Direct Mail Marketing Letter

[Thomas Garza]

My wife and I are about to start our first direct mail marketing campaign after many years of thinking about doing it. I would love your feedback on my template below. This letter will be sent exclusively to driving for dollar houses. The plan is to pay someone around $1 to write each letter by hand (I can write around 15 per hour) and they will be mailed traditional mail. Thanks for any input you are able to provide. 

Dear [Person Name]

My wife and I were driving through your neighborhood a few days ago when we spotted your house at [Street Address]. We are in the market for a new investment property, and we think your house might be exactly what we are looking for.

If you are interested in selling us your house, without the need to make expensive repairs or updates, please give us a call at [Google Voice Number].

Sincerely,

Thomas and Dianna

[Lisa Jackson]

I like it, short and sweet, but still friendly.

[Joanne Eriaku]

Hi Thomas, looks safe and effective enough, I don't see anything that screams NO to me.

[Thomas Garza]

Thanks @Lisa Jackson and @Joanne Eriaku! 

[Lee Ripma]

@Thomas Garza

I like it. If you’re driving for dollars and handwriting these you could add something personal about the house to tie it in. Those yellow shutters really work or the moldy birdbath obscured by overgrown grass is just what I’m looking for. Just a thought that being personable and memorable works.

[Thomas Garza]

Thanks for the advice @Lee Ripma

[Steve Morris]

I would love your feedback on my template below.

Try it - However, I get 10 of these a month for my rentals / residence and throw them all away.  May be different in TX.

I think you really need to get them on the phone and call.  It works a lot more effectively.

[Thomas Garza]

@Steve Morris, how do I get them on the phone without them calling me? 

[Steve Morris]

how do I get them on the phone without them calling me?

I do commercial real estate. 99% of my calls are outbound. Good deals don't walk in on their own. CRE is a little more narrow field, but I think you need to go thru neighborhood by neighborhood and get owner's phones. Get your pitch (15-30 seconds) on why they should talk with you.

I'm not discounting a letter, but it's usually more of a warmup for a call than an inducement.

Anyways, my $0.02, at least you're trying and I've been wrong before.

[Rod Joseph]

@Steve Morris

Hi Steve,

I have been trying to buy my next Multi-Family. Do you do anything else besides calling to get in front of the owner?

[Steve Morris]

"I have been trying to buy my next Multi-Family. Do you do anything else besides calling to get in front of the owner?"

Well, spend a lot (too much actually) time grooming my contact list.  However phone calls are bar-none best and most efficient.  F2F is better but takes a lot of time/contact.  Toughest thing for me to learn is to shut up and listen.  The more they talk, the better your odds.

If I have absolutely NO phone for them (I use a pay for service so can get most) or am getting FAX/no answer phones, I'll send a letter with as much personal detail and how I can help as I can.  Those are about 2%-5% hit rates.

Nothing against mailers and I do a monthly eMailer on market stats (very little sales pitch), but most of the mass mailing stuff is a set up for a call.  I've had 5 juniors that thought eMails/Tweets/jazzy WEBsites were the bomb.  It might be, but most seller/owners get 50 of those a week, so an impersonal contact doesn't mean too much.

[Steve Morris]

Rod - BTW, looked at your WEBsite.  

How is the prop mgmt business?  In OR, we're flattening out on the net to owners and getting a lot more owners mad at their property managers.

[Jerryll Noorden]

All it is not about "personal". Whom ever said that seriously doesn't know a thing about lead generation.

Forget personal. It is about credibility.

Seriously, ask yourself a question. If you need to to sell your house would you take a yellow letter written in goats blood seriously?

No right?

Now think about this. You get a yellow letter from "uncle Joe" and his letter is hand written, nice white paper blue ink.

Then you also get a printed letter with a letterhead logo, a signature from the company head with a website link that points to a credible business with three thousand and 1 reviews all exclaiming how amazing these guys are professional, credible... are you EVER going to say "aahhh naaahh it is obvious these guys are reliable, legitimate and credible.. but I am going to go for Uncle Joe"? Do you think this would ever happen? No, That would NEVER happen.

On the other hand, is it ALWAYS the case that they will pick a pro company over a mom and pop shop? No of course not. I am sure Uncle Joe gets some accepted... BUT that is the thing.. 

With Uncle Joe .. some people will say yes, some will say no.

But with the pro credible company, NO ONE will say No, and then go to uncle Joe. No way.

Secondly... but certainly not lastly...

If you come at them with such a letter you make yourself seem VERY interested in their house.

"Wait a second.. YOU are driving down the street, YOU found my house, and YOU liked it enough... wait wait let me rephrase this... YOU WANTED it badly enough to write me a personal handwritten letter, that seemingly went out ONLY to me so you are ONLY interested in MY house... why on EARTH would I accept an offer below market value when YOU obviously want it badly?

Again I am not saying being personal is wrong... I am saying it is NOT about being personal. It is about being credible FIRST.

ONCE people find you credible THEN being personal and help a tad. But stop thinking because you are "different" you will perform better.

Remember, you are not going to Disney World for fun. You NEED to sell your house. In the end of the day the person that can demonstrate they are capable and willing to buy their house WILL get the deal no matter how personal the other guy is.

This entire marketing ploy here is insincere. Just be real man. No need to pretend and make believe you so happen to drive around the neighborhood and happen to see their house. You may fool them in the beginning but they WILL obviously know eventually your approach was not honest. You tricked them.

Dude tell them directly, Yo mami, I flip houses and I would love to get my next flip started. If you need to sell in a hurry or want to sell without having to list it, like if your house is in disrepair, hit me up. Done.

If this doesn't work, guess what, they are not motivated otherwise it would work as long as you can show you are credible.