How To Use Client Newsletters To Double Or Triple Your Referrals

This Report Is Worth Thousands Of Dollars To You.

I recommend that you print out this 18-page report and put it in a 3-ring binder and refer to it until your monthly client newsletter is bringing you a $10 return for every dollar you spend.

Terry

I learned my lesson too late.

It probably cost me $80,000 or more (I cringe when I think of just "how much" more!)

You see, I used to think that I rendered such great service that my clients wouldn't ever consider using someone else for their real estate needs. (Yes, I was incredibly naive. A better term might be stupid!)

This is a true story about how I woke up and realized just how much business was slipping through my fingers each month due to my ignorance. It's about Dr. Bob Thompson.

Bob and I hit it off tremendously. I liked him. He liked me. He had just finished his residency and was setting up a new dermatology practice here in Grand Rapids.

Bob, his wife Gwen, and I spent days together looking for the perfect home. When we found it, Bob and the seller were miles apart.

Through diligent and skillful negotiation, I brought Bob and the seller into agreement. Bob and Gwen got their dream home.

They were ecstatic.

I uncorked a bottle of champagne and gave them a great gift, worth more than $100, at the closing. I took them to dinner a few weeks later at the finest, most expensive restaurant in Grand Rapids.

Back in those days, I had a HUGE ego! I did NO client follow-up of any kind. Most (I thought all) of my former clients called me when they needed a Realtor. I couldn't imagine Bob and Gwen (or any other past customer) making a move without me. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening!

My stomach churned when I came across the listing card of Bob and Gwen's home several years later. It was just listed with another agent!

I couldn't believe it! I was speechless. I just sat and stared at the listing card in my hand, thinking to myself, "This can't be!"

But it was… a $298,000 listing.

I tried to forget it, but it kept gnawing at me. Why hadn't they called me? I had just visited Bob six months before to consult with him about a medical concern. It was just like old times. We had laughed and joked. He hadn't said a word about selling!

I had to know why.

So I summoned up my courage to face the music. I knew it was too late for me to help Bob and Gwen, but I had to find out where I went wrong. I wanted to ensure that this never happened to me again. I telephoned them that evening.

Bob answered the phone. I expected him to sound embarrassed, but he didn't. Instead, he started right out, "Hey, Terry! You wouldn't believe what Gwen and I did! You know that big, white mansion on Forest Way in Glenn Forest? Well, last week Gwen and I drove by there on a Sunday afternoon. Re/Max was having an open house!"

Bob continued. "Gwen said, ‘Hey, let's go through, just for the heck of it.' So we did. Terry, that house is unbelievable! I mean, it has TWO hot tubs, and one of the hot tub areas has an actual waterfall!"

I had a real good idea of what was coming.

Bob continued. "You won't believe this, but we got them down on the price from $790,000 to $690,000! Is that a deal or what?! You and Ann will have to come over for a hot tub party as soon as we move in!"

As I sit here and tell you this story, I can feel the blood rushing to my face in embarrassment as I think about my loss of more than $30,000 in commissions because I was too Dutch, too thrifty, too arrogant, TOO STUPID to make sure that Bob and Gwen never forgot about me for a moment.

Bob said he assumed that because I had never mentioned it, I was no longer handling homes. He said he thought I was in management. At least that's what he said. But that wasn't the real reason. I knew the real reason.

Why? It hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't stay in touch.

I didn't let Bob and Gwen know that I was always there for them.

I didn't let them know I cared.

But even more importantly, I never had given them any concrete, specific benefits for doing business with me again.

I learned the hard way (as only a $30,000 mistake can teach you) that we are all the center of our own world. Everybody is concerned with their problems – their lives – their troubles – their needs and wants. Bob and Gwen's concern on the day they saw the mansion on Forest Way was how to get that house – not how to get Terry paid a commission.

