One of the Most Powerful Formulas for Writing Persuasive IVR Ads

You might have noticed: I’ve been on a interactive voice response kick lately.

Why? Mainly because I’m getting phenomenol feedback from clients who are kicking butt in a market that’s done nothing but chewed up real estate agents…and spit them out.

In the last year alone 40% of the agents I know have shuttered their businesses. And gone to work for someone else. Not quite the end to their dreams they’d hoped for.

What about you: Are you close to hanging up your real estate lisence? Deals collapsing all around you? Or not even materializing at all?

Has all your normal shoe-ins for leads dried up? If so, you’re not alone.

Yet a small pocket of agents using interactive voice response technology are having their best years.

What gives? Part of the secret involves the psychology of IVR: most people don’t want to talk to a salesperson but would love to simply listen to a message.

But there’s another part to the equation: How you craft your 800 number ads. Let me show just one way you can do it.

PAS Formula: Like Skimming Stunned Fish Off the Water Surface

Pain and problems dominate us–especially in this economy. Every day and every hour people are constantly looking for solutions to their pain and problems.

Because of this you can use the Pain-Agitate-Solve copywriting formula to stop people in their tracks, draw them closer, yearn for your answer…and beg for your solution.

Step 1: Point Out the Problem

This formula works especially well in short ads like 800 IVR numbers. For example, all you have to do to point out the problem is simply ask a question.

“Are Going to Lose Your Home?”

It’s that easy.

Step 2: Agitate the Problem

So, once you’ve pinpointed their pain, agitate the wound.

“With this sinking economy–and no hope of it turning around soon–you’re not alone. Yet, losing your home will cost you your equity and destroy your credit scrore”

Step 3: Solve the Problem

Now, once you’ve got them wincing, introduce them to the resource that will answer their problem or cure their pain.

“Fortunately, there’s an answer. It’s called short selling. Call me for details.”

Don’t forget the call to action. Always ask them to do something.

Conclusion

If you use this formula there’s a good chance your phone will go bezerk. Can’t promise that…but it’s happened before.

Naturally, you can work this with all sorts of scenarios. You could craft simple ads that’s asking for listing apointments. Or target renters and move up buyers.

In fact, the beauty behind IVR 800 numbers is that you can create multiple ads…and accurately track each one. And you don’t even need an IVR 800 number to use this formula. It works in any sales environment. Even face to face.

So, interested in crafting an that will take off like something from the launch pad of Cape Caniveral? Or simply inject some feisty juice into your current yawn fests? If so, then get to work.

Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

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What Can George Orwell Teach You about Generating Leads in Sluggish Market?

George Orwell, the English author of 1984, Animal Farm and other classics, has six rules of writing.

You need to know this: These rules are all gems and can turn you into a ruthless copywriter. A killer blogger. A writer with dangerous copy chops.

But what do they have to do with generating leads? Simple. Use these rules when writing ads and you’ll create tight little advertisements that boost your conversion.

Combine it with one of the most powerful IVR ad formulas…and you’ll be unstoppable.

Here’s the deal: Once you read these rules, take the challenge below. You’ll definitely want to give it a try:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech that you are used to seeing in print.

2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.

3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

4. Never use the passive voice when you can use the active

5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday equivalent.

6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous!

What’d you think? Pretty simple, right? That’s the beauty of his advice. The cool thing is–it works. Want proof? Try this.

So here’s the challenge: Take any page from your website…any sales letter…any brochure…any long piece of copy you might have.

Have someone read it. Get their reaction. After they’ve read it, go rewrite the piece based on Orwell’s advice. Then give it back to that person.

And see what they think. Then come back here and tell me their response. I look forward to hearing from you!

Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

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Just 3 Steps to Good Leads in a Sluggish Market?

Imagine: in less than 30 minutes you can map out a strategy to create good leads, convert more clients and sell more houses in the first quarter of a sluggish 2009 market.

What do you have to do? Use these three keys to successfully enticing prospects to take you up on any offer and call you:

1. Demand. It has to be information they want. (Seems obvious…but this is crucial.)

2. Interesting. It has to be interesting and attention-getting. No one takes action to check out something that’s boring.

3. Easy. Then finally, it has to be EASY for your prospect to request or receive this ‘Free Information.’ (This is where technology comes in.)

