Direct Mail strategy, calls-to-action

I guess I should throw away all of my marketing materials designed to generate inbound calls?

Nah....

While I highly respect Newby, there are several agents in the senior market who generate inbound phone calls from prospects who are more than willing to give you their info and receive your assistance.

They normally will let you know that they are tired of the telemarketers, and they got your letter and wanted to ask if we'd be willing to help them. Let that sink in... that's different than chasing a lead...

While he has left the forum as far as I know, WCMason is one of the first agents that I heard of who did this successfully.

He sent letters. They called him. It's a beautiful thing, and I personally know that it can be done.

As a caveat... not just any letter will do. I recommend reading the direct response copywriters of this world...
 
I guess I should throw away all of my marketing materials designed to generate inbound calls?

Nah....

While I highly respect Newby, there are several agents in the senior market who generate inbound phone calls from prospects who are more than willing to give you their info and receive your assistance.

They normally will let you know that they are tired of the telemarketers, and they got your letter and wanted to ask if we'd be willing to help them. Let that sink in... that's different than chasing a lead...

While he has left the forum as far as I know, WCMason is one of the first agents that I heard of who did this successfully.

He sent letters. They called him. It's a beautiful thing, and I personally know that it can be done.

Your responses are what I was getting at, but wanted to see what others thought.

There has to be a "middle" step (or steps) between a mailing (or mailings) and the prospect becoming a client.

There has to be education, nurturing, reports, videos, credibility boosters, trust building, what their client experience will be like, etc. Not all of that, but at least some of that.

I've noticed this part to be lacking among many people. Just an observation, which is why I asked the question.

Imagine if QVC just put up a product on TV and that's it. They don't do that. They talk about the damn thing for 30 minutes or more. They give examples, build up the credibility of the seller, show testimonials, talk about features, explain the benefits, etc.
 
As a caveat... not just any letter will do. I recommend reading the direct response copywriters of this world...

That is the missing piece. You aren't taking just any DM card and telling people to call for info. It looks like you have custom letters that give a reason to call and establish you as an authority.

It works, but not just anyone can pull it off. Most new agents need to stick with tried and true methods. Get a lead card back and then set an appointment.
 
While he has left the forum as far as I know, WCMason is one of the first agents that I heard of who did this successfully.

He sent letters. They called him. It's a beautiful thing, and I personally know that it can be done.
I don't think I saw where Wes sent letters, but I know BuckNasty did and had good success. :yes:
 
I don't think I saw where Wes sent letters, but I know BuckNasty did and had good success. :yes:

I believe it was public knowledge... maybe not. I think it came up once or twice about real stamps vs. pre-cancelled or something like that. We're talking a long time ago.... several years.

Anyway, he along with a few others gave me the idea to really pursue the inbound call by writing a good, personalized letter.
 
I guess I should throw away all of my marketing materials designed to generate inbound calls?

Nah....

While I highly respect Newby, there are several agents in the senior market who generate inbound phone calls from prospects who are more than willing to give you their info and receive your assistance.

They normally will let you know that they are tired of the telemarketers, and they got your letter and wanted to ask if we'd be willing to help them. Let that sink in... that's different than chasing a lead...

While he has left the forum as far as I know, WCMason is one of the first agents that I heard of who did this successfully.

He sent letters. They called him. It's a beautiful thing, and I personally know that it can be done.

I get it. I know Jeff Roots group is doing amazing inbound stuff too. But I think that's more web based.

My comment was more about just adding an 800 number to a standard FE direct mail piece. Just as an additional response option. Those pieces work (as mail replies) because they are curious. Once you satisfy their curiosity they are not going to co-operate with you as much.

I run a ad in a local senior magazine every month. It generates one to two call Ins every month. And I agree with you they are generally much easier to work with than other types of leads. But in my case those are people that have seen our ads over and over for years. Have some knowledge of who we are and what we do and likely have friends that have come to us.

If you are generating a nice number of call in leads that are good quality then you are doing great.
 
I get it. I know Jeff Roots group is doing amazing inbound stuff too. But I think that's more web based.

My comment was more about just adding an 800 number to a standard FE direct mail piece. Just as an additional response option. Those pieces work (as mail replies) because they are curious. Once you satisfy their curiosity they are not going to co-operate with you as much.

I run a ad in a local senior magazine every month. It generates one to two call Ins every month. And I agree with you they are generally much easier to work with than other types of leads. But in my case those are people that have seen our ads over and over for years. Have some knowledge of who we are and what we do and likely have friends that have come to us.

If you are generating a nice number of call in leads that are good quality then you are doing great.

Agree. I mis-understood what you were referring to - it seemed like you were saying, in general, that you can't advertise and generate quality inbound calls.

You're right, adding a inbound number to a really generic piece would not be the way to go.
 
I see (i've never done it before selling this product).

Why not just give them the information they want, and try to proceed from there?

You have to put yourself in a position where you might be able to sell something. People have resistance to meeting. You have to decide whether you are going to sell by phone or in person. If you are going to sell face to face you can not discuss too much over the phone. Your whole objective is to meet with them.

People throw up road blocks because:
1. They don't really think you can help them any better than they can/ or have done on their own
2. They often think you (agents) only make money if you upsell them to higher prices
3. They think you will be real pushy and won't leave easily if they don't buy from you
4. Plus a million other negative thoughts in their head

The public really has no idea what brokers do. They definitely don't go into this thinking you really CAN and really WANT to help them, not hurt them. They have no idea that you get paid well to find them lower prices AND that your motivation is to find them a very low competitive price that they qualify for.

And they have no clue that if the appointment is not going well, you want out of there quicker than they do.

That's why selling the meeting is the hardest part of our jobs.
 
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