As much as Bob and Gwen liked me, I was not in at the forefront of their thoughts – especially when they became gripped in the emotion of possessing the mansion on Forest Way. They had no feeling of commitment to me, BECAUSE I NEVER INSTILLED ONE! (Stupid, stupid, stupid!) They certainly didn't understand the benefits of calling me, BECAUSE I HAD NEVER GIVEN THEM ANY! (Stupid, stupid, stupid!)

I Had Grown Complacent, Thinking That The Sun Rose And Set On My Great Service.

I had become so smug that I lost sight of the fact that the value of my services dimmed with the passing of years, and that to some customers or clients, I was the same as any other real estate agent.

Oh, sure, they liked me and all, but they didn't see much difference between my level of skill and service and that of any other agent. They, like most former clients, figure that we're all pretty much alike, for the most part. They saw no benefit in trying to bring me into the Forest Way transaction (if they thought about me at all in the heat of the moment). When they realized that they had a shot at getting Forest Way, they were thinking only about themselves and their best interests, NOT MINE. And it was all my fault, because I had never given them any reason to think of me! (Stupid, stupid, stupid!)

One thing I've always said about blunders: "A mistake isn't a mistake, so long as you learn from it. If you learn from it, then it's an education."

I've Paid Dearly For An Expensive Education. I Hope That I Can Save You Some Of Your "Tuition."

The day after talking to Bob, I swallowed my bitter medicine and resolved to set up a system to minimize the possibility of that happening again. A fully automatic system that would put me in front of my former customers and clients, current prospects, advocates and my entire sphere of influence every month, no matter how busy or distracted I was.

I decided to mail a highly personal and informative monthly newsletter to my client list.

The nearly instantaneous results astonished me.

Within 90 days after sending out five hundred monthly newsletters, I had two solid unsolicited referrals. Two of those referrals resulted in sales for a total of $5,294 in commissions. Within the next 3 months, my repeat and referral business skyrocketed.

From 1990 until 1996 (my last year in the real estate business) more than half of my business came from repeat customers, or from referrals from people on my newsletter mailing list, due in a large part to the thought-provoking, money-saving, action-getting newsletter that I sent to all of my clients.

How To Automatically Make An Additional $10,000 To $30,000 In Commissions This Year

First of all, any newsletter is better than no newsletter. Any contact from you is better than no contact. Any newsletter will immediately increase your business if mailed to people who know you. But the difference between a boring newsletter and an interesting, thought-provoking newsletter that customers, clients and prospects actually READ, is night and day.

A newsletter works because it keeps your name in front of people. It's a regular reminder that you're the real estate expert in their lives.

Most people today sort their mail over a wastebasket. The busier (and more affluent?) a newsletter recipient is, the more likely your newsletter will head for the circular file – unless it contains articles that the recipient WANTS.

We all have more to read than we can possibly make time for. Periodicals. Magazines. Trade journals. Novels. Newspapers. Hobby magazines. The busier the person, the bigger the pile of unread stuff.

Which means they have to have exciting headlines. They have to contain interesting copy that creates curiosity. They have to keep people reading, and wanting to know more. They have to get people to call you. They have to be designed so that prospects and clients are stimulated to refer business to you! In other words…

An effective newsletter MUST be designed to get people to TAKE ACTION, and DO SOMETHING! In other words, it cannot have boring articles about how great you are or how big your company is or how you guys are "number one" (or whatever) —Yuck!

It cannot have slogans as centerpieces. Things like, "We never give up when it comes to your real estate needs!" or, "Don't make a move without us!" It cannot use recipes! Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!

I learned that expensive "image" or "name recognition" "professional-looking" newsletters – obviously not written by me – look good but yield poor results when compared to the results achieved by a warm, personal newsletter.

In fact, my tests have proven that a "home-made" looking newsletter (the more "home-made" looking, the better) full of juicy, time-saving and money-saving information (instead of boring stuff or clever cliches) is TWELVE times more effective, dollar for dollar, than a high-gloss, "professional" newsletter obviously prepared by an advertising agency.
I used to use expensive, 4-Color, Tri-Fold brochures. They had the color photo of the world on them – the one taken from outer space by the first astronauts on the way to the moon. They were, oh, so elegant! They told all about me and how I helped, oh, so many people! Dollar for dollar, they brought in about $2 for every dollar I spent on them. By contrast, my client newsletters brought in $25 for every dollar I spent on them.

