Personally I think you're making this out to be far more complicated that it really is. I think you're spinning your wheels in the name of progress. In my book you don't pat yourself on the back until you get paid.

But hey, please make a pile of money and prove me wrong, because at this point I've said all I can say and I'm going to just wish you well.

Alvin,
Ya know it just sounds like that Calton Sheets thing.... IS IT TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE????? Why do you need all that stuff to sell your business, if you have real investors then all they really care about is numbers.... The cards are cool a bit busy for me, and I would think to busy for the savy real money people out there. Don't do the Smoke & Mirror's. Do the business and the money will come if you really know your stuff... Good Luck!!!!!!!!

If I could add one thing in Alvin's favor that would be the Shot-Gun marketing approach that it seems he's bordering. Unless his so-called bird-dogs?? are making "precision-like" contact with people in distress the right way with face-to-face encounters or letters and phone calls that get to the decison makers (right people) than its a waste. All the marketing material in the world thats on your hard drive is great and wonderful...but pin-pointing BARGAINS is complicated enough for a individual much less having anyone under you.

Their probably are 12 or so people in this country that put together teams to search out bargains...however the successful ones are close to "guru" status and have been around the block x10

What I've learned so far from a guru-Ward Hanigan about rounding up a group of investors is: you have to meet with them and present a deal thats already been done by someone else to show them it can be done +the profit made/potential (see if their excited as you) After you get 5-10 or however many people that will "equally" take the risk/invest you go out and round up a old lady at the retirement home (seriously) to get your money back- by giving her a 1st position on your home(s) at 9%....then you go out and do it again with the money.

The trick is getting over the experience and trust worthiness issues people will have. My only question is how tough would it be to run ads..etc...and try to aquire cold investors- strangers versus working warm aquintances as I beleive ward is reffering too???


P.S. I beleive the best route to go for us rookie 20 somethings is too start with purchasing Judgements,interests or notes to get the $$ rolling in while individually and actively persuing a few investors and niches such as foreclosure,probate,adverse posession...whatever is your chosen niche(s)

I wish you the best.

David Mote

why not?
everytime i talk to a potential investor, they usually ask for a business card after our conversation.

youre right about investors caring all about the numbers, however majority of these potential clients are new investors who want to know about our business and our history. eventually we explain the numbers during our proposals.

when it comes to seasoned investors, i dont normally plug my website and brochures. its straight to the point with numbers and exit strategies.

with carlton sheets, ive never read his materials on foreclosures. also when people say if this is too good to be true, it's a matter of showing them what i know and our track record. seeing is believing.

Our birdogs do make contact with distressed sellers through phone calls or by referrals. Sometimes we have distressed investors who are new at flipping, overbudget and completely mess up their deal. They give us a call to to buy them out at a discount and we clean up the mess. Sometimes we have other investors who are just wholesalers. They've already found the deal and give us a call.

one of my partners is an experienced investor and he has proven to me that it has already been done and profitable. im kinda like his apprentice. he knows that i am excited about this business and he realizes my potential in this niche. ive asked him to be part of my business to help harness my knowledge and help minimize my risks and maximize my profits.

Majority of these potential investors are warm leads through friends, family and straight referrals. The cold investors-strangers are people I meet through investment club meetings. These people are like minded and they are more susceptible to what we have to say.

It's weird that I can generate more leads regarding real estate investments versus traditional buying/selling. It's a soft sell for me when I talk to my warm leads about making money with investments versus a hard sell on listing or buying a house for themselves.

I think the card is a little busy. The levels of investors and the logo seem unecessary only seem to be there just for the sake of making a tent card instead of a regular card.

I personally would just use the two middle sections and print them front and back.

Regardless if you go with the tent or not, the section with your name and contact info needs to be rearranged. Keep your name and contact info together, put all the other info about the type of properties you do above or below that info. Also traditionally the title goes under your name not above it.

What about a mailing address? If you don't have it on there it will just lead to having to answer calls when someone needs to mail you something.

One other question, do you plan on working with any long distance investors, or will you be meeting them all face to face?

If you will be doing deals with non local people you may want to think about putting a picture on your card. I know a lot of people think it isn't professional, but I work with a lot of out of state investors, and the picture makes things easier since it helps put a face with the name/voice.

Overall it is a nice design though.

wes, thanks for your feedback on the business card.
actually the reason why the title is above my name because that whole part will be inverted backwards and it will look right when its actually folded.

mailing address will be added.

currently we're just working with local investors and we meet them face to face. we're focusing on warm leads versus cold leads right now.