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        |  Sane Marketing for Real Estate Professionals  |
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              Registered with the Library of Congress
                         ISSN: 1533-1016

Publisher: Wanda Loskot
http://loska.com                                    April 2001
http://SaneMarketing.com                      Vol. 2 - Issue 4

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       Subscribe and unsubscribe information at the bottom.
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     In This Issue:
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     1. Your editor on Internet radio
     2. By Popular Demand -- Another Teleclass!
     3. The Key Ingredient of E-mail Marketing
     4. Get Referrals From Your Visitors
     5. How to Find Your Own Niche Market
     6. Gift Ideas On the Web
     7. Win FREE business coaching
     
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  "Think of yourself as a resource to your clients; and advisor,
   counselor, mentor and friend."
                                      (Brian Tract)

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Dear Readers,

A warm hello, especially to new subscribers -- thanks a lot for
inviting me again to your e-mail box. And thank you for referrals,
especially to those of you who responded to my last request (and
I do hope you enjoyed the free ebook!).

Last week I was interviewed for the MoneyRoom, a popular Internet
radio program hosted by Mike Lamb. If you'd like to listen, go
to http://moneyroom.com  -- at the moment I am still there a main
attraction at the home page (click on the green MoneyRoom graphic 
to listen).  After someone else will replace me, you will be able
to find this interview in the archives.

Please send your comments, questions and suggestions -- I count
on your feedback!  mailto:comments@sanemarketing.com

Sunny greetings from Sarasota,

Wanda Loskot,
Editor


------------------|  Important Announcement  |--------------x

        -----------------------------------------------
        ->  By Popular Demand -- Another Teleclass! <-
        -----------------------------------------------

"How To Generate More Transactions Using Your Own Electronic 
Newsletter" scheduled for April 18th is already fully booked, 
but I hate to disappoint anyone who missed it, so I scheduled
another one for Saturday, May 5th. Time: 12 noon - 1 pm ET

It is probably the last one on this topic, so if you are
publishing electronic newsletter -- do not miss it! You will
be amazed how many opportunities are there for you!

The fee for this class is only $16 -- you can attend in your
pajama (or in a swim suit if you prefer :-)  This will be
quite likely the best $16 investment you make!

You can build your personalized electronic newsletter for 
free at http://sanemarketing.com/ezine-builder.html -- and 
I hope you do! But like with so many things *having* it does 
not equal *using* it effectively to build your business!

To sign up go to http://sanemarketing.com/teleclass.html


x-----------------------------------------------------------x


           -> The Key Ingredient of E-mail Marketing <-
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                      (c) Wanda Loskot


Mention e-mail marketing to the average internet user and
they will think that it is about spam - sending unsolicited
bulk e-mail to thousands of people...

This is NOT what I have in mind....
Please read on.


Your website is just the beginning
----------------------------------
No matter how good your website is - the majority of people
will not want to buy a house or even contact you personally
on their first visit...

Oh sure, they will read information you provide. If you have
a great site, many people will *love* your content and even
refer your web site to their friends if you make it easy fro
them. BUT, if you think that you will make many sales just
because they like what they see, you are wrong.


It takes several contacts...
------------------------------
On average, it takes *seven* contacts to overcome people's
natural barriers of mistrust and lack of motivation. When
someone visits your website, all you get is that one contact
and it is up to you to establish a relationship. Only then
you can follow up skillfully to turn as many of those
visitors as possible into buyers.

It will take a series of e-mails to increase their interest
and to convince them of the value you and your real estate
service can provide.


You need to master e-mail
--------------------------
To begin, keep in mind that your e-mail creates a lasting
impression about you and your business. Make sure that you
pay attention to small things that mean a lot, so that you
score bonus points whenever possible.


Use a signature file
--------------------
I assume that you would not write a business letter without
some kind of stationary, right? Then use a signature file
in your e-mail. It serves the same purpose. It identifies
who you are, and what you do. If done right, it enables the
recipient to visit your site with just a click of a button.