Why The Huge Difference In Results?

The more I studied the masters of direct marketing, the more I understood why "image" and "name recognition" advertising brings in so few dollars for the money spent. There is a huge difference between "name recognition" advertising from "top of consciousness" advertising.

"Name recognition" is based on the theory that if you develop enough image presence in your community, that you will get this thing called "name recognition," meaning that when people think of real estate, they will call you!

That may work if you have a ton of money to invest – and years to wait for it to happen.

We all know that name recognition has worked for selling cereal, cars, beer, or cigarettes over the course of 100 years, but not for most of us. As individuals, we just don't have the "staying power" to make much of an impact in the scheme of things.

That's why two-thirds of all agents, lenders, and financial professionals who invest thousands of dollars into expensive, high-image promotions are out of the business within 3 years. Image advertising just doesn't bring in enough "now" business to justify its enormous up-front cost!

Why is "Top Of Consciousness" different than name recognition? Well, "top of consciousness" goes way beyond name recognition. Name recognition simply means that people "recognize" that you are in the real estate business.
That's it.

If they see you, or your name, they associate it with the business of real estate.

Not too exciting. They probably also know dozens of other real estate agents and companies besides you. So, name recognition then becomes a passive asset. It doesn't mean people will TAKE ACTION, it just means they know who you are.

The "top of consciousness" position, however, is far stronger, and is what you want!

"Top of consciousness" means that not only do people associate your name with real estate, but you have planted such a deep psychological relationship with them, that when they, or someone they know, needs to buy or sell a home, you will automatically be the one they call, or give your name and number as an unsolicited referral!

"Top Of Consciousness" Means That You And Real Estate Are One And The Same!

When they think of real estate...they think of YOU...and YOU only! For example, the vast majority of people, when asked to associate a word with pizza, say Dominos. When asked about fast food, they say, McDonalds. This is not name recognition. It's an association of a particular industry with a particular company!

"Top of consciousness" is far, far more important than "name recognition" because having it means you "own" that market! It means that people will call you, or refer to you, when they need real estate services! You will have positioned yourself as THE expert in real estate in their minds! Do you see the difference?

OK? Enough on image and name recognition. Let's talk about what monthly newsletters are supposed to do, and how you can get yours done with no work at all!

People Who Have Already Done Business With You Are Your Best Prospects For More Business

You want to stay at the "top of their consciousness" so that you have an emotional and psychological connection with these people. You want them to feel they can depend on you – that you're a regular and trustworthy advisor and consultant.

A monthly newsletter, done right, will accomplish all of that. Also, the monthly newsletter should be sent to people like financial planners, attorneys, CPAs, and other financial professionals that you want to maintain a relationship with.

And yes, client newsletters are excellent prospecting tools, because again, when done right, the prospects feel like they are already doing business with you... and puts you into a top of consciousness position when the time becomes right for them, or someone they know, to buy or sell.

That top level of consciousness will place you as the person they call or refer. A correctly designed monthly newsletter will be the catalyst to a powerful money making position.

Newsletters That Go Out Monthly Produce 5 Times The Results As Those That Go Out Quarterly!

If you do business with somebody and never communicate with them again in a meaningful and emotionally impactful way, you'll lose that top of consciousness positioning very quickly. In fact, after a few months, many people won't even recommend you when asked for a referral, because they have no ongoing relationship with you! (I learned that with Dr. Thompson the hard way!)

Direct marketing studies have shown that every month you don't contact somebody, you lose 10% of the relationship that you had built with them. Which means that in less than a year, the entire psychological relationship is gone (presuming you haven't contacted them much, or if you have, it's been so boring that they've thrown it out). You may, in fact, become only slightly better than a stranger.

People expect someone they've done business with to care about them after they've done the business! Sending them an ongoing, fun to read, empathetic newsletter proves to them that you care about them, even after you made your sale!