By using technology that reaches prospects first eliminates your competition. You get to prospects before your competition. Then, once you’ve reached the prospects, you can use a little clever psychology to compel those prospects to respond.

Powerful One-Two Punch

In the process of using this strategy two things happen. First, by reaching the prospect first, you gain a 3 out of 4 advantage over your competition automatically.

Then second, it completely eliminates any Do-Not-Call list issues. When a prospect calls you, you can call them back as many times as you like within the next 90 days, regardless of whether they’re on the national Do-Not-Call list or not.

What’s the Key to Delivering This One-Two Punch?

Answer: Shift all your marketing to a ‘Free Information’ offer. (This is the psychological part.)

More importantly you need a tool like interactive voice response technology to really pull it off. IVR is a tool that will allow you to never again wonder how to get all the leads you need (and get them in the least expensive way possible)

It will also help you track every penny spent on advertising…warm up your prospects before you even talk to them…and even allow you to make an immediate profit in less than 30 days.

Take This a Step Further

I lay out this total strategy in a newsletter called The Real Estate Insider. This newsletter is completely free. And in it, you’ll learn how to use three trigger words with this tool to compel practically every single person who sees your ad to call you.

Inside this newsletter you’ll learn how to use the 3 steps described above in detail. Plus, I’ll share a truckload of explosive secrets we’ve discovered from twelve years of working with some of the most successful real estate agents and trainers.

Simply sign up and get insight to our most recent and reliable methods to creating good leads. Remember, these strategies are really only for you if you are struggling…if you are about to leave the business because nothing else is working…or if you see that things could turn south really quick.

Let me know what you think.

Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

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Lead generation. It can be a real witch.

Likely, in the early days of your career as a real estate agent, you’dinvest heavy amounts of time and energy into crafting ads, emails or blog posts. Finding sources to place those ads. And emptying your wallet to pay for them.

Thus, it can be frustrating to do all this work and find that no one is listening. Let alone responding.

It’s like being a slave. No, worse. It’s like being a crippled slave.

Yet, not advertising or generating leads will leave your career deformed and lying in the dust…far behind your competition. What should you do?  

A Clever Tactic That Generates Calls and Text Messages

Well, what I want to share with you is one of the simplest tactics I’ve found for effectively getting people to call you. It’s obvious and very basic. But so many real estate agents don’t do it.

The tactic is simply to turn your ad upside down…and make the caller’s response the primary focus.

 Here are a number of ways to do just that.

Start a Debate: Pick a controversial topic or one that you think people have strong opinions about. State the two sides of the argument and let your audience go at it. Your voice mail and text messages will rack up with leads.

Ask for Advice: State a problem that you or your target consumer has and ask for help. Ask for a solution or advice. You could call this a community workshop and turn it into an event down the road.

Ask for Tips: Choose a topic that your target consumers might know something about and ask them for pratical help. You might then compile the tips and share them in an email, blog post or newsletter with those who call or text you. 

Ask for Examples: Give callers an invitation to submit examples of a topic that’s important to you or them. Again, you can then turn around and share the results with them in an email, blog post or newsletter.

Ask for Experiences: Propose a question about “your worst buying nightmare” or “best listing experience you ever had.” This is another great opportunity to share the results at an event or online. 

Run a Poll: Pick a topic–say, the economy–and survey people. Ask them how they’re fairing in this new economy, if they’re insecure or super secure in their jobs. Then ask them to expand. Share the results as you like. 

Here’s the thing to remember: You need to promise your audience that you’ll share the results, then actually share the results online or in a newsletter. The main thing is make sure you share. 

This Is the Problem You Want to Have

Like I’ve mentioned before, this approach works extremely well with our MVR system because it can deliver any voice or text information you’d like, it captures your lead information, and it gives you a platform that makes it super easy to interact with your audience.

That’s the name of the game…ENGAGEMENT!

Engage with your audience, your COI, and all your various marketing sources.

Don’t let procrastination or fear hold you back.  

This is lead generation 101. All you really want to do is get people calling or texting you. You could generate 30-50 leads a month this way.

That’s not a bad problem to have. Because once they call or text you the door is open for engagement.

Tell me what  you think. And feel free to share other examples in the in comments!

15 Interactive Voice Response Possibilities to Discover Now

Get this: the future is coming. Fast.

Sometimes we don’t look outside our little angle of it, and that means we miss some good possibilities. Other times we simply sense something is out there…a piece of the puzzle we need.

