| Sales and Marketing and paying attention to your | | | | Harley on display alongside a 1967 Mustang. |
| clients goes a really long way. | | | | We treated them special. |
| One of my clients is a land developer in an executive | | | | And they ate it up. |
| lake front community. The homes are $750,000 ' $1.5 | | | | The problem though is the responses I got back |
| Million dollar custom built beauties. | | | | from the email list. |
| We were brought in to "be" their marketing | | | | People replied back saying they waited and waited ' |
| department. To most outsiders, our firm looks like | | | | but never heard back and ended up buying |
| we are actually employees. | | | | elsewhere. At least 10 of those responses (let's see |
| The reason we were brought in was their past | | | | now ' 10 people x $1,000,000 homes = $10,000,000 |
| marketing manager. | | | | down the drain!). |
| She got fired. | | | | People called me names ' some nasty. |
| For a VERY good reason. | | | | Overall, people were very thankful. |
| This was a person who acted as if the company was | | | | Which leads me to the whole point of this article... |
| her own, and as if she was not accountable at all for | | | | You MUST collect leads from interested party but |
| marketing funds. | | | | even more important is you MUST follow up with |
| When I first started digging around, it was very | | | | them. If people express their interest ' the job is at |
| evident that this person loved to spend the | | | | least 50% done. Then it is in effective follow up to |
| companies' money ' without any thought to results. | | | | close the deal. |
| Ads being run in newspapers and magazines that | | | | This company neglected this database ' and even |
| DEFINITELY did not target the right demographics. | | | | worse, neglected these peoples trust. |
| Radio spots being run on stations that 18 year old | | | | It will be interesting to see what we can do with |
| skateboarders listen to (how many of them do you | | | | some effective follow up. |
| think will buy a million dollar home?) | | | | From what I have seen so far ' simple letters and |
| A website that looks pretty but is seriously lacking | | | | emails will help sell million dollar home sales. Of course |
| good quality content. The one VERY good thing they | | | | it will take more than just that ' but most people |
| have on the site is a form to fill out for more | | | | were very happy to get emails and print letters from |
| information...but this is part of the big problem. | | | | us. |
| People were filling this form out ' and NEVER hearing | | | | I will keep you updated on the progress of this |
| back from anyone. | | | | project ' it is a fun one. |
| I tried to find all their databases. | | | | Remember, keep a database ' and follow up with |
| "Data what?" | | | | them! Invite them to special events. Give them gifts. |
| No one had a clue on where the databases were or | | | | Treat them like gold. And follow up with them again, |
| even what they were. | | | | and again, and again. |
| After a month I managed to compile a list of ~ | | | | You are criminally neglecting these people if you take |
| 2,000 interested prospects that had either been to | | | | their names and do nothing with them. |
| the website and filled out the form attended an | | | | The sad part? |
| event phoned in or visited the information centre or | | | | This client is much like 95% of the companies out |
| had expressed some form of interest at one point. | | | | there in existence today. |
| Remember ' these are people who have not heard a | | | | Which is why it doesn't take much to stand out from |
| word back from the developer ' some of them filled | | | | the crowd as people are sadly quite used to this kind |
| the form out a year or more ago! | | | | of neglect? |
| First thing I did was send an apology letter to | | | | Be the one that does pay attention. |
| everyone on the database. Imagine the shock the | | | | And be the one who shows them that you DO care |
| staff had when I told them we have to apologize for | | | | about their business. |
| being so tardy (and downright dumb) about lack of | | | | PS ' If you are looking for investment properties or |
| follow up. | | | | are looking for one of the best communities to live in |
| Then I invited them all to 2 parties coming up. | | | | ' let me know! In the first 24 months, the lots in this |
| Then I sent an email as well ' giving more information | | | | community have gone up 250% in value. |
| and reasons to attend. | | | | The one person who lives there now has tripled his |
| The first was a VIP party held on Wed night. It | | | | money in less than 2 years! Calgary (where I live) is a |
| turned out fabulous! We had 80-100 people show up | | | | SCREAMING hot real estate market right now ' |
| and were very happy to hear from us and see all the | | | | average home prices are going up at 10% a month |
| progress being made. We served them top quality | | | | right now. And this is the ONLY natural lake front |
| wine, cheeses, and bread. We gave them leather | | | | community being built ' or even available right now. |
| bound information packages with a ton of content | | | | Let me know if you want more information. |
| and information inside. We gave out prizes. We had a | | | | |