Smart Marketing Materials

To be a successful agent, you need referrals, repeat clients and new customers. To be top of mind when these people are consider buying or selling, you need continuous and clever marketing. Direct mailings, newspaper ads, signs, Web sites, commercials, etc. are a regular advertising opportunity. And in each of these media, you generally include your photo and contact information, right?

Agent business cards often have up to seven phone numbers: business phone, direct, toll free, fax, home phone, home fax, and cell phone numbers. Agents'Web sites aren't much different. Did you know that `bad guys' can use your personal cell or home phone number to do a reverse search and find out your home address?

Recent reports from San Diego, Calif., about a stalker calling agents on their cell phones to make threats confirms the notion that agents need to put up a barrier between their business lives and personal lives.

Google Yourself

To see how accessible you are, Google yourself. If you're listed in the white pages or phone book, then the simple act of plugging your name and state into Google sometimes brings up enough information to get your hometown. Once they have this information, they can Google your name and town to get your home phone with a map to where you live. All on Google.

And while you're Googling - Google new customers. You'd be amazed at what you can find out about someone online these days!

Use a toll-free number

All an agent needs is one toll-free number pointed to your office line that can't be reverse searched. With "no-answer-busy" call-forwarding technology, that can then be directed to voice, cell, home or an answering service. You no longer need to give out so many numbers. The redundancy which is unnecessary also makes you vulnerable.

Also, consider these tips in preparing smarter marketing materials:

All of your marketing materials should be polished and professional. Don't use "glamour shot" photography or other personal enticements in advertising, on the Web or on your business cards. There are many documented cases of criminals actually circling photographs of their would be victims in newspaper advertisements. These victims were targeted because of their appearance in the photograph.
Limit the amount of personal information you share. Use your cell number, not your home phone. Use your office address rather than your home address?or list no address at all. Giving out too much of the wrong information can make you a target.
Concentrate on your professional proficiency rather than personal information in newspapers, resumes and business cards.
Be careful how much personal information you give verbally as well. Getting to know your client does not need to include personal information about your children, where you live and who you live with. Be guarded with your personal information.
All agents in your office should use only their first initial and last name on their "For Sale" signs to conceal gender and prevent anyone other than a personal acquaintance or current client asking for you by name.