Since so few business relationships go on after the initial business is completed, people don't feel any loyalty or allegiance to the former provider of the service or product. They are easily converted to another provider because they feel no connection to providers who ignore them, or only communicate on a sporadic basis. (This is what happened to my relationship with Bob and Gwen.)

MONTHLY communication creates dependability.

Dependability breeds trust.

Trust breeds the "top of consciousness" relationship.

And this "top of consciousness" position is the place to sit...looking down at all your former, non-"top of consciousness" competitors!

So, are you with me? Do you see the tremendous potential from mailing a monthly newsletter? Good. But here's a word of caution:

Even If You DO Send A Monthly Newsletter, If It's So BORING That It Gets Trashed, It's Almost Like Having Sent Them Nothing At All!

Most agents and lenders who do use newsletters send out stuff that is TOTALLY BORING! Yes, that's right. They are so boring, it's hard to describe how boring they are.

They have headlines and titles like "Interest Rates Drop, Creates Strong Movement In Money Supply" or "New Recipes For Pumpkin Pie For Halloween Dinner." Yeech! That type of boring "professional" copy will not produce what you want, if what you want are responses, referrals, and more clients!

How can a reader feel empathy, become curious, and want to read your newsletter if its boring? Being BORING is one of the greatest marketing sins possible. Why? Because you're making an attempt at something, spending the money...and not getting any results! You'd be better off not wasting the money in the first place!

So, what should a client newsletter be like, so it's not BORING?

Well, it must contain interesting stories and articles, contests, questions, offers of prizes, the Client Of The Month, notices of your upcoming seminars and/or client functions, and gossipy slice of life success stories, and so on.

That's the hard part for many of our members – coming up with fun, interesting "tabloid" style copy each and every month. Now, the whole idea of such a "tabloid style" newsletter is so that people will READ IT! Yes, while this sounds kind of basic, it's the whole deal!

BORING equals unread. Sensational, money-saving, time-saving "tabloid style" equals read, because it is interesting. (To be interesting, it needs to contain more than recipes for spice cake and avocado salad!) It must GRAB your client with compelling HEADLINES, using the AIDA formula (attention, interest, desire, action).

There is no mass-written newsletter that does that – and there never will be. To please all of the agents and lenders who want "professional" (read: boring) newsletters, they all tend to look and sound the same. That's why I have been writing my own newsletters since 1990, ones that get read by my clients, rather than thrown in the trash — sight unseen.

I do all the work to put my client newsletter together. It takes my staff and me 25 to 30 hours to research and write articles that my clients will find interesting and informative. You can take advantage of all of my work, time, expertise and research for only $39.95 a month!

My Do-It-Yourself Monthly Custom Client Newsletter Is Cheap, Thought-Provoking, And Immensely Readable

Will every one of your clients read it? No.

Will more clients read it than other "pre-done" newsletters? Yes.

Will you get more referrals – and closed transactions – using my newsletter than by using any other newsletter? Most definitely!

And that's the big difference between my Custom Client Newsletter and every other newsletter you can buy (for a lot more money, too!) My newsletter becomes a dependable source of referrals and repeat business!

Just Mail Your Custom Client Newsletter To Your Sphere Of Influence, And Watch It Pay For Itself Over And Over And Over!

I'll write the basic newsletter for you. The text will come to you each month on a computer disk that you can load into your own word processor. Add to it, subtract from it, customize it any way you want.

Each month you get a sample of what it could look like and more than enough stuff for one newsletter, so you can pick and choose from what you like the best. Then, just print out a copy on your printer, make photocopies (or print it at Kinko's) and distribute it each month.

Then just sit back and do NOTHING else and watch your referrals soar. Watch people come up to you and congratulate you for a superb newsletter. Take pride in becoming known as THE financial services EXPERT in any target market you choose!

The newletter is saved on disk in Richtext format, Microsoft Word and Publisher. Any PC word processor can read Richtext format, but it will not have any bold, italics, or underlines, etc., (it only takes a few minutes to put these back in). Any word processor can load a Richtext file in about two seconds.

