Your Launch Kit contains all of the necessary information to get you started. Click any of the links below to go directly to that section of the Launch Kit.
Before You Send Your First Email
Launch Kit Contents
We would like to welcome you to the WBC family. Signing up with us is an investment into your success, and we are honored at the opportunity be a part of that. It is our goal that as a WBC subscriber, you will save so much time and money on marketing, that you’ll be better equipped to spend your time as you need to--with your clients.
Below are a few items to assist you in getting your program off the ground. Please feel free to contact us anytime, should you have questions.
Thank you for allowing us to serve you and your clients. We look forward to watching your business grow.
Sincerely,
Casey & Corey Wright
A Word From The Wright Brothers
Consistency and accuracy are our promises to you. Our content will arrive in your inbox, every Monday, by 5:00 p.m., ready to send. Look for an email from “WBC”, with the subject “Wright Brothers Communications” - this will be your weekly publication.
Your Publications
All of your weekly publications will come to you as your own personal link, where we have hosted your publication for you on the web. When you, or any of your clients, click this link, you will be automatically directed to your publication. The easiest way to distribute each publication is to simply email this link onto your database. If you need help doing this, feel free to contact us, or view our tutorial video by clicking here.
Extra Pieces
As specialized, time-dated events come up (i.e. Daylight Saving Time) we will create free, additional pieces relevant to these events and deliver them to you, enabling you to be relevant to your clients at all times. You will receive these in addition to, not in replacement of, your regular content.
Receiving Your Publications
Properly introducing your new email program to your clients will increase your open rates significantly. Below we have included a suggested script that you can put in the message of the first email you send out. Feel free to edit it as necessary.
Introductory Email Script
Dear Friends,
This is the first edition of a new weekly email I will be sending out every week to friends, family, associates, and past (& future) clients. Every week, look for my email which will have a link, like the one included below. Simply click the link and you will be directed to my newest publication.
(Insert your link here)
The content of each publication will vary, but will always be useful and interesting information. Lastly, your feedback is always encouraged, and if you enjoy the material provided, please feel free to forward it to anyone else who you feel might enjoy it too!
Introduction Is Everything
Before you send your first email to your clients, there are a few things you will want to ensure.
Configure Your Database
You do not need any special software to send out your emails, so whatever email program you currently use will work to send out your link each week. However you will want to make sure you organize your database to make things easy on you. Since every email client is different, search the help function of your email client to find answers to your questions.
Configure Your Database
You will want to configure your anti virus software to make sure email scanning is enabled. This will give you peace of mind knowing that your database is protected. Consult your anti virus software’s help section for instructions on how to do this.
Enable Automatic Spell Check
Accuracy is a very significant component of a successful email program, which is why it is important to turn on automatic spell check. Consult your email client’s help section for instructions on how to do this
Use The BCC Field
It is extremely important that, when sending to more than one recipient, all of your recipients’ email address are placed in the “BCC” (blind carbon copy) field, and not the “TO” field. The “BCC” field will address each recipient individually, while also preventing them from seeing your full contact list. Consult your email client’s help section for instructions on how to do this.
Shorten Your Link
The (URL) link that we send you each week can get somewhat lengthy. Luckily, this can be easily shortened to your own custom link. Bit.ly is a free online tool that allows you to shorten any link before sharing it with your friends and clients. Click here to watch for a video demonstrating how to use bit.ly to shorten your link and track your hits.
Opt Out Message
If you are sending your emails to clients and prospects that might want to be removed from your list, it’s a good idea to include an opt out clause below your signature. Here is a suggested script that you can use:
It’s my goal that you find this information valuable, however, if you do not want to receive emails like this in the future, simply reply to this email with the subject “unsubscribe” and you will be removed.
Get The Most Out of Your WBC Publications
Now that you’re all set to send out your digital newsletters, here are a few more tips to help you get the most out of your WBC publications. Click here to watch our video.
One Last Provision
It is always a good idea to send yourself a test message before you send your first message to your clients. Open the message once it comes to you and see that everything looks fine and opens properly--then you’re ready to send.
Before You Send Your First Email
# 1. Friends & Family Plan
One of the most overlooked resources for new contacts are your current friends and family. Now that you have great email publications arriving weekly, call your 25 closest friends and family and explain you would are going to begin sending them your weekly materials so they may give you constructive feedback. Once they have been receiving your materials for a month, call all of them again and tell them you are looking to expand your program, based on the positive feedback. Ask each of them for the email addresses of four or five people they know would enjoy receiving your materials. You will now have over 100 email addresses just from calling some of your closest friends and family. For agents with large past client phone lists, this method is great for acquiring their email addresses too.
# 2. Open House Plan
All agents know that a great place to find buyers is at open houses. However, very few agents know how to work this vast resource effectively. The reason is because most agents are looking for hot buyers, when in reality 75% of buyers walking into an open house are more than 6 months away from needing an agent. Collect email addresses of all open house visitors and use your email program as a way to stay in contact them over time. Follow up with a phone call every other month just to check in and watch your open house visitors turn into actual buyers because of your consistent follow up.
