Direct mail and fielding calls - Posted by Mike

Real Estate Investing
1

Posted by Brad Crouch on July 01, 2003 at 12:27:29:

Mike,

You could consider getting a cell phone, anyway. The cell phone will have a voicemail feature, no matter what kind you get. On this voicemail, you will be able to tailor an outgoing message.

Leave the phone “turned on” as often as you can, and answer the phone whenever you can. For the times you can’t answer, the caller will have the chance to leave a message and his/her name & phone number.

While many folks say that having an answering service is ideal, the MOST ideal is to answer the calls yourself (for potential sellers . . . not buyers). An answering service that will use scripted (and presumably qualifying questions and answers), will cost somewhere in the area of one hundred dollars a month . . . possibly money better spent on postage.

If money is an issue, you can always get a cell phone that is “prepaid”. Then you can buy minutes as you need them, rather than sign a contract that obligates you to pay every month for at least a year.

Hope this helps,

Brad

2

Direct mail and fielding calls - Posted by Mike

Posted by Mike on July 01, 2003 at 10:37:07:

Hi.

Like a lot of people who have regular day jobs, I have a difficult time fielding calls at work. I am fortunate in that I can usually find time to make calls here and there, but just can’t be available all day to take calls from sellers.

I know that most people who are serious in their marketing efforts suggest the only way to go is just have them ring your cell phone or office phone and try to be there to answer the call personally. However, this realistically can’t happen for me.

I’ve considered using an answering service. This way the caller talks to a live person. Can anyone recommend a good service and what the typical costs are for this?

What other ways of fielding calls could I consider?

Thanks.