How To Not Suck At Marketing: Pt 1

Hey Moguls, Preston Ely here…

If you’re like most of us, you probably suck at marketing (yeah, I said it). Oh stop. Don’t take offense…

You’re part of the majority (sadly), but I’m here today to make you part of the power minority by sharing with you how to NOT suck at marketing. I’m here today to turn you into a monster marketer with just few simple steps.

Bottom line: Do what I say, how I say, and I will show you the money.

Grab a cold one, put up your feet up, and pay attention….

Three simple steps, my friends, is all you need to go from “you suck” to “you rule” at marketing.

Step 1: Have the Epiphany (ah, ha!) – Realize You ARE a Direct Marketer

You know all about junk mail and infomercials, right? They’re like the armpit of the marketing world…

Well, hold on there sparky; on the flip side, they’re actually effective forms of communication…when done right.

Direct marketing gets your message to the masses but by one person at a time, and that message should inspire people to act in some way, immediately.

But guess what? I’ll say it again. If your message stinks, you won’t get any action at all, let alone immediate action.

You have to get noticed and get noticed quickly. You’ve got about three seconds to grab someone’s attention and earn another three seconds, so if you fail, your audience checks out….and you lose potential money.

You ARE a direct marketer, like it or not. So get on board now.

Step 2: Get Educated (in case it wasn’t obvious) – Study Marketing

Listen, if you want to be the best, you’ve got to find out who the best is and learn from them.

You’ve graduated to the big leagues here guys, so get off the playground, and figure out how you can become part of that elite group of monster marketers.

Now, I’m not encouraging you to copy or “borrow” the hard work of others. That would just be wrong. I’m telling you, for real, to steal that stuff whenever possible! Mimic the best to become the best.

It’s that simple.

Step 3: Put It to Good Use – Practice Marketing

I keep it real, you know this (and love this) about me, so let’s get real here...

practice We’re in show business here people, not the burger biz, and we need to wow our network of clients regularly.

And how do you do that? With one potent word….newsletter.

If you don’t have a newsletter, get one…like now!

But what should we include in that newsletter?

Here’s Preston’s Winning Wholesaler Newsletter Format: (And yes, I’ve earned the right to speak in the first person, because I’m a freakin’ marketing monster. Bam!)

You want an inspirational quote of the week to get people’s juices flowing
Include a (get it while it’s hot) deal of the week, which can be yours or someone else’s
Add a picture of the week to grab attention and generate interest
Offer a valuable tip of the week to show you’re no dummy

Everyone Likes a Giver

Bottom line is you need to be a giver!

Get over yourself and learn to look past your own nose! You’ve got to offer THEM valuable content with your newsletter.

I’m talking compelling, game-changing information that will set you apart from other wholesaling saps.

And what’s the best way to do this, you ask? That’s a great question and one that brings me to my #1 rule of marketing…

Don't Be Boring!

I’m here to give you permission to be outrageous and funny and surprising and even scandalous…but always personable and honest.

Think about this…

The main cause of laughter is often the element of surprise. What do you do when you see someone trip over their own two feet walking down the street? What happens when you see a person walk right into a glass door? You laugh your tush off. Sad, but true. The shock factor works every time.

But now let’s apply that more to the real estate world, shall we?

Here’s my advice…

Lead your sellers down one road then steer them in another direction, and I promise you’ll get a laugh and future interest or (at least) nothing less than a smirk.

Here’s what I mean:

“This house is in a warzone! The neighborhood watch will literally throw caviar at you if you walk to the 10,000-square-foot mansions to the right and left of this property! Proceed with caution.”

See what I mean? You thought I was going one way, and then I took you the exact opposite. That, my friends, is how to be funny.

Get People Charged Up

You want people to feel something, anything!

It’s your job to provoke some sort of emotion from your customers, so use emotionally charged words.

Make people gasp at first glance. Make them think you’re out of line, inappropriate and way to loose-lipped for their liking. Who cares! I sure as heck don’t. And you do you know why? Because when they read your message again (and they will), they will realize that you’re just telling the truth.

You’re being real – not offensive – and there IS a difference. Speak the truth, but don’t be afraid to push the envelope.

Peace and Love for Now

That’s a wrap, but just for now my peeps.

You’ve only just begun to understand the ways of NOT sucking at marketing. I’ll be back with more tips in Part 2 of this awesome series, so stay tuned. In the meantime, be sure to check out some of my previous REI lessons. They’re pretty awesome too.