Cutting the Cord

Whether or not you’re willing to admit it, I’ll bet you suffer from some sort of Internet addiction.Don’t believe me? Then go three days without checking your e-mail. You’ll probably begin to feel disconnected, out of the loop, even nervous. Sad, but true.

You’ll worry that you’re missing something important at work or in your personal life. You’ll itch to get back online. And if you’re a Blackberry user, who is NEVER without e-mail access…well, I’d seek medical attention ASAP.

Sometimes, the mere threat of going “netless” can make you break out in a cold sweat. Last week, I thought I’d be forced to endure an excruciatingly long period of time away from the ‘net. But at least it was for a good cause.

On Wednesday, March 12th, my wife and I were privileged to welcome our fourth child, a baby boy, into the world. Ari Jonah (A.J.) Shron was born by c-section at 9:34 AM.

The good news is that A.J. is healthy and adorable. The bad news is that my wife’s c-section took a large toll on her, and she’s been generally bedridden since the birth. And she made it very clear: if SHE had to stay in the hospital, I have to stay in the hospital.

As the nurses wheeled in the most uncomfortable-looking recliner I’d ever seen – which would serve as my bed for the next few days – I feared the worst: no Internet access anywhere in the building. At least that was the case a couple of years ago when my daughter was born in the same hospital. Imagine the horror!!

To my relief, the hospital now offered wi-fi, so I was able to serve out my “sentence” fully connected to cyberspace. And sitting in my wife’s hospital room, it was somewhat liberating to know that I’ve brought my office – along with the rest of cyberspace – along with me. Who needs an office anymore when I can do my work from a hotel, coffee shop or hospital anywhere in the world?

Lest you think this article is merely a lame excuse for me to show off baby pictures, I DO have a point here.

I have a feeling it won’t be too long before wireless Internet connectivity is available everywhere. Many people already have access on their cell phones, and major cities nationwide have been working on making free wireless capabilities available throughout their cities. Cafes, hospitals, libraries and many other establishments now offer wi-fi to their patrons.

The future is upon us. When you can connect to the Internet or e-mail anytime, anywhere – a whole new world opens up to you.

Imagine:

• E-mailing your wife from the grocery store to see if you need any milk.
• Checking competitors’ prices while at Toys R’ Us, before you buy little Timmy that new bike he’s been wanting.
• Pulling up real-time traffic information from your car so you can get to your meeting on time.
• Ordering flowers for your wife from the bar to ensure that they get to your house just 3 minutes before you do…

A wireless world is certainly an exciting one. But it will also pose challenges for us as salespeople.

It won’t be long before a prospect will be able to e-mail you from her car, parked right outside your sales office. If you respond immediately, she’ll come in to visit. If not, it’s off to the community down the road.

Are you ready?

We’ll Be In Touch…

One of the best things about email marketing is that it’s completely measurable.When you put an ad in the paper…who knows how many people actually turned to your page and saw it? Sending out direct mail? Do you have any way of determining how many people just tossed it in the trash?

But with email, we know it all…how many subscribers opened your message, how many clicked on a link to visit your web site, how many unsubscribed from future mailings. Sometimes we even know how many forwarded your message to a friend.

Best of all, we can tell you the specific names and email addresses of the people who did each of these things, so you can follow up with additional messages specifically tailored to them.

So before you choose to delete the next edition of MAILbytes…beware. I’ll know.

But if you’ve been doing email marketing for a while (and if you’re not, I can recommend a great company that can help you start), you already know this. You want to make the most of this information! You’d like to see your campaign statistics go through the roof, right?

Here’s how. Use email to advertise products that are not yet available for sale.

In real estate, effective email communication is critical – and extremely effective – before a new development opens for sales. As soon as information becomes available, post it on your web site and invite interested prospects to sign up for your “VIP List”, “Priority List”, etc. But you can’t just forget about these “VIPs” until you’re ready to open for sales.

Stay in touch with them via a planned series of email blasts. Let them know about the surrounding area. The schools their children will attend. The home designs to be built in the community. Any planned amenities. When you expect to open for sales.

Your efforts will pay off. This past week, one of my clients sent out an e-blast for an upcoming community. 65% of recipients opened the email.

That’s an incredible statistic. Why was it so high? Think about it: at this point, there’s no sales office to visit. There’s no salesperson to call. Details on the web site are pretty sketchy. They haven’t seen the floorplans, site plan or standard features list. But they want to know more.

So when they receive an email blast from you, they’re actually excited to open it!

I’ve seen this time and time again. You have a much greater chance of getting through to your recipients if you send them the kind of relevant information they crave. They’re not just allowing you to sell to them…they’re encouraging you.

One builder I’ve worked with utilized a systematic approach to pre-opening communications. Approximately three months prior to opening, they would send an e-blast describing the surrounding area: schools, shopping, recreation, points of interest, etc. About two months before opening, an e-blast would describe the amenities of the community (if applicable): clubhouse, pool, playground, natural surroundings and the like. One month before opening, a description of the home designs. Finally, about two weeks in advance, they would send out an invitation to the official grand opening.

Each campaign performed very well, exciting and motivating potential customers who simply couldn’t wait to sign on the dotted line and buy a home.

Of course, this is no substitute for the kinds of emails you would send following your grand opening (e.g. event invitations, grand openings, information on inventory homes, special incentives, etc.). But many of us tend to focus less effort on marketing our communities in planning. A few simple communications can pay off with a highly successful grand opening – and email is the best way to stay in touch.