| There is a simple but almost mystical law
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| | 3-4,000 to prospective borrowers every
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| which governs promotion and marketing and
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| | week, handling all the mailing in house.
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| their relationship to the amount of
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| | They use large (4 1/4" by 6") full-color,
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| business generated: business will come in
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| | laminated postcards which look very
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| to the degree that you get your message
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| | attractive."We went to postcards a few
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| out, promote, let people know you are
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| | years ago because I got sick of doing the
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| there, advertise, write to people, call
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| | bulk mailings using envelopes," Forest
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| people, e-mail people and generally
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| | admits. Folding letters and sealing
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| communicate to existing or potential
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| | envelopes is pretty labor intensive.
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| clients.It isn't a fact that registers
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| | Postcards cost less and the mail costs
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| easily and it almost takes faith to
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| | are lower.Forest attributes a full 20% of
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| follow this dictum until you have seen it
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| | his business to the postcard mailings
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| work over and over in all sorts of
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| | which account for the majority of their
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| different businesses and organizations
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| | spending on print advertising/promotion
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| (as I have).This law transcends market
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| | for the year. "Because of the magic
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| conditions, the activities of your
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| | formula that business comes in in
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| competition, acts of terrorism, time of
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| | proportion to the postcards and other
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| year, the alignment of Mars with Jupiter
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| | forms of promotion that go out, we get
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| and all the million and one explanations
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| | results from all quarters," he
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| we frequently fall back on when business
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| | says.Outsourcing:The above example
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| is slow. All these conditions may be
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| | includes networking with title companies
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| present but there is still a way to rise
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| | and handling large mailings in house but
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| above them: just promote more heavily and
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| | this is something to work up to if you
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| frequently and business will start to
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| | want to go that route. Few mortgage
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| pick up again. It never fails.It's almost
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| | brokers have an in-house marketing
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| a natural instinct when times get a
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| | department and it can be time-consuming
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| little tight or business is slow to cut
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| | and overwhelming to take on all of these
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| down on expenditure. You hear people
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| | aspects of getting postcards mailed out
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| talking about tightening their belts. Too
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| | using existing personnel who are already
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| often the first expenditure companies
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| | busy dealing with loans and paperwork.A
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| seek to cut is their marketing and
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| | good postcard company can handle the
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| advertising dollar, and that is a serious
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| | entire mailing and save you money in the
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| error, a guarantee of contraction. You
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| | process. They make their money from
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| have to step up the promotion, not cut
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| | printing postcards, not from consulting,
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| back. The trick is to find ways to get
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| | selling mailing lists, mailing and so on.
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| the maximum results with the minimum
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| | So they can give you better deals on
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| expenditure, but never to cut back and
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| | these other services where needed.Having
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| promote less. That's suicide. Here's one
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| | the postcard company do the mailing from
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| way to increase promotion while keeping
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| | you has an additional benefit of saving
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| costs down.You don't have to open a
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| | on shipping. Printed matter is quite
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| postcard!We have found more and more
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| | heavy and shipping 10,000 postcards
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| brokers are turning to high quality,
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| | across country is not that cheap. If it
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| four-color postcards as the best form of
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| | is mailed from the postcard company
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| direct mail. It's time to pass on the
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| | direct these shipping charges are
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| information for those who haven't yet
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| | avoided.Sharp Mortgages Inc. of
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| discovered this cost-effective way of
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| | Jacksonville started using postcards in
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| getting the word out and the business
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| | 2001, having used every other form of
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| in.This is especially timely advice as
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| | advertising and promotion. They sent out
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| the national anthrax scare - whether you
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| | two initial mailings of 10,000 postcards
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| give credence to it or not - has resulted
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| | each and have ordered another 50,000 so
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| in a certain caution when it comes to
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| | it must be working. "We let the postcard
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| opening envelopes from unknown sources.
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| | company handle the mailing," says Bill
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| One great advantage of the postcard is
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| | Sharp Snr. who handles their advertising.
