Back in town finally after a long business trip. I opened up our tracking book this morning and here is what is working for me, I am on pace to close around 250 transactions this year at about the halfway point:

1. SOI/Referrals – I am alternating greeting cards and a newsletter. I also include a couple JV/Endorsement partners I have set up in this group

2. New Buyer Business – I use free weekly list of homes for sale “by Owner”, homes mags advertising properties, offers on everything, biz cards, fliers, back of MLS data sheets. I have at least two offers on everything. All calls go to AdTrakker or to LC page.

3. New Seller Business – From Sell your home in 53 Days Guaranteed offer which is on everything in print.

4. Expireds, using exact expired system here.

5. FSBO’s – Using the exact system here

6. SEO – Natural Search engine placements

All of the items above have all produced at least 15 transaction each this year with SOI and New Buyers producing over 30 each.

I was speaking to a very close friend of mine named Brandon Patrick while I was in Nashville this week. Brandon is a very interesting guy and manages one of the most successful Re/Max offices in the entire Re/Max system.

We were at the Governor’s Club there in Nashville having lunch (I saw Vince Young of the Tenn Titans and formerly Texas!) and we were discussing some marketing systems that him and I use on a regular basis and have for many, many years that have produced literally millions of dollars in commissions.

The topic that came up was why do the systems seem to work for a few very successful agents and not every agents.

We discussed all kinds of reasons: different markets, different personalities, changing proven systems too much to fit your personality or market, trying to brand too much instead of making an offer in your marketing, the economy and tons of others. We finished the conversation with what we both believed is the true answer to the question and that is two items I mentioned above:

1. Consistency

2. Follow Up

Consistency means you have to give your marketing a chance to work and test it across multiple mediums, not just place one ad in the newspaper or another medium and if you get no calls determine that would never work.

Follow up means the phone dials out and e-mail isn’t good enough. This is really the number 1 key to success with any marketing campaign. I call every single lead back regardless of where it comes from “by phone”. Website leads, call them, fsbo leads, call them, FSBO/Expired Postcards follow them with a phone call, meet someone at the grocery store follow up with a phone call. Pick up the phone and call, this is still a personal business.

On a similar topic, I am in the process of writing an article right now about this topic that I believe will turn into an entire book it is that important. It is called “Parallel Marketing – The Hidden Secret of Direct Response Marketing”

The just of the entire Parallel Marketing philosophy is to follow up with multiple mediums using offline and online follow up. So, if you receive a website lead, you follow up with e-mail and a phone call. If you send a newsletter to your list you also send an e-mail version.