See, some people estimate that by mid-2010, close to half of the agent’s in business today will be out of business.

Fortunately you can protect yourself from becoming that statistic. That’s where Interactive Voice Response comes in.

I’ve compiled a list of 15 ideas, tools and strategies involving interactive voice response to help you grow your business in spite of the current economic fallout. Tell me what you think.

1. Target the move up buyer. Strike while the iron is the hottest using interactive voice response and your listing inventory will soar.

2. How to turn multiple transactions a month. Follow these 6 powerful steps to create a stable, low-maintenance monthly flow of leads from renters.

3. Rejection free strategy to listing 1 FSBO a month. This strategy comes from a soft-spoken lady who nearly took over her real estate market with an original, but not new, approach: she was nice.

4. The ultimate listing presentation. This listing presentation closes 19 out of 20 interviews–in your favor. Here’s how to harness its persuasive power.

5. Shutting out competition.  Attract a flood of home buyer leads by learning how to correctly use the single, most potent lead generation source out there.

6. Make your magazine ads produce profits. This may shock you, but homes magazines produce profit. Use ’em right and you could be at the head of a landslide of leads.

7. 5-step maverick secret helps ordinary real estate professionals turn unprofitable direct mail advertising into thousands of dollars a month.

8. Key to listing expireds. Combine this crystal-clear 4-step postcard strategy with your UPS and you could accumulate expired listings almost effortlessly.

9. Four effective keys to contacting pre-foreclosures.  This is prospecting technique using interactive voice response will have astronomical effects on your listing inventory.

10. Buyer ads using interactive voice response that will have your phone ringing off the hook.

11. How to get 300% more sign yard calls. A simple message with three trigger words on a sign rider can compel practically every single hot buyer or seller who sees your sign riders to call you.

12. Slash marketing costs. Learn how to easily track every single response from every single ad with pinpoint accuracy…so you can eliminate those sources that lose money and maximize those sources that make money.

13. Beautiful strategy to snap up listings. How to use every home owners curiosity and pre-occupation with the value of their home to your advantage.

14. Generate FSBO leads for less. Did you know you can generate up to 45 leads a month for under $8? Find out how.

15. The one quality all top producers share. Discover this secret and how top producers leverage interactive voice response to create a career that consistently and predictably generates cash.

That’s all I’ve got. And feel free to add any other ways you’ve used interactive voice response to work with more clients. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

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3 Critical Questions: The Secret to Networking Success

Listen: Networking is less about meeting new people than it is about getting them to remember you after the fact.

That means, asking the right questions is an essential step in standing above the crowd. Getting noticed. Having people remember you a week from now.

It’s not how many people you met. It’s how many people you impressed.

If that’s the case, then how do you get someone to remember you from the other dozen people he met that very same night?

Good question. Let me explain.

One Easy Way to Provide Value

First, make an instant connection with that person. Just after you’ve introduced yourself, say…

“So where else do you normally network?”

After she answers, offer the names of a couple of networking groups or events and promise to email her if you think of some more. By providing valuable information she might not have had before, you’ve made a deep connection with this person she isn’t likely to forget.

Get Them Talking about Themselves

Second, in early in the conversation, ask…

“What do you like best about what you do?”

People enjoy talking about themselves and a question that shows true interest in their careers will anchor your name deep in their minds.

It helps to determine early what you have in common with people at the event.

Keep Them Talking about Themselves

Third, during the latter stages of the conversation, ask…

“Oh, I see. What got you started in that direction?”

This will probably generate the longest response. But that’s okay, because it will be a meaningful way to wind down the conversation. And once again, by showing a true interest in her career, you’ll make your name easy for her to remember next time she comes across you business card.

Bottom line, be yourself.

Your Turn

What are your networking secrets? How do you stand out in an over-crowded networking event? Share your thoughts.

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One of the Oldest Web Writing Guidelines

The inverted pyramid. An age-old journalistic trick. And the blogger’s best friend.

Some think it’s worthless. Others alter it. Yet, anyone who writes online–including you–will find it’s the most effective formula in your arsenal.

In fact, it’s critical in any search engine optimization strategy you have.

What Is the Inverted Pyramid?

Essentially, the inverted pyramid style means that you give the most important or interesting details first, and then continue to dribble less important information throughout the body of the content.

Ideally, you’ll want to give the most important content in the first paragraph, and save the least important content for last.

