I think that Doug said that he was working through some things and expected it to use it more in the future.
Dave said that he failed to notify the neighbors what he was doing and they got nervous and shook his confidence. What he failed to observe is that the neighbors that get nervous in quantity are neighbors who care. Chances are there are some really good customers there that need someone to help them get over their skitishness and understand the value.
As far as ROI. You load the files once and then draw a circle on a computer screen and then, paying just a few pennies more than a generic card, you mail a hard hitting direct mail piece.
And then you do it again.
I can back a trailer up a hill around a blind curve like it is nobodies business. How long have I been practicing? Forever. Did I nail it the first time I tried? NO.
So why you only look at the negative when they both gave you all the clues you need to build on their experience?
Tim, when SB was first announced, and other than with a few reservations, I thought it was an exciting, brilliant concept. Go back through the SB threads and you'll find where I posted as much.
You say "I can back a trailer up a hill around a blind curve like it is nobodies business. How long have I been practicing? Forever. Did I nail it the first time I tried? NO." That's absolutely correct! And why? It's simple, because reversing as a trailer is something you CAN control.
Throughout time there has been an untold number of products that just don't work, no matter how much experience you have with them. That's something that you simply just CAN'T control.
The purpose of these boards is to learn from the experience of other members and to share our own information and experience with them. Given that, I don't appreciate your jumping me for asking an honest question, which was simply does SB work? There wasn't any negativity intended on my part.
Doug posted that that he got two jobs off 562 mailings. So the math looks like 2/562 = a 0.4% hit rate. That's a long ways south of the 5.0% expected rate of success that was bantered about when SB was introduced. And while Doug's experience is way too small a sample to draw a conclusion from, if it turned out to be the rate of success that could be expected on a sustained basis - then direct mail would be a much better option.
I used to be a commercial RE appraiser and from time to time I had to take pics of single family homes to use as sale comps. I can't even remember how many times I had people come out and go off on me. Twice I had guys come out with their dogs (one was a pit bull). I started carrying pepper spray. The problem is so prolific that the Oregon Appraiser Commissioner's office has issued adversaries about it in their newsletter.
So when SB was announced, and drawing from my own experience, the pissing off people thing immediately came to mind.
Tim, you say "
Dave said that he failed to notify the neighbors what he was doing and they got nervous and shook his confidence." So what are you supposed to do? Knock on a guy's door and ask him if it'd be ok if you took a photo of his house so that you can mail him a postcard?
Tim, I surmised from your post that you're using SB? If so, what has been your experience? That's an honest question with absolutely no negativity whatsoever intended.