# 3. Confession Letter Plan
One of the most common concerns of agents who have been in the business for a while is that they have many past clients and contacts who have been neglected. If you haven’t kept in touch with your contacts for months, years, or even decades, it’s not too late to make them a part of your email program. The key is honesty. Write a letter explaining that you have evaluated your business and come to the conclusion that your most valued assets are the relationships you've built over the years. Continue to confess that you have not been as diligent as you would like in keeping up with some of your most important relationships, and that you are committing to change that with your new email program. Ask them for their email address and watch your long, lost contacts to find their way back to you.
# 4. Community Survey Plan
It can be tough to break into a new area and become the agent of distinction, but this plan always breaks the ice nicely. Create a fun, community survey of 5-10 questions. Then print some off and head off to your neighborhood of choice. Begin knocking doors and tell each person that answers you are the new area agent and are looking to get to know everyone in the area a little better, by helping them get to know each other better. Provide them with a survey and ask them to fill it out there. Then, get each participants email, create a one-page flyer, displaying the survey results and send it out to each of your new contacts. This is a great way to get some face-to-face contact in addition to building your email list.
#5. Community Event Plan
Another creative way to make a blast in a new area is to host a community event. This is easily the most involved and expensive of the ten plans, but it may also be the most effective. When run well, this plan has frequently resulted in 300-400 new email addresses in one day. Be sure to hold a drawing or contest requiring email addresses to sign up. Also take pictures at the event and put together a flyer that you can email out to all the attendees to remember the event. For more information, visit our Online Knowledge Database from our website and select “Make A Bang In A New Area.”
#6. Influencers
Certain professions come into contact with people all of the time that need real estate advice and service, usually urgently. Look in the phone book, pick out a couple dozen divorce attorneys, financial planners, and relocation firms, and, drop off some Buyer’s and Seller’s Guides at each of their offices. Tell them you know they have clients who need real estate services from time to time, and you would like to become their go-to referral. Then, quickly demonstrate how the guides will help the professional serve their clients better. Call back in a couple weeks to see if they would like a reorder and to remind them of your partnership.
#7. House Warming Party
Not only is this a great way to get new email addresses, it’s a great service you can offer to new buyers: when they move in, offer to arrange and throw a housewarming party with their friends and family (if they are local). Get their friends' and family's email addresses in order to organize the party. Once the party is complete, send a follow-up email letting the party attendees know that you would like to add them to your email program.
#8. Use Your Camera
With all of the great, small cameras around today, carrying your digital camera around with you at all times is quite easy. Now that you've got your camera, when you are out and about, offer to take pictures of people and email the pictures to them later. Once you have their email addresses, offer to send them your great email newsletter.
#9. Referral Guide
This is a great service for any real estate agent to offer, regardless of the email benefits, but the email benefits are too large to ignore. Send out a flyer to an area, explaining that any businesses and services that would like to be placed in a community referral guide, need only send you their information via email. Once you've assembled all of your listings and compiled your referral guide, you can send out a flyer to your geographic areas of choice, explaining that anyone interested in a free referral guide need only send them your email address so you can email it to them. For newer real estate agents, this is a great way to kick off a new email program (netting hundreds of addresses) and introduce yourself to a new area.
#10. Casual Contact
The most practical, and perhaps overlooked way to gather email addresses is to simply talk to the people you meet about it. Next time you are standing in the checkout line, sitting next to someone on a plane, or bump into an old friend, explain to them that you have a great newsletter that you send to friends and family that you think they'd enjoy.
10 Email List-Building Plans
Once you get your program started, we provide you with tools to expand and improve your program.
Tech Corner
On the first Wednesday of every month, you will receive a link to our most recent Tech Corner episode. The Tech Corner is a monthly video created by us to provide you with tips and tools to better yourself as an agent. These will often, but not always, be geared towards using technology to your advantage in your business. All of these videos will be archived on YouTube for easy reference. These are made specially for you, however, feel free to send them on to anyone who you think might enjoy them as well.
Specialized Support
Changes to your publications are always welcome. If you change or update your picture or any of your contact information, simply email us and notify us so we can update your publications free of charge.
Giving Yourself An Edge
What if I need assistance?
If you have any issue with your email program simply email us and we will help you resolve it immediately.
What if I change email addresses or would like to have my materials emailed to an additional account?
No problem. Just email us and let us know--we’ll begin sending to your new account with no additional charge.
I have a friend who would like to get signed up. What is the best way to get them started?
We love referrals just as much as you do. You can either provide us with their contact information and we will follow up, or have them print out an order form from our website and fax it into us.
I have some ideas for content. Could you use them?
Absolutely. If you have any suggestions on how we could improve our content or if you have some information you would like to see in our publications, let us know. We will try and accommodate to your requests.
How will I know when to renew my subscription?
Your subscription will automatically renew on the first of each month, and your credit card will be billed. If for any reason you wish to cancel, please notify us before the first of the month.
If any of your questions are not answered here, send us an email and we will respond within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
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