For more information about signatures read my article:
http://sanemarketing.com/articles/signyouremails.html


Keep your lines short
---------------------
It's difficult to read from a computer screen (especially
if someone wears bi-focal eye glasses, as I do). Don't make
it even more difficult by filling the entire width of the
screen with text. Your message might end up with lines broken
in the most unexpected places.

Even if your e-mail software does "the wrap", use the hard
return key at the end of each line. And keep them short, no
more than 60-65 characters.


Careful about using CC function!
---------------------------------
Make sure that if you send a message to a distribution list,
your recipients don't see all other e-mail addresses. It is
very irritating for the recipients and damaging for the
person sending that mail as well.

E-mail programs have two similar fields. One is "cc" (carbon
copy) and "bcc" (blind carbon copy). When sending a message
to the list always put the email addresses in the "bcc" field
- NOT in the "cc" field! 

Better yet, personalize your e-mail. It is easy when you use
e-mail merge program. For example, the WordMerge allows you
to quickly and easily generate large numbers of personalized
e-mail messages using your existing database.

You can download the Word Merge program for a free trial here
http://loska.com/a-wordmerge.html -- I highly recommend it.


Don't even think about SPAM
----------------------------
Sooner or later you will receive invitations to market via
e-mail to thousands or even millions of people you don't know.
Some of those offers will sound seductive and logical...

They will tell you that it is legal and accepted. They will
offer you a full array of services, "safe" mailing lists at
ridiculously low prices, even some software that will sound
like true magic.

Don't hold your breath.
Don't respond to this kind of spam either.
It will bring you just more spam. And if you accept any of
those offers, it will bring you a lot of troubles.

The word "spam" comes from the famous Monty Python sketch
about a restaurant where everything on the menu was made out
of spam (there was spam soup, tomato & spam, spam omelet,
spam a la mode etc. -- you get the picture, right?)

On the internet, spamming is a bigger sin than ruining the
rain forest. Please, carefully consider any mailing designed
to promote your business so that you are not accused of spam.
Spamming  will alienate people who could otherwise become
your loyal friends or buyers. It can bring you a lot of
bad publicity and mess up you reputation for a long time.

Although many people learn to filter and ignore spam, many
others fight every sender of unsolicited e-mail they receive.
If you spam one of them, it spells big-time trouble. They will
send you hate mail, or they will "bomb" your email box with
hundreds of those spam messages sent back to you which will
immobilize your business. Even worse: they will complain
to your server administrators and cause them co close your
account. Not worth the risk -- trust me.


Build your own list
--------------------
What I have in mind by email marketing is keeping in touch
via email with people who expressed interest in your stuff.
Those may be your previous buyers, existing customers and
first time visitors who have requested receiving e-mail from
you (just as you requested this mini-course).

It means that one of the most important objectives for your
web site should be compelling your visitors to share with
you their email address *AND* permission to follow up. It
takes time and good techniques but once you get started
it is simple -- most of my clients are able to build an
opt-in list of 1000+ addresses in just a few months.


Make sure it is OPT-IN list
--------------------------
Opt-In means that people OPTED to be on the list and agreed
that you send them specific type of messages. Opt-in means
that you need to collect not only addresses but also people's
permission to mail them stuff BEFORE you mail it.

Asking visitors "can we log your visit" is NOT the same
as asking for permission -- if you are adding people to your
mailing list in this manner, you are playing with fire.
Opt-In is the KEY ingredient of effective email marketing!


Easy way to get people to OPT-IN
--------------------------------
A quality electronic newsletter is the easiest ways to build
your mailing list. Why? People who subscribe, automatically
give you right contact them regularly -- as long as your
newsletter is interesting. It is a perfect opportunity to
educate your future clients and customers about real estate,
to promote yourself and even to advertise your listings.

