THANK YOU Notes
I hesitated about writing this newsletter topic because on one
hand it is so darn simplistic but then I thought back about
how I fumbled this area after my 1st luncheon. Instead of
JUST sending out thank you cards, I decided to hop on the
phone and call everyone that had attended my luncheon.
In the end, I felt like an ambulance chaser after my 1st
luncheon.
In retrospect, I think I became an…
‘Annoying Pest’ instead of a ‘Welcomed Guest’
Soooo, I rethought my position and decided
to give you a ton of information on this one topic.
Hope it helps…
Not only is it good manners to send THANK YOU
notes, it is also a great way to stay in touch and keep the
lines of communication open with your clients and prospects in
a friendly, positive way!
While I’m sure you can put together something yourself on your
handy dandy computer with clip art and a snazzy font, the only
right way to do this is to use professionally made note cards.
And, the note should be handwritten.
The best situation is that you write the note yourself but if
you are thinking, “Alan, my hand writing is not too great,”
have a staff member write the notes and you proofread and sign
them. The next best situation is to use professionally made
note cards and use your computer to print the message but by
all means, sign the cards personally. It makes a difference.
One of the first activities after your lender luncheon is to
send THANK YOU notes. Don’t wait because it will lose the
desired effect. I have grouped them in the following
categories:
- People who attended and want to loan money
- People who attended and want more information
- People who attended and do not want to loan money
- People who couldn’t attend but wanted information
mailed to them
- No shows
- People who refer other prospects to you
The first three categories, of course, go right along with the
“Interest” Form. Below I have more information about each
category and samples of THANK YOU notes. The most important
part of this whole exercise is the fact that you write a
friendly note and sign it yourself so they feel like you have
made a personal contact with them. This is a business built
on relationships and this is a nice, easy way to build
relationships.
- People who attended and want to loan money
Whether you have appointments already set up with these folks
or have been in constant contact since the luncheon, you still
want to send them a THANK YOU note for attending the luncheon.
It goes beyond just saying “Thank you.” It is a courteous
acknowledgment of the new business relationship. It’s true
that not everyone cares whether or not you take this extra
step that shows your attention to detail but frankly, if it
makes a difference to a few, isn’t it worth it?
It takes focus, work, and money on your part to get a lender
to this point. Use this opportunity to show your appreciation
and enthusiasm. A simple note from you to a new lender might
be something like this:
Dear Martha and George,
Thank you for attending our luncheon
last Tuesday. It was great to meet you
and I’m delighted that you have chosen to
take advantage of our awesome program!
Alan
Simple. Just a THANK YOU and acknowledgment. Personalize
your notes however you wish or use my example.
- People who attended and want more information
This THANK YOU note is an opportunity to make another
reassuring impression on these folks who are interested and
need a bit more information before making their move. They
will probably be pleased that you made contact so quickly and
in a professional manner. You might want to make this a chance
to reinforce the fact that you are an established local
company. Your THANK YOU note to these folks might say:
Dear Lovie and Thurston,
Thank you for attending our luncheon
last Tuesday. It was great to meet you and
have a chance to present the program we have
here at Integrity Home Buyers. My staff will
be sending you more information about our
awesome 15% program.
I’m looking forward to talking with
you again soon.
Alan
Make sure you send them more information ASAP along
with a request that they call to make an appointment with you
so you can answer their questions personally. If you already
have an appointment to meet with them, mention that in the
note by saying “I’m looking forward to talking with you
Tuesday, August 31 at 4:00 at your home.” (Include the date,
time, and location of the appointment.)
Adjust the note to fit the situation.
- People who attended and do not want to loan money
At first you might not understand why you should send THANK YOU
notes to this category. It’s true that when some people say
“no,” they mean just that. But think about this. Some of them
really want to loan money but they have to rearrange their
financial situation to make that happen and it might take them
a little time. They don’t want to go out on a limb and make a
commitment without funds readily available. That’s fine.
Your job is to keep the lines of communication open and when
they can loan money, they will let you know.
