Just wondering if anyone is using SendOutCards for their business? I searched and found a couple of posts soliciting the site, but not much discussion about it.

We had a presentation in our office the other day about it, sounded like a great tool to use to keep in touch with my SOI, but it also sounds very "scam-ish" since it also has the money making aspect to it. And at $200+ to get started and 0.70+ per card sent, I can see it getting very pricey very fast. May be worth it if it results in a few referrals, but I think I could get the same results picking up the phone or stopping by my SOIs offices. Mailing out the cards would be easy, though. I could do that late at night.

And, please, don't turn this into a thread with a bunch of links to SOC distributors. I'm just looking for opinions and experiences, not solicitations.

Thanks!

I use it almost everyday and have created an entire series of custom cards that I use in my business:)

I don't like the concept at all. I think it's cheesy. I'm on several people's SOC lists and whenever I get those cards with the fake handwritten addresses and fake signatures, I roll my eyes, knowing that person didn't take any time at all to send me something personal. But they want me to think they did.

Especially when you're working with your Sphere of Influence, it's important to make people feel special and a systemitized greeting card campaign does not do that. Lisa - I have your email address - I'll send you the chapter from my book on the subject...

And yes, you'll get FAR BETTER results from actually taking the time to talk to people!

A few years ago, I was persuaded to buy the distributor package for SOC ($500) and never used it because I didn't want to be seen as a cheesy MLM'er trying to make a buck off something I didn't believe in.

Oh, I should add that I did try it - and on the second campaign I did, SOC sent it out twice, so everyone on my list got the exact same card twice. Talk about looking stupid - I never used it again.

Sounds like you are using the cards pretty much the way that it was presented to us. People get the cards every month or so, with a personalized message inside, and you stay in front of their mind. And it's a lot less time consuming than calling/visiting them, and you can do it at any time, day or night.

My big concern is it's a lot of money up front and I'm going to have to send out a lot of cards to recoup that cost in the savings on the individual cards. I'm not looking to become a distributor, so I'm not considering the referrals in the overall cost.

I think a few people in my office signed up for it. Maybe I'll wait until the end of the summer and get their opinions of the worth of it then. In the meantime, I may just buy some bulk blank greeting cards and give it a try on my own.

Thanks Jennifer, I look forward to reading the email.

I had a feeling you'd chime in against it, because it's just not your style to be cheesy like that. But what do you think about the general idea of sending greeting cards out several times a year, not for any specific reason, like holidays, but just to say hello? I like the idea of sending cards to my contacts that maybe I don't have that strong of a connection with (can't be BFFs with everyone), and it would be less "sales pitchy" than what I'm envisioning a newsletter to be.

My boyfriend works for the Post Office and I'm always hearing him complain about how light the mail has been getting and how they are thinking about cutting routes. I was thinking that if I do send cards through the mail, even if they are cheap blank greeting cards with a personalized message, I'll be helping him out, too, in my own little way. We already lost one good paying steady paycheck in our house this year, can't have him lose his now. At least not until I start making $100K+ a year in unsteady and unpredictable commission checks, that is.

If sending out greeting cards is something that comes naturally to you and you can think of something to say each time, then do it. If it's a chore and you feel kinda weird about, then don't. I send out cards to people when I have a bona-fide reason to. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, thank you's - last month I sent out a restaurant gift certificate to my SOI who lived in my neighborhood where the restaurant was with a personal note in each about how much I liked the place.

But I'd feel kinda strange sending out "I'm thinking of you's" on a regular basis - but that's just me. You don't have to bombard your audience on a regular basis with krap IF the stuff you do send out is personal, intelligent and non-cheesy. That old "Touching versus Impressing" thing I write about so much. If you take the time to impress people when the opportunity arises, you don't have to strive to "touch" them so darn often!

Lisa with mailing prices going up it can become a big expense.

You could do alot more with social networking,blogging,videos,etc.

Also right down your interests. Maybe their are organizations you can belong to and find people with similar interests. Then it's easy for them to give you business because you are friends first.

Just don't push it. I say what I do when asked then drop it unless THEY start asking me questions. At that point most brokers/agents go in too fast for the kill when the buyer seller might just be in the "info" gathering stage and months away from doing anything.

It's an art between being "not too pushy" and "not being too off hands so when they do something you aren't their for them to pick"

If you appear you have business and are confident it wil lbring them to you. If you overdue it they will feel you are so busy you wouldn't have time for them anyways.

Remember, opinions vary. I have closed many, many transactions as a result of SOC. Try it yourself and see what you think.

Here is a cheaper way of doing the "Thinking of You" stuff.
I had my business card blown up into a postcard. I have a stack just sitting on my desk already stamped and everything.

Whenever I think about it or every couple of months I jot a quick note to my people saying just a little something. It takes seconds to do.

I have a ratio of 1 call for every 7-10 sent out. Or I get a facebook note from someone saying I got your postcard with your sweet little face.... etc.

It has been really, really great and easy. I can definetly contribute several items of business from these.

I bought them at Vista Prints I think it was like $60 for 1000 postcards or something like that. Add postage it ends up being less than .35 for the touch.

I also like the random cards also. People get so few handwritten (and I mean handwritten) notes these days that they absolutely love it and will definetly make you stand out!

I love and use SendoutCards extensively. I send cards to my REO Asset Managers for all the bank properties I manage. I send cards to my team of 20 agents and what I love is that I can include a gift too so I have done that for my team - cookies. I also have send out cards for my buyers who have just moved into their new home announcing it to their sphere which increases my sphere. And of course I use it to send to my family, grandmas etc for personal. Everyone who has gotten cards from me loves them too. Just my 2 cents.