Simon Payn's Effective Customer Newsletters

Realtor Earns $19,950+ in Commissions with Real Estate Newsletter

If you need proof that real estate newsletters (indeed, any newsletters) work, take a look at these stats.

One agent has been a member of my real estate newsletters service for nine months.

Within that time, he has earned $19,950 in commissions with up to another $28,000 on its way.

All these commissions came from clients who were found via farming with his real estate newsletter.

I'm delighted this client had such success.

Read the full details and income disclaimer here.

[Photo by Paul Falardeau]

How to Increase Email Newsletter Open Rates

Although I believe that email open rates aren't the most important statistic, it's still worth investing time in raising the percentage of subscribers who open your email.

Here are some things to test:

Subject line: Is the subject line really relevant to your reader? Does it indicate that the information inside will help him do his job better or make her life better? Will he consider it a must-read? Or, is the subject line intriguing enough that she will open the email out of curiosity?

Your reputation: Are you somebody who consistently delivers value? Was the last newsletter you sent worth reading? (After all, you probably only get one chance with a new subscriber.) Can you be trusted to give independent advice as an expert, not a salesperson? Do you make occasional sales pitches or is every email a sales pitch?

Your list: Consider who you are sending your email to. As you sending emails to just one list - with all sorts of prospects - or are you segmenting your list according to your subscribers' interests? Have people signed up to receive your information, or are you spamming them? (This last one makes the biggest difference - sending unsolicited emails will kill you.)

Here's the bottom line: Is your email newsletter really adding value to your readers' lives? Is it worth the click?

After all, a click is something you have to earn.

[Picture by Photoaf]

Do Email Newsletter Open Rates Matter?

Ever invited 100 people to a party and then only 20 show up?

Kind of disappointing, isn't it?

You feel like you're No Friends Simon.

But actually... look at the 20 who did show up.

Aren't they your best friends? The people you're closest too? The ones who really matter?

Email newsletters are a lot like that.

You send out hundreds of them...but most people don't open them.

Unfortunately, this is normal. A combination of full inboxes, tire-kicker indifference and not-quite-ready-yet inaction depresses open rates.

This, in turn, depresses marketers who follow their open-rate stats.

But are open rates the most important statistic?

Frankly, I don't think they are. Much more important are the actions that people take after they've opened the email - clicking on links, reading articles, getting in touch and buying stuff.

For me, a much better statistic is sales conversion percentage. Or link click percentage. Or something entirely different that actually drives the success of your business.

After all, only the hottest prospects will act. The cooler ones might act later...or they might not.

But what matters is how effective your email newsletters are at bringing about the outcomes that really make a difference to your business.

[Picture by Kiwi Morado]

ABC - Always Be Collecting (and Double Your Leads)

Always Be Closing - that's the sales mantra made famous by the movie Glengarry Glen Ross.

But I have another ABC. Always Be Collecting.

Always be collecting contact info from your visitors so you can keep in touch.

Because if you're not always collecting, you're seeing potential clients walk out the door.

I've ramped up my own ABC this past month. I've put a sign-up box on pretty much every page of my website. It's doubled the number of leads I get.

There are two things to do:

1) Think of a good reason why a prospect might be willing to give you their contact info. It had better be a good reason - maybe a useful free report, a catalog by mail or a free sample. People are reluctant to give up their contact info without getting something valuable in return.

2) Give prospects as many opportunities to give you their information as possible.

• Put web forms all over your website
• Promote your freebies in your ads
• Put flyers promoting your freebies in your store
• Train your staff to Always Be Collecting

Just make sure you give something valuable - and then keep in touch with your prospects until they're ready to buy.

When Customers are 'Just Looking'

"I'm just looking."

You're probably heard that phrase many times. Indeed, it no doubt rolls off your own tongue when a salesperson approaches and you're not ready for a conversation.

While "I'm just looking" sometimes means "go away and leave me alone", it more often means "I'm not ready to buy yet...but I will be later."

Knowing that fact is critical to your success.

Because sometime in the future they will be ready to buy.

The question then becomes: will you be ready to sell?

Unless you've kept in touch with them in the meantime, there's a good chance your customer will go somewhere else.

This is where newsletters (and other keep-in-touch marketing methods) are so valuable.

Because when you keep in contact with someone - not buy saying "ready to buy yet?" but by informing, educating and entertaining - they'll know where to come when the time is right.

[Picture by Rob!]