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Marte Cliff
writer@marte-cliff.com
Contact me for:
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Archived...but updated for 2010!
It's Time to Prospect!Here's the easiest way to write an effective real estate prospecting letter
There are no secrets to success; Don't waste time looking for them.
Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty
to those for whom you work, and persistence.
General Colin Powell, U.S. Army (retired)
Dear Friend,
Right now, when the market is in a January slump, it's easy to think that no amount of hard work will get results. You might even wonder why you bother to go to the office.
We humans are strange creatures because sometimes we need "too much to do" in order to force ourselves to do anything. When there's plenty of time, we get lazy.
Don't let that happen to you!
Whatever else you do, don't slow down right now - you have things to do!
First, while everything is fresh in your mind, get that income tax work out of the way. Even if you hire an accountant, you still need to go through all your paperwork and make sure you've recorded every deduction.
Then, if you're like most of us, you need to make a plan that includes better record-keeping for more deductions next year.
Once that's out of the way, get hopping on your marketing for 2010! Since I've been harping at you, you probably already know how many mailings you're going to do, when you will send your newsletters, what print publications you might use, how many auto responders you need to set up, and how many blog posts you need to write per week.
Right? I hope so!
Now, if you haven't already done it, get busy with your prospecting letters. You have three choices. You can call me (or another real estate copywriter) and get a custom prospecting letter that sellers won't be able to resist.
- OR... you can order one or more of my pre-written prospecting letter sets.
- OR ... you can sit down with all the hints and tips I've sent you and everything else you've learned about writing an effective letter, and do it yourself.
Take the time to do it right.
Probably the biggest reason that amateur real estate copywriting fails is the "hurry factor." Agents who don't love writing try to get that chore crossed off the list just as fast as they can. Unfortunately, their results show it.
So begin with allowing at least a couple of hours for a one-page letter.
Start with thinking about the segment of your prospecting list you'll write to first. Then think about the individual people in this group. This isn't about you, remember that! Get a picture of a likely prospect firmly in your mind. If you have a real picture, tape it to your computer screen. Then THINK.
Think about what that person wants and needs. Why are they going to sell? Is it a happy reason, or a sad reason? Are they forced to sell for financial reasons, or possibly for health reasons?
Now that you see your prospect as a real person, write him or her a letter showing how you'll take care of his needs or help them solve her problems. Write as if you were talking to someone you actually know and care about. Tell them every reason why you're the person who will help. Remember to mention the extra services you perform, your expertise in the neighborhood, your commitment to the community, etc - but all in the context of how that will help your reader.
Then, after you've finished, let the letter sit for a few hours, or even a day.
Come back later and, using this letter as a guide, write your actual prospecting letter. Clean it up, put things in a proper order, check for glaring grammatical errors, but don't change the tone of your message.
Let your final product sound as much like a real person as the first draft.
I promise, your letter will be 100% more effective than those of your competitors - who write stiff, stuffy, "look at me I'm wonderful" letters.
You already know my ongoing promise to do a half hour critique on any of your marketing materials. If you write this letter and don't feel confident about it, send it to me for comments at writer@marte-cliff.com.
That complimentary service could double your number of listings this year - so why not take advantage?
If you just want to pose a question, why not use my blog? I'd love to hear your both your comments and your ideas for future ezine topics.
By the way, while you're here, and on other pages and sites, notice the Google ads. See the words that each agent or agencies uses to lure people to their sites. Are they the best words, or could you choose better ones?
Copywriters always study ads - the ads in the mail, the ads on TV, the ads in the e-mail. You need to do the same - pay attention to what other Realtors are doing, and then do it better.
After all, there are over a million Realtors in the U.S. And you want to be among the 20% who have 80% of the business.
Until next time, good writing!
Yours for success,
Marte
Marte Cliff, Real Estate Copywriter
writer@marte-cliff.com
www.marte-cliff.com
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