To launch your own personalized newsletter in 5 minutes or
less go to http://sanemarketing.com/ezine-builder.html


Don't miss my teleclass  "How To Generate More Transactions
Using Your Own Electronic Newsletter" scheduled  Saturday, 
May 5th. Time: 12 noon - 1 pm ET -- like with so many things
just *having* it does not equal *using* it effectively!

To sign up go to http://sanemarketing.com/teleclass.html


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         Get Referrals From Your Visitors!
         ---------------------------------

A personal endorsement is much more powerful than anything you 
might say about yourself in an ad, in multi-color brochure or
on your web page.  So, it is very important to encourage others
to recommend you and your real estate service.

How? 
By making it EASY for them.

One of the neatest things you can do with your web site is to
install a referral program that encourages visitors to invite
their friends to visit your pages.

All it takes is a simple CGI script -- you can get it free of
cost here: http://bignosebird.com/carchive/birdcast.shtml 
To use it, you need to have a decent web host that allows you 
to access a cgi-bin (sadly, not all of them do). It does take 
some tweaking but it is worth the time, trust me.  You will end 
up with many more visitors to your site! 

Visitors love interaction and if they like what they see, they 
are very generous with online recommendations. That is one of 
the reasons why I have installed this system on every site -- 
there is nothing sweater for me than referrals!

Of course if you sign up for my Real Web Power coaching, you get
a web site with a script like this already pre-installed. To see
it in action visit http://JupiterHomeHunters.com


Feedback
---------
By the way, here is what Betty Pierson, owner of this site,
wrote when I asked her for feedback about my coaching:

"Your coaching was fabulous! I learned a ton of information 
in a very short time!  It was well organized, thorough and 
complete.  You were available for questions when I had them, 
and I thank you very much! I especially appreciate your 
encouragement and that now I have the ability and knowledge 
to test and change the site around to my desires."


Would you like to find out more about Real Web Power program?
It's a 4-week one-on-one coaching, it comes with a fabulous, 
20+ pages website! And it is offered at BARGAIN price! More 
info at http://sanemarketing.com/realwebpower.html


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                 Do you like this newsletter?
      Please forward it to your real estate friends!

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                    Are you guilty of this?
                    -----------------------

What is the biggest mistakes VAST majority of real estate agents
do? They try to conquer the entire market instead of focusing on
a specific niche. Your biggest enemy is the slogan "For all your
real estate needs" -- yeah, really!.

Here is an excellent article of my friend Bob Leduc.
He didn't write it specifically for realtors, but it applies to
your business just as much as to any other type!



               HOW TO FIND YOUR OWN NICHE MARKET
               ---------------------------------
                   (c) 2000-2001 By Bob Leduc

What is your target market? When I ask business owners that 
question I usually hear something like...

* Small Business Owners
* Opportunity Seekers
* Doctors
* Homeowners

Do you define the targeted market for your business similar 
to one of these? If you do, you're working harder and 
spending more money than necessary to promote your business. 
And you're enjoying only a fraction of the sales you should 
be getting.

Most business owners recognize the value of targeting a 
market. But when you target a broad audience like those 
listed above, you're only targeting prospects who CAN use 
your product or service. You have to narrow your focus if 
you want to target prospects who are LIKELY to use your 
product or service. One of the best ways to do this is to 
find a niche market.


What is a niche market?
-----------------------
A niche market is a narrowly defined group that includes all 
of the following:

1. Individuals in the group have the same specialized 
   interests and needs.
2. They have a strong desire for what you offer.
3. You have (or you can create) a compelling reason for 
   prospects in the group to do business with you instead of 
   with someone else.
4. You can easily reach individual prospects within the 
   group.
5. The group is large enough to produce the volume of 
   business you need.
6. The group is small enough that your competition is likely 
   to overlook it.


Why you must narrow your focus?
-------------------------------
A niche market enables you to target your sales messages 
with great precision. The more narrowly you define your 
niche market the easier it is to cater to the specifically 
defined interests of people in that market.

