business cards.......

[theguy]

So im 23 and very new to the field.
Im being told that business cards are my best way of advertising right now.
My coworkers are basically telling me to hand them out to every person that I pass.

Is this really the best way?
Maybe someone here can give me an idea what to say when I approach these people.

thanks in advance

[Auliya]

Business cards are always a good tool to have on hand, even if you dont give one to EVERYONE you pass. One of the best things to get under your belt right away is a good website. It may not have immediate results, but it can take you very far., I know there are many agents here that receive most if not ALL of their leads through their websites.

[A3rdWorldMan]

If you want to make your business cards a viable part of your marketing, why not make 'em a little bigger... That way, when you're at a trade show and people are walking around with stacks of 'em, yours is the one that doesn't fit in the stack, and it stands out from the others...

Print something on both sides... Double your exposure!

Print them so you have to read them vertically, with the short sides at the top and bottom. People will have to turn the card upright to read it, so they'll be looking at it a little longer.

And of course, there's always the question of what's printed on the card...

Best of luck in your future as a Real Estate Agent!!!

[Saodavi]

Don't get the "bigger" cards. They don't fit in places their supposed to ... like Rolodex', organizers, wallets, etc. It's annoying.

I do agree that business cards are your best bet. They're CHEAP. Even good quality ones are cheap. You can get 5000 cards for $200. Even if you're conversion ratio is 1/5000, you still got a deal closed with only $200 in marketing expenses. That's not bad.

There was a guy in my market who did just that. Every day, he set out to meet 5 people he never met before and give out 5 cards (one to each). He'd walk his neighborhood, the mall, wherever. He'd walk up to them and say "You look like you'd be great working in my line of work." They'd say "What do you do?" He'd say "I sell real estate." ... and the conversation was on from there.

If you're just starting out ... and you're broke (like most people) it's got the best cheap:effective ratio. Plus, unlike websites and other things, you don't need any technical expertise or any experience to use a business card.

Good Luck!

ps - Double-Sided cards are a great idea and don't cost much
pps - check www.overnightprints.com the quality is the best I've seen on a mass-market approach and the cost is fairly reasonable.

[SteveTheSultan]

Business cards a a good idea, always carry them. But don't take the advice of your co-workers. Giving your card to everyone you see is cheesy, and people will only perceive you as wanting their money. Speak to someone first, then see if they have a need. Don't waste their time or yours.

Also, don't put your picture on the card. Its self serving and no one really cares. Instead, put how the customer will benefit from using your services. A simple ROI (Return On Investment) approach will get you more business than a Glamour Shots photo.

[theguy]

Business cards a a good idea, always carry them. But don't take the advice of your co-workers. Giving your card to everyone you see is cheesy, and people will only perceive you as wanting their money. Speak to someone first, then see if they have a need. Don't waste their time or yours.

Also, don't put your picture on the card. Its self serving and no one really cares. Instead, put how the customer will benefit from using your services. A simple ROI (Return On Investment) approach will get you more business than a Glamour Shots photo.

I like that ...return of investment
what do you write on your card ...just looking for ideas

[Saodavi]

Pics vs. No Pics has been debated at length. You can search for a thread on that. I'm sure there's several.

Also the Lost of Cards vs. Few Cards is also a business model decision. The "Lots of cards" idea is that the more people you contact, the more likely you are to have a sale. This should be obvious. From there, you can figure out how many people you need to contact to make a living.

So, if you have to contact 500 (or whatever) people to make a one sale, and you need 2 sales a month to make a living, then you just go around meeting people. You know that every X number of people will yield a sale (even if it's cheesy and you look like a desperate money-grubber). It's just a numbers game. Want 5 sales? Meet 5(X) people. It's a lot like Vegas. The house knows that they're going to win X% of every hand. It's not luck ... it's math.

Conversely, the approach advocated by Steve is more targeted. Be selective, find people who need your services and cater to them. Both approaches work, it's just a mater how you prefer to operate your business.

Personally, I use Steve's technique in both respects. I'm not a fan of the "carpet bomb" approach. It's expensive if you use print media and it's VERY time consuming if you're doing it in person. However, because it's math-based, it works forever without fail.

[SteveTheSultan]

I didn't mean to blast the picture idea, its just a personal pet peeve of mine. If it gets you in the door then great.

With the limited "Real Estate" available on a business card here are a couple suggestions:

Include your name, email address, website, address in small print. Most will go to your website before they call you. If you don't have a website, create a simple blog. Try blogspot.com Its free and very easy to use. Plus this gives you a free space to market towards a specific consumer. Blog about anything home related.

(My main blog sales is http://technicalsalesadvice.blogspot.com)

My preference is to sell with numbers, because it gives people a concrete way of looking at things. So instead of saying "We do the best job" or "Our customers love us" (Which may be true, but everyone says that) use some numbers:

When buying a home here are some the buyers needs:
Saving money. "Our clients save between 10,000 and 20,000 in the home purchase"
Making the process as easy as possible. "Reduce the time it takes to purchase a house by 10%"
Feeling like they are NOT getting the run around. "Clients receive prompt call backs and we will be at the closing with you"

For selling a home here are some of the clients needs:
Selling the home a quickly as possible. "Through effective marketing, homes listed with JOHN SMITH sell in 90 - 120 days"
Getting a fair price for the home. "The past 10 homes sold by JOHN SMITH have been within 1% of the asking price"
Reducing the aggravation of selling a home. "Sell your home by letting JOHN SMITH show the property for you so you don't have to"

Another way is to have a "Call to action" on the card that asks the person to go to your blog. For instance. On the back of the card you can have:

"10 ways to inexpensively give your house curb appeal"
"If you are buying a home, here is what you can take advantage of"
"Are you nervous about buying your first home"

Then on the blog, write a few paragraphs about each of the subjects.

Taking this approach lets the future client know that you want to help them through the process and aren't just looking to make money from them.

I've gone on too long here, but approach your business card as an advertisement that shows the client the benefits they get by working with you.

[Mack Perry]

Business cards are a must have along with having a website. Remember to put your URL on your business card.

[rew sarah]

Wow Steve - you really know your stuff! Thats great advice!