Business

direct mail vs. Knock on the door – pros and cons

I think we’ve all heard different speakers say different things about marketing. Some say you should knock on as many doors as possible. Others say that signs are the way to go. Some talk about direct mail. Others rely on newspaper ads. Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at the pros and cons of each. Today, it’s knocking on doors vs. direct mail. Who will win?

Direct mail. Hands down. There is no doubt in my mind. I will put my money into it every time. Why? Let’s discuss.

o First, knocking on the door obviously takes a long time. Let’s talk about the weather for a second. It’s the one thing Bill Gates can’t do anymore, Warren Buffet can’t buy anymore, and Donald Trump can’t build anymore. If there’s one thing that drives your daily schedule, it’s time. Why would you spend an entire day going door to door when you can achieve the same results by sending a targeted direct mail campaign to the same people, sitting at home in your underwear and still having time to surf the web, watch your favorite show on TV, or spending more time with your kids (my personal favorite)???

o Knocking on the door is not necessarily cheaper than sending letters. People assume that cards have to come out in batches of 100. That’s not true. You can send as many or as few letters as your budget allows. Given that current gas prices are what they are, you’ll probably spend more money going around and knocking on doors all day using a tank of gas than if you had mailed it to the same specific group of people.

o Let’s talk about what you say when the door opens. Can you guarantee me, 100% of the time, that when the door opens you know exactly what to say, can say it in 200 words or less, never waver or “um” and “uh” your way through the presentation, and answer each of the seller’s questions while you’re there? I can… with direct mail. I can tailor my message to say exactly what the seller needs to know about how I can help them with debt relief, job relocation, marriage, etc. and I have all the time I need to get the perfect message. And I can do it for $1.00 per letter. I doubt many would say the same about knocking on the door, especially if you’re just starting out!

From these 3 points alone, I’ll already make a strong case for direct mail. I could go on all day, but I’ll forgive you today. But I can hear you now:

“But, I can’t write my own sales letters, besides, what would they look like?”

Maybe you don’t think you can do it. Maybe you need proof.

xxxx Overbend Trail, Suwanee, GA 30024

Yes. I bought that house for $341,500 (don’t laugh, in Georgia that’s above the median price range) with a $1.00 direct mail letter to sellers.

I get a 20% response rate on my emails. The industry standard is 1%. What are you getting?

In any case, I hope you see that direct mail can use your current marketing budget, whatever it may be…and save you something you can never get back. WEATHER. Give it a shot. You never know how much money you could be making right now.

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