Direct Mail Dismal Results

[Kyle Weckesser]

Hello BP community! I am seeking advice/feedback on my unsuccessful direct mail campaign. Please provide comments, feedback, etc on what may be the issue. Summary of campaign Targets: Recent NOD filings Purpose: Purchase below market due to distress Data: pulled from title company online account. I got 1900 NOD filings in Southern California from 9/1/17 - 11/1/17 across 83 cities. Mailers: Postcard style off yellow Mailer Message: essentially that I will purchase in 10 days with no broker fees. Also that this will help avoid a possible bankruptcy or foreclosure which stays on the record for 7-10 years. 1900 mailers were sent on 11/27/17. To date I have received 1 phone call. All thoughts are welcome. For those with extensive experience - how does seasonality affect responses (I.e I sent out right after thanksgiving) and during this time of year how long from mail date until responses start coming in? Thanks for the help

[Jerry Puckett]

Thanks @Brie Schmidt,

Hi Kyle,

There are a number of details in your method that I disagree with, and trying to explain them all would just take more time than I have to type. So, salient points...

I understand that you are holding out hope, but seasonality is not going to impact this kind of mailing overly much. Your responses will come when the mail hits. It's POSSIBLE not all of your mail has hit (see below)

• I do not like Postcards. They are not effective. Most people, even those in distress, throw them in the trash without a second thought.
• If your postcards were not first class, they can take up to 30 days to be delivered
• I do not like the NOD list (more on that below)
• Your messaging was very specific. If the only thing you can do to "help" them is buy the house, then mentioning their financial situation does not work to your advantage. If you have a unique selling proposition, if you can offer help of some other kind, it can be worth mentioning.

The way the rules work in TEXAS gives us no time to do an effective marketing campaign for pre foreclosure. The folks who are having the most success with these are door knocking, and even at that, you have to be careful.

Seems like a no brainer, right? "Sell me your house for what you owe and avoid losing your credit". Sadly, most of these who find themselves in such a predicament (remember, you do not get on a NOD list by having a stellar reputation as a decision maker :-) )....most who find themselves there fall into 2 general camps:

• Those who are paranoid, and think EVERYONE knows their business, and believes anyone seeking them out to be a creditor. They HIDE. Hard to find. Do not answer the phone...Mentioning their predicament intensifies this reaction.
• And those who have managed to emotionally divorce themselves from the home...."oh.....I'm just going to let the bank have it" They have made up their minds, and have a small measure of peace. They do not want any HOPE dangled in their face.

That's been my experience.

Having said that, congratulations for getting out there and doing SOMETHING. Marketing is largely about trial and error, and one thing I love about @Brie Schmidt is that she is smart enough to bennefit from other's mistakes by leveraging their knowledge and experience on the front side of a campaign.

Hope that helps!