The first sentence should answer the two most important questions about the subject of your content: Who and What.

The Who is who your page is about–be it a person, a resource or a place—and the What is what happened to that person, business or place.

The inverted pyramid can help your SEO copywriting endeavor in two ways:

1. The most important information is mentioned at the very start, thereby helping the readers understand the summary of our webpage.

2. Your most important keywords (which will necessarily correlate with the most important information) get displayed at the top. Thereby increasing the chances that the search engines take notice of our web page.

Why Is SEO Important?

This may seem like a strange characteristic of a real estate website, but it’s actually crucial: Search engines, in addition to page content, look at the number of links pointing into Web pages.

Often, the more inbound links a Website has, all other things being equal, the higher in the search rankings it will appear.

By providing creative, unique and regularly updated content on your website or blog, other people will want to link to your site.

But optimizing your website for both search engines and people needn’t be a trade-off.

Where’s the Balance Between SEO and People?

There’s significant overlap between the tasks required to reach these two objectives, and this overlap can be used to our advantage.

It shouldn’t be too challenging to create a Website that users can find easily via the search engines, and use once they reach it.

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My Unofficial Guide to Short Selling

What do you do if you need to sell 1.5 million homes before they foreclose?

Well, if you’re a real estate agent who’s got a bead on homes about to foreclose…you short sell.

Short selling is nothing new. Especially with the collasping home market, and all. That’s why I thought it would be a good idea to gather all the best ideas on short selling I can find.

Think of this as the unofficial guide to short selling. Enjoy–if that’s possible. And have a great Friday.

8 Irresistable Reasons Why Pre-Foreclosures Can’t Live Without You. Use these ideas to prove to sellers that you are truly there to help save their home.

Did you know there were 4 good reasons to work foreclosures? Discover ’em: Quick and Dirty Guide to Foreclosures.

Short Sell Your Home–7 Steps That Helped Avoid Foreclosure. DebtKid shares his personal story on how he avoided foreclosure.

Businessweek proclaimes short sales “The new exit strategy.” A short sale tale.

Group moves homeless people into foreclosed homes. Won’t teach you anything about short selling. But a great idea to solve one problem with another.

Ever gone after a pre-foreclosure and had it fall flat on your face? Maybe you broke this pre-foreclosure maxim.

A beautiful alternative to foreclosure: strategies for short sales. Question and answer article that will cover most of your concerns.

Another worthless article not about short selling that I thought I’d share nonetheless. House prices plummet in Detroit, Indianapolis and Cleveland. And when I say plummet, I mean homes for sale under $3,000. $1,000. Even $500.

How foreclosures changed the election. Intriguing turn-around.

Getting naked in short selling. The skinny on the stock side of short selling by Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch. Useful? No. Fun? Yes.

Got any great links on foreclosures, short selling or pre-foreclosures you’d like to share? Leave them in the comments.

Leave a comment if this post was helpful or if you have anything you’d like to add. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

Cheat Sheet on How to Make Your Ideas Stick in People’s Mind

“Don’t panic, but one of your kidneys has been harvested.”

That’s the punch line for one of the most successful urban legends in the last fifteen years. What makes it so successful? It’s sticky: understandable, memorable and effective in changing thought and behavior.

How do you create ideas that are sticky? You use these six principles found in the book Made to Stick:

Simple: Think staggeringly simple.

Find the core of your idea. Like a proverb. Hollywood script writers create the high concept pitch. Journalists ask, “What’s the lead?”

Unexpected: Attract attention.

Surprise your readers. Create mystery and intrigue in your opening lines. Ask provocative questions.

Concrete: Help people understand and remember.

Make abstractions concrete. Insert hooks—images and experiences—into your idea. Put people into the story. Talk about people and not statistics.

Credible: Help people believe.

Use authority and testimonies. Use convincing details. Make statistics come alive.

Emotional: Make people care.

People donate more to one little girl than to a huge swath of Africa. Appeal to self-interest—and not just base self interest. Why does it matter to them? Appeal to identity: Texans don’t litter and Americans fight evil.

Stories: Get people to act.

Use stories to show people how to act. And use stories for inspiration. Look for three key plots: Challenge, Connection and Creativity.

Believe it or not, the acronym for these six principles is SUCCES.

Leave a comment if this post was helpful or if you have anything you’d like to add. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

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