The cost for the rights to produce UNLIMITED COPIES OF THIS NEWSLETTER, personalized for yourself, is only $49.95 a month, no matter how many copies you print or copy and distribute!

If You Would Like To See A Sample Copy Of My Custom Client Newsletter, Go To Document #9094. You Will See That The Newsletter Generally Contains Things Like:

This pre-done-on-computer-disk newsletter gives you the best of both worlds. You have a ton of copy all ready to go, in the wink of an eye. Just select the articles you want to use. You may select two, or three or all of them. You can customize anything you want easily and quickly! Shazam! You're done! It's only a few minutes worth of work instead of hours and hours doing your own!

We'll bill your credit card or checking account once a month for your issue, automatically, a day or 2 before we ship the disk to you. We ship during the first week of the month for the following month's issue.

For example, we ship the February issue on or about January 5, so you have it by January 10 and have plenty of time to get it printed and into the mail by the first of the month.

If you have any more questions or would like to talk about this some more, please give the By Referral Only Member Services Department a call at 1-800-950-7325. We'd be glad to answer any questions that you have.

Whether you do a newsletter yourself, or use my Custom Client Newsletter, your business will dramatically increase with practically no effort when you begin mailing an interesting, readable, monthly client newsletter. It is the cheapest, most powerful marketing tool ever invented when done right!

Anyway, I hope that you've learned a lot from this report, even if you decide not to take me up on my offer of helping you send out a newsletter. However, I sincerely want to make sure you do send one out whether you use the Custom Client Newsletter, or you do it yourself.

The worst choice is not doing one at all – or buying one that's so boring and full of recipes that it doesn't accomplish its desired goal of placing you at the top of consciousness.

Sincerely,
Terry Hunefeld

WARNING!!!

P.S. This newsletter is written with the express purpose of getting read by consumers. If you're looking for something suave and sophisticated ("professional") that no one will read, forget it. For those new to the world of direct response, boring and "professional" is the kiss of death.

The great thing about the Custom Client Newsletter is that you don't have to use everything. You can cut and paste in other articles if you don't like one of the three or four articles we supply you with.

For $49.95 you get a TON of work that would cost you $300 to $600 in time to do it yourself. Many members use everything pretty much the way we send it. Their clients read it. They respond because of it.

As a result of using these newsletters in my market, I became kind of a local celebrity. People who I didn't know would stop me in the grocery store, the video store and at the gas station to thank me for the newsletter and compliment me on its content! To these folks, I am THE real estate expert. Now, THAT'S what I call POSITIONING.

Dozens of my clients would refer their friends, relatives, and coworkers to me. Much of this is due to the newsletter, because I was always on the top of their consciousness. I think you'll discover the same results when you try it.

It's easy to get your Client Newsletter paid for by others. Since you're doing the work to put this thing together, it's only right that you should be able to get it done for "free."

Here's how:

Tell them you would be happy to refer their names in this newsletter if they will (1) pay part of the postage and printing; and (2) send you referrals.

You can endorse them in your editorial text or put in an "ad" for their services.

The more money you get for postage and printing, the more of these you can mail.

The more you mail, the more business you get.

Many members are mailing 1,000 to 3,000 of these for absolutely free, and are getting 10 or more leads a month!

What do you do if you don't know the right person?

Let's say that you don't know an attorney or a CPA. Here is a letter that I've used that you can mail together with this newsletter to find the professional you need or want.

It works because of The Principal Of Plenty. Right now, in your marketplace, there are hundreds of professionals out there who would love to help pay for your client newsletter if they knew what you could do for them. They only need to know about you, and the newsletter, and to know about the potential that a strategic alliance with you holds for them.

Instead of you going begging to them, you use the Scarcity Principle to get them competing with each other to get in your newsletter! You let them know in the letter that you're sending the request for a strategic alliance to others in their profession – and that there is only one position available to be filled!

The key is to get at least two or three sponsors. For example: perhaps a title company or a lender reimburses you the cost of the subscription. Maybe a CPA or a home inspection company pays for the printing. Possibly an attorney or a termite inspection company pays all of the postage.

