How can I get my phone to ring? - Posted by Shawn McCarty

import · April 23, 1999, 11:03am

Posted by Frank B on April 23, 1999 at 12:16:05:

Shawn,if you dont mind some advice from a fellow greenhorn,at least in this endeavor,(sold automobiles for 5 yrs,got tired of mini-deals),some of the same things I did to generate business there will work here,and certainly be more cost effective:1)work at developing a birddog system.Everybody knows somebody that is in the market,either buying or selling.Let someone else do the legwork.Use people whose jobs take them through the neighborhoods in which you are interested;meter readers,postmen,delivery drivers,etc.Ask them to take note of vacant houses or FSBO signs.Be generous,you can easily afford a $100-250 finders fee if they bring you something you can deal on.Not bad wages for a phone call!2)Get your name out there.Pass out business cards at every opportunity.Print on the back of the card your Birddog arrangement.3)Have,say,500 flyers printed and hire you a couple of school kids to put them in the doors of houses in your target areas.Should take 3-4 hrs.Mail boxes and windshields are off limits.4)And lastly remember this,not everyone reads the paper,but everybody has to eat.Put your flyers on every free bulletin board at every grocery store in town.Print your numbers repititively down the side of the flyer and score it so the #'s can be easily torn loose.You can do that easily with a pattern marker from a fabric store(my wifes input there!)Hopefully they will leave your flyer and just take the number.Eventually every body in town will walk past those bulletin boards.These methods do take more time and effort than the newspaper but they have the distinct advantage of connecting a face and a personality to your business.Hopefully one of your birddogs will say to someone"I know this guy,pretty nice fellow,who might can help you out".All of this should cost you in the neighborhood of a 100 bucks and a few hours of your time.Incidentally I am taking 5 days vacation from my JOB beginning tomorrow and what I outlined above will be my own personal agenda.I hope I was some help.Frank B.

import · April 23, 1999, 11:03am

Posted by Shawn McCarty on April 23, 1999 at 11:03:05:

I am not having success getting my phone to ring. I am advertising in the throwaway Pennysaver to about 60,000 people at a cost of $200 a month. So far I am averaging about $50 a response. :{
There are about 12 people that advertise in our large circultion newspaper on the weekends, and about 5 on weekdays. It costs $400 a month for a full time add, 3 lines. Hmmmmmmmm… Advice?
Boy I’d sure like some creative ideas that I could do for about $200 a month- that will make my phone RRRRRIINNGG. I’d also like completely non creative, ideas that WORK for you come to think of it…

thanks guerilla marketers,

Shawn McCarty

import · April 24, 1999, 6:36pm

Don’t overlook… - Posted by Frank [Pgh PA]

Posted by Frank [Pgh PA] on April 24, 1999 at 18:36:40:

those small “Mom & Pop” stores. Post your “I Buy/Sell Houses” posters there. Don’t forget a “referral fee” for the owners. The ones who sell Lottery tickests get a tremendous amount of traffic.

import · April 23, 1999, 6:32pm

Re: How can I get my phone to ring? - Posted by breeves

Posted by breeves on April 23, 1999 at 18:32:48:

One technique I use that is not very expensive but a little labor intensive is to get about 10 signs made about 18x24. “I will buy or lease your house”. I use a wire mount to stake them in the ground of the entrances and exits of large subdivisions I want to target. I put them out on Friday and pickup Sunday so I don’t lose them to the city. A lot of investors nail smaller signs to telephone poles etc. but I find a large sign placed where cars have to stop pulls several calls a weekend.