If you are buying notes (or brokering them), postcards are a cornerstone of many a successful marketing program because the note seller can’t miss your marketing message; it’s right in front of his eyes as soon as he opens the mail. Therefore, you KNOW your message (or, at the very least your HEADLINE) is going to be read. And, that’s half of the equation as far as what you need to accomplish in order to get the note seller to call you.
In fact, postcards have been used by successful marketers across all industries for decades because they work. And, they work very well for note buying so long as a few rules are followed:
1. Start out with a headline that clearly describes your note buying program and how your prospect will benefit (i.e., they will receive all cash);
2. Use the right graphic or image which immediately cements the message, i.e. you are buying notes for cash.
You need to go with a visual that’s going to help you reinforce the written word and help drive home the point that you are buying notes for cash.
The visual should tie with the headline. Remember that the visual is going to be the first thought-provoking component that the note seller will see; therefore it’s got to grab attention end it must help you convey the message that you want to carry forth. You want it to clearly and concisely tell them about your note buying program and how they will benefit by selling to you now.
For example: “Need quick cash?” (You might use an image of a guy coming across a pile of money or counting his money or maybe cash arriving in his mailbox.)
3. Use a strong, clear call-to-action.
Let the note seller know right away what you want him to do next. Tell him how easy, simple and painless it will be to take some small action, like providing a really easy way to get in touch with you to request more information– a simple web address or phone number should be sufficient. You might offer a free, no obligation quote.
4. Create urgency to sell the note NOW (this is very important).
Remember, they will only call you if they have a problem and need cash… therefore, you need to play to that sense of urgency. Remind the note holder that time is of the essence before this happens or that happens that might lead them into more financial trouble (or whatever applies to their situation), or tell them that your offer to provide a free quote is only good for X number of days, etc.
5. Tweak and revise your headline to achieve optimal results.
Testing is very important. Try several differently-worded headlines with different mailings. When you hit on the one that yields the best response from note sellers, then continue using that one for future mailings.
6. Don’t get too “wordy”. Keep the message simple.
7. Make sure your message is crystal clear with no room for misunderstanding.
It’s important to keep your message crystal-clear and on point. Don’t stray from the main idea and single action you want them to take. You have very limited space with which to make an impression on a postcard, and you essentially have somewhere around 3 seconds to grab the note seller’s attention with the headline. If it doesn’t appeal to their need at first glance, they will toss the postcard and you will lose the opportunity to buy their note.
8. Offer an incentive for the note seller to call you, i.e. a free, no-obligation quote.
You might give them a limited time in which to do this. Once you get good at putting quotes together… and there are certain techniques you can employ in order to increase the acceptance rate.. you can follow up on the ones that don’t immediately get accepted and you will end up buying notes at a much more prolific rate. Remember, the majority of accepted deals happen on the followup.
9. Test different messages and measure results.
As you are testing different headlines, you’ll also want to test different messages in the body of the postcard. Again, with enough testing, you’re going to hit on the particular combination or combinations that deliver the best note seller response rates. And then, you’re going to use that particular combination for all of your future mailings.
One more thing: you should consider placing a small head shot of yourself on the address side. We found the postcards with the small one by one picture of the note buyer outdraws cards with no picture. You’ve got to show the note seller who you are.
I hope you’ve found this tip to be helpful. Be sure to subscribe to our channel so that you don’t miss any of our upcoming tips in this series that will show you how to make money buying and selling notes.