The point is, do something – many professionals would give their left arms to get a good endorsement in this type of a publication – and you can get your newsletter done for free!!

Letter To Professionals (Or Businesses)

Dear (name here)

Would you be interested in receiving a steady stream of highly qualified clients in return for your commitment to treat these clients like royalty?

I'm writing this letter because I'm frustrated. In your business, like mine, many promise high quality service and advice, then don't deliver.

I have implemented a system of excellence for my real estate clients. When I accept a new client, I promise them a high level of service. I let them know that I will refer them to only the very best professionals and business should the need arise.

I'm looking for a (profession or business) who will make a personal commitment to render professional services for my clients and continue that system of excellence.

I presently have about (number) names in my database of current and past clients. These are homeowners who know and trust me. I mail them a newsletter, written by myself, once a month. (A copy of my newsletter is enclosed.)

After I mail my newsletter, I often get calls from my clients asking me to refer or recommend the name of (profession or business). I have an obligation to make sure I endorse only the best in your profession.

This is where you come in.

At the present time, I have an opening for an endorsement in (profession or business). If you're interested in working with me, and having me refer you to (number in your mailing list) of my clients each month, I would ask for only one of two things (your choice):

If either of these options sound appealing and you would like to discuss this further, please give me a call at 123-4567.

I would be happy to meet with you briefly to show you exactly how I work so that you can see how my consulting services are 180 degrees different from the sales tactics commonly used in my industry, so you are comfortable with such a joint venture.

Sincerely yours,
Terry Hunefeld

P.S. I have mailed this letter to ____ others in your (profession or business) and cannot guarantee that I will use you. If this offer is of interest to you, I urge you to give me a call today.

KEY QUESTION…

Will Every Professional Or Business To Whom You Mail This Letter Respond?

Nope.

Will one in five?

Maybe not.

Will one in 20 or 30?

Yes! And that is all you need!

If you get only one call, don't let him know that he is the only one who called.

That's called positioning!

Once you do this with one trade or profession, you can go to the next. The more you do it, the better you get at it. Soon your entire newsletter will be produced and mailed for free!

Order your subscription today! It's easy: just download the FastFax Order Form in the format you prefer, print out, complete and fax to By Referral Only at +1 (760) 707-1280!

Can You Afford To NOT Send Out A Client Newsletter?

Client Newsletter	200	500	1,000
Cost to have me do it for you:	$50	$50	$50
25 cents each to print	$50	$125	$250
55 cents each postage	$110	$275	$550
10 cents each to label & mail	$20	$50	$100
Total:	$230	$500	$950
Each	$1.15	$1.00	$0.95

Who Else Wants To Sponsor Your Client Newsletter?

Homeowners Insurance	$25	$50	$100
Carpet Cleaner	$25	$50	$100
Auto Garage, service station	$25	$50	$100
Attorney	$25	$50	$100
CPA	$25	$50	$100
Financial Planner	$25	$50	$100
Title Company	$50	$100	$200
Lender	$50	$100	$200
TOTAL	$250	$500	$1,000

The Best of The Best!
To see Terry’s Best Picks, actual samples of what highly successful Members of the By Referral Only Community are doing with their own personalized Client Newsletters, read "The Best of the Best," Members Only Resource Exchange Document #9096.

Order Your Subscription Today!
It's easy: just download the FastFax Order Form in the format you prefer, print out, complete and fax to By Referral Only at +1 (760) 707-1280!

Another Newsletter Idea!
By Referral Only community member Jack Morgan obtained great results by sending out his newsletter with vacant “slots” that said, “This space available.” Jack reports that he began asking for sponsors when he only had two “slots” sold. The balance of the slots said “available.”

Jack writes, “The next month, we had enough calls from sponsors to fill all but two of the spots. The following month we filled the page, plus had commitments for almost another entire page! The first page more than offsets the cost of the newsletter. The next page pays for our “Evidence Of Success postcards.”