How Often Do You Send Your Direct Mail - My Callers Are Getting More Direct As Well.

[Burt L.]

I am in round two of a direct mail campaign and callers are getting more sharp in their replies; its said to expect creative responses to creative marketing and of course I'm hearing more "creativity" sent my way after the second letter than after the first letter.

I wonder what others use for their mailing frequency? I've heard it should be each 4-6 weeks. It doesn't seem like enough time to create a new financial urgency, where there wasn't one strong enough to make a call before. But maybe I"m missing the point about establishing mailing "rapport" in the first place.

[Sharon Vornholt]

Great topic Burt.

I have been doing direct mail for about 20 years; 5 years in real estate. It really depends on what type of list you have. Absentee owners are good so long as they don't move to where the property is. You just have to update your list periodically to get rid of folks and add new foks. I bought a house last year after 3 years. Was it worth monthly mailings for 3 years? Heck yes. $12K in profit for 36 stamps and some paper.

Probates you won't mail to for as long as absentee owners. But I have bought a lot of properties beyond the one year mark. Some folks just can't face dealing with the estate until that point.

Preforeclosures would be on a different time table.

I was trying to decide what to write about for Monday, and you just solved that problem; it will be on direct mail.

I can tell you one thing. The bulk of your DEALS come at the 4th mailing and beyond. It's called a "direct mail campaign" for a reason. I will have some statistics for you in the article.

If you are just doing one or two mailings, it's a complete waste of your time and money.

I am the guy that's still in the game when everyone else has quit; and I'm pretty happy about that.