There can be lots of reasons for their hesitance. Maybe they
know that at some point they will be getting a court settlement
or inheritance but they don’t know exactly when or for how
much. They may need to find out if they can get a home equity
loan. You’ve told them about the possibility of using their
401K money so they may want to see how much they have, if they
don’t check it regularly. They may have some other investment
vehicle out there that they want to see about getting rid of
so they can loan money to you. Perhaps they want to see if
they can start saving more aggressively so they can meet your
minimum loan requirement.
The truth is, you don’t know why they said “no” and it could
easily change to “yes” at a later time. You’ve started them
thinking about a great new possibility and their situation may
just take a little time.
Wherever their windfall is coming from, your THANK YOU note
could be something like this:
Dear Bonnie and Clyde,
Thank you for attending our luncheon
last Tuesday. It was great meeting you.
I understand that you are not ready to
loan money at this time. Please feel free to
share information about our awesome
program with your friends and family who
might like to take advantage of this great
15% return opportunity.
Alan
We’ve left the door of communication open and we’ve just
started them thinking about talking to others about the
program. Word-of-mouth is a powerful advertising tool!
- People who couldn’t attend but wanted information mailed to
them
There will be people who cannot attend or don’t want to attend
the luncheon. Their reason doesn’t matter. They showed
interest by responding to your ad and requested information by
mail (which I’m sure you sent to them immediately). You should
thank them for that request. Here is a THANK YOU note example:
Dear Ozzie and Sharon,
Thank you for requesting information
about our awesome program where you
receive 15% interest on your money. You may
have some additional questions about how secure
your loan is and how you actually hold a mortgage
on a property right here in town while my
team and I do all the work.
I’m looking forward to talking with
you and making sure all your questions
are answered.
Alan
Use this THANK YOU note to emphasize the 15% return. This
is probably the most important part for them so make sure
it’s in your note somewhere. Remember, they didn’t attend
the luncheon or see your presentation so they still might not
understand.
- No shows
You may find that even though some people call you to say they
will attend and the day before the luncheon you call to remind
them, they just don’t show up. It happens. Why? It doesn’t
matter. The only important thing is that they’ve raised their
hand and are interested in your program! Thank them for their
interest and send them the same package that goes to folks who
requested information by mail. Your note to them might be
something like this:
Dear Mr. Hoffa,
Sorry we missed you at our
luncheon last Tuesday. We covered
tons of information and I know you
are excited about learning how you
can make 15% return with your
loan so we are sending you some
information.
You may have additional questions about
how secure your loan is and how
you actually hold a mortgage on a
property right here in town while my
team and I do all the work.
I’d be happy to talk with you at
your convenience to answer all your
questions.
Alan
Again, the package you send them also has the request that
they call your office to set an appointment.
- People who refer other prospects to you
During the course of business, prospects, lenders, friends,
and even people you don’t know very well at all will talk
about your program to someone who gets excited about it and
calls you. Some of your lenders will understand your program
and get so excited they will tell everyone about it! This is
fantastic! You need to acknowledge them for thinking so much
of you that they put their integrity on the line with you.
You need to thank them for that sincere compliment. An
example of a nice THANK YOU note follows:
Dear Arnold,
I want to sincerely thank you
for letting Marie’s family in on our
company’s 15% loan moneyment opportunity.
I am so tickled that you thought
enough of us to tell them to call. I
have a meeting set up to talk with
the Senator in the near future!
Thank you again.
Alan
As always, on the back of each prospect’s or lender’s 3×5
card or file, make an entry with the date and how they were
contacted:
==================================================
| 9/23/04 Attended luncheon at the country club |
| 9/25/04 Sent thank you note |
| |
| |
==================================================
Important Tip
Read Dan S. Kennedy’s book on Time Management.
ISBN 1-932156-85-2
Could change your life.
Alan Cowgill is a speaker, author, and real estate entrepreneur. Alan has bought or sold over 200 investment properties. His step-by-step system “Private Lending Made Easy” teaches others to find private lenders. Contact Alan at 937-390-0816 or 866-831-3540. For a FREE audio go to www.PrivateLendingMadeEasy.com