For example, some businesses describe their target market as 
"opportunity seekers". But this is a broad audience. You 
cannot cater to specifically defined personal interests of 
individuals in this group because it may include all of the 
following:

* Executives who want to get out of the corporate 
  environment and start their own business
* New mothers who want to start a home based business
* Students who want to generate some extra income

Any promotional message to this group would have to be very 
general. But people don't respond to general talk. They 
respond only when they feel you are talking directly to them 
about their individual needs.

SPECIAL ADVANTAGE: A highly defined, small niche market can 
insulate you from competition. Other small businesses are 
likely to overlook it. Large businesses will find the market 
segment too small to bother with.

HOW TO FIND YOUR OWN NICHE MARKET

One way to find a good niche market is to evaluate your 
existing customers. Can you uncover a segment of customers 
with similar characteristics?

For example, I recently talked with an MLM distributor for a 
health products company. About a year ago she noticed that 
many distributors in her downline were health or physical 
education teachers. She now has a lot of success targeting 
a niche market of female physical education teachers who are 
married, have children and are members of the same 
professional association.

Another way to find a niche market is to work backward from 
the benefits you offer. Start by listing all the benefits 
provided by your product or service. Then list some of the 
characteristics of prospects whose current situation can be 
dramatically improved by those benefits. You should begin to 
see a narrowly defined group emerge as a niche market.

IT'S YOUR BOTTOM LINE

How specific is your target market? Can you develop sales 
messages so sharply focused your prospects believe you're 
talking specifically to them? If not, use the information 
in this article to help you find a niche market of your own. 
Then tailor your sales messages to the specific interests 
and needs of that niche market. You'll see an immediate 
increase in your sales and profits.

              *      *      *

Bob Leduc retired from 30 year career of recruiting sales
personnel and developing sales leads and is now a Sales
Consultant. Recently he wrote a manual for small business
owners titled "How to Build Your Small Business Fast With
Simple Postcards". For information... mail:BobLeduc@aol.com
Subject: "Postcards". Phone: (702) 658-1707 (After 10 AM PT)


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                Gift Ideas On the Web
                ---------------------

Looking for a unique gift ideas for your clients or peers?
Here are some of my favorites:

Jewel Soaps in satin jewelry pouches, soaps shaped like ice
cream, or salt water taffy -- these nostalgic natural glycerin
soaps are lovingly crafted and hand wrapped by a work-at-home
mom and her smart kid. Go to http://www.sweetsoaps.com

The best brownies in the world (I ate many brownies, so I have
expertise, trust me:-) -- very elegantly packaged, you can
even order boxes with your own logo. http://brownies.com

"Stress relief" and other beautifully packaged gift collections
from one of my favorite sites - offered by one of my friends 
and clients Angela Grieco at http://sundaragifts.com

Strawberries in chocolate -- Shari started as a mortgage broker.
She was giving realtors baskets of chocolate dipped strawberries
to get their attention and gain their business. Now she has
thriving berries business. I was totally amazed by the quality
of this unique gift! - go to http://berries.com


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               Win FREE business coaching
               --------------------------

There is a new referral system and a new type of reward at Sane
Marketing! Here is how it works: 

Each time you tell someone about Sane Marketing site using the
"Recommend Sane Marketing" functon, you will be registering in
monthly drawing to win three sessions of my coaching. Free. 

If you tell one person, you will be entered once -- if you tell 
twenty friends, you will be entered twenty times, and so on.... 
On the first day of each month one winner will be selected at 
random from a listing of referrals. The more referrals you submit,
the greater your chance to win! To refer someone right now, go
to http://sanemarketing.com/win.html

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And that's all for April. Thank you for reading. If you have
comments, suggestions, feedback, contributions or maybe even
a praise, please write to mailto:wanda@sanemarketing.com

Have a BLAST!!!!!
Wanda Loskot

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Copyright 1999-2001, Wanda Loskot. All Rights Reserved. Please
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               Wanda Loskot -  Success Connection
      150 Heron's Run Drive, #124, Sarasota FL 34232
                      http://loska.com

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