that idea was just to try and stick out a bit. I think I might be overestimating the need for that and underestimating the power of consistency. Still in the planning stages so appreciate the input to help me think through it. 

     Ok. 

    Let's get some basic terms correct, for starters. This will help IF you visualize:

    Goals are numerical and measurable 

    Objectives are targets that you direct your actions towards.

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