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| that it doesn't have to be opened - there
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| | "With all the other things we have to do,
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| is nothing hidden about it and nothing to
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| | we find that it's easier to let them
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| be scared of.Quite aside from the anthrax
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| | handle the mailing than to tie up our
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| angle, the fact that a postcard doesn't
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| | time in here."Don't be put off by the
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| need to be opened has another advantage:
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| | thought of all the extra work involved
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| it has a chance to get its message across
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| | for your already too busy personnel. In
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| before it is dropped into the garbage can
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| | the long run it might save you a lot of
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| as "junk mail." An envelope can be tossed
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| | money to pay a little extra for the
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| in the trash without even being opened,
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| | postcard company to take the entire
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| allowing the hard-hitting promotional
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| | process off your hands from design and
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| material inside no chance at all to get
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| | print through to mailing.How to get going
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| its message across.The chances are fairly
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| | with postcards.So, assuming postcards are
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| high that if you have a brightly colored
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| | the way to go, where do you start?A. Find
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| image on the front of your postcard it
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| | a postcard company to help you.This
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| will attract enough attention to get an
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| | company must:1. SPECIALIZE IN POSTCARDS,
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| initial glance. If your headline is a
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| | not just do postcards among other
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| good one and invites further interest,
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| | printing jobs. You will get better
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| then your postcard will be read and you
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| | service and a better product. It will
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| will have succeeded in delivering your
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| | cost much less because they are printing
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| message. If the reader is even vaguely
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| | your postcard along with many other
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| interested in what you are trying to
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| | customers' postcards and can "gang print"
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| sell, you may well get a visit or a
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| | them which means they print many
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| call.Cost-effective!Even though it is
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| | different postcards on one large sheet of
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| imperative to promote more than ever when
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| | card and it's only one press run.2. Have
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| the economy is sticky or business is
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| | some MARKETING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE.
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| slow, that doesn't mean you can't cut
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| | They should be able to advise you on
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| costs in the process.Many brokers are
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| | mailing lists, design, quantities and so
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| convinced that a full-color postcard with
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| | on. The better ones offer a full range of
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| the right message on it, mailed out to
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| | services from advice through design,
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| previous clients (for re-financing for
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| | assistance with photography, printing and
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| example) or to prospective borrowers gets
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| | mailing.3. Postcards they produce should
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| the most bang for the advertising buck of
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| | be UV COATED (laminated), FULL COLOR, 4 1
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| any form of promotion, even when they
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| | 4" x 6" so you get the biggest size card
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| also advertise in print, on the radio and
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| | you can for the lowest mail rate and they
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| TV, sky-writing, you name it.You can mail
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| | really look good. The UV coating is
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| out a postcard up to 4 1/4 inches by 6
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| | essential for a very high gloss finish
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| inches for between 17.5¢ and 19.5¢
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| | that really makes the postcard stand out
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| first class pre-sorted. This is cheaper
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| | and attract attention.4. Above all you
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| than the lowest letter rate which is 19¢
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| | need to know that you are going to get
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| - 24¢ and that's for standard, bulk
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| | RESULTS. Percentage of response is not
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| rate, not first class. If you find the
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| | the real measure of success as this
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| right company you can get 5,000 high
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| | varies from industry to industry and area
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| quality, full-color, laminated postcards
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| | to area. What you want to determine is
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| printed for under $400.Warren Financial
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| | return on investment. If you spend $2,500
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| Corporation of Dunedin, Florida, is an
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| | all inclusive to send out a 10,000
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| example of a company who rely entirely on
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| | postcard mailing and get 200 calls as a
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| postcards (and referrals) for new
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| | result, and convert even 10 of those into
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| business. "The strange thing about
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| | mortgage purchases, then the mailing was
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| postcards is that I'll have people who
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| | a terrific investment. So you need to
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| will call me 6 or 8 months after I mailed
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| | look at the big picture and check for
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| them out and say, 'I got one of your
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| | results in terms of return on
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| postcards and kept it.'," says Jim
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| | investment.When choosing a postcard
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| Warren, the company's owner. He buys
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| | company to handle your mailing, it's a
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| 6,000 postcards at a time and sends out
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| | good idea to get some names and phone
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| 400 every month to highly targeted
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| | numbers of their customers and call them
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| mailing lists. He leaves the back of the
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| | up to get some first hand information on
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| cards blank so that he can get a
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| | how good the company is: do they deliver
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| different message printed on them when
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| | good service and value for money?Once you
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| he's ready to send them. This allows for
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| | have found the right provider (it doesn't
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| rate changes and other time-sensitive
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| | have to be local - the better ones work
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| messages to be printed on at the time the
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| | on a national basis and do business with
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| postcards are going to be mailed.He used
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| | companies all over the USA) get their
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| to use very basic, black and white
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| | advice on producing the postcard. They
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| postcards run off by his local printer
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| | will help you with all the steps.B.
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| but has now gone to full-color, 4 1/4" x
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| | Decide whether you want them to handle
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| 6" cards (the largest size you can send
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| | the mailing for you (see section above on
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| at the lowest mail rate) which has
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| | outsourcing).C. Decide whether you are
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| improved his response rate. "I have a
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| | going to mail to your existing customers
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| rifle rather than a shotgun approach to
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| | or to mailing lists of potential
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| marketing," he says. "For what I do the
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| | customers or both.Procurement of mailing
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| four-color postcards are perfect."A case
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| | lists an important point. Sending out
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| in point...Sun Pacific Mortgage of Santa
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| | postcards to 10,000 random homeowners by
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| Rosa, California have been in business
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| | zip code is not going to get the same
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| for 14 years, specializing in giving
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| | response as sending 10,000 postcards to
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| loans to people who have been turned down
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| | qualified homeowners of the type that you
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| elsewhere. Owner Forest Tardibuono came
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| | specialize in (conventional, subprime,
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| across some management technology in 1997
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| | refinances, etc.). You can buy mailing
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| and since then their income has increased
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| | lists that are quite specific. Your
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| by 900% and is still on the rise. One of
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| | biggest expense is going to be postage.
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| the principles that Forest learned and
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| | It's worth spending a little extra money
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| really put into practice was the fact
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| | to make sure your message gets to
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| that if you want more business or new
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| | qualified potential mortgage purchasers
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| business, you have to promote. "We're one
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| | in the category that you want to deal
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| big marketing machine," he says. "We
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| | with.The postcard company should be able
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| promote heavily and it's then an easy job
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| | to help you with the choice and purchase
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| for the loan reps to pick up the loans.
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| | of mailing lists.D. Decide on the content
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| The sale is easy." The company spends 14%
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| | of the card. Again, a good postcard
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| of its gross on promotion. With an annual
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| | company will have experience with this
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| income of close to $2 million, that's a
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| | and can offer valuable advice. They've
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| sizable budget for promotion. But it is
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| | probably worked with other mortgage
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| also a major factor in their continued
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| | brokers and know what works and what
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| growth.Sun Pacific order 50-60,000
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| | doesn't.E. Get the card produced. They
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| postcards at a time with a selection of
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| | will send you proofs. Get any needed
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| several different images on the cards.
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| | corrections made so that you are happy
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| They have an arrangement with local title
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| | with them.F. Get them mailed out.G. Sit
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| companies whereby these provide Sun
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| | back and make the most of the response.H.
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| Pacific with mailing lists already
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| | Plan your next mailing and repeat the
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| printed in mailing label form at no cost
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| | steps.After you've done a few mailings
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| as an incentive for the mortgage company
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| | you will get a better idea of what works
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| to use them for title work. They provide
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| | and you can refine your campaign.This is
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| these labels as often as needed and
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| | a proven, tried and tested, workable
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| targeted as narrowly and specifically as
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| | approach to increasing sales through
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| required. For example, Forest will ask
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| | direct mail using color postcards.Joy
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| for homeowners of a specific zip code
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| | Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998;
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| (one that has proven profitable in the
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| | her only assets a computer and a phone.
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| past) and will limit the search to
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| | In 2004 the company did close to $9
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| specific categories to make sure that the
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| | million in sales and employs over 60
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| mailing hits home. Getting the mailing
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| | persons. She attributes her explosive
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| labels free of a charge represents a
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| | growth to her ability to choose
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| considerable saving.Then Sun Pacific will
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| | incredible staff and her innate marketing
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| send out mailings of a couple of thousand
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| | savvy. Now she's sharing her marketing
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| postcards once or twice a month to
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| | secrets with others.
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| current or past clients, and another
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| |
|
