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-   -   BIG Money Ideas are ALL Around! (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1689)

Unregistered September 21, 2006 10:28 PM

BIG Money Ideas are ALL Around!
 
All yA gotta do is "BE AWARE"!

Because I have made it my business to "be aware" of things around me and have trained my mind to "be aware" of "Money Making Opportunities"...I would like to relate a recent example of how I turn my "awareness" into "BIG money".

In my local shopping mall is a large Kiosk about 8 ft by 8ft....sitting in the middle of one of the aisles. A local real estate co has built a display that looks like a "Log Cabin" with a shake roof....with open sides where a sales agent can sit and around 3 sides are 2 rows of "Listing Sheets" in plastic holders...approx. 10 sheets per row. There are 20 Listing Sheet holders per side.

Note: A "Listing Sheet" is an 81/2" by 11" sheet of paper with a photo of the House...a description of the property...a photo of the Listing Agent, with their address and phone...and a Logo of the Realtor Office.

Now...again....because I have trained my mind to be "aware" of "things around me" ....a few weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon, while my wifee was shopping in Macy's, I decided to sit down in one of the benches near this Real Estate Kiosk and WATCH WHAT HAPPENS (while sipping on my Vanilla Latte)

Well...here comes a couple....they look at the various Listing Sheets displayed and pick one out of it's holder...look at the front...turn it over (which is blank) and look at the front again and the woman folds the sheet and puts in her purse. They walk off.

Then, along comes another couple...who also look at the Sheets displayed... pick one up...look at it....turn it over...turn it back to the front...the woman folds it and puts it into her purse and walks away.

Well...this SAME procedure goes on for about 10 more couples and single guys and gals....when "something clicks into my Awareness Mode";

"WHY ISN'T THERE SOMETHING ON THE BACK OF THESE SHEETS?" They are ALL being turned over and looked at!

Well...I "clock this into my Memory Hook".

Later that afternoon my wifee tells me she noticed a "For Sale" sign on the lawn of the house across the street. I take a look and notice a "Plastic Box" on a pole next to the curb. This box holds some "Listing Sheets" giving the photos and info about the house.

I pull out a sheet and notice the recent rain has curled the top edges of the "20lb bond" Listing Sheets.

The rain stops and about an hour later as I'm relaxing on my front patio...I notice a brand new Mercedes SUV pull up...a dapper gentleman gets out...goes up to the box...lifts the lid, pulls out a Listing Sheet and takes it back to the car with him....whereupon he drives off.

SOMETHING HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS!

WHY ISN'T THERE SOMETHING ON THE BACK SIDE OF THESE "LISTING SHEETS"?

AND...WHY AREN'T THESE "LISTING SHEETS" ON BETTER PAPER?

THEY ARE TRYING TO SELL EXPENSIVE PRODUCTS (This house is listed at $465,000)....ON "TOILET PAPER"?????

My goodness folks....whoever came up with the idea of placing "Property Listings on Sheets of Paper and placing some of these papers in a "WeatherProof Box"...was a great idea BUT....they didn't go far enough.

AND....why not make use of the backside of these Listing Sheets....by placing ADS for businesses and services interested in reaching people "Hunting For Homes"?

Soooo...being in the "Ad" biz for many years....I put together a "Sample" and went to the owner of the real estate biz....showed him my "Classy Paper" and "Ads on the BackSide AND...something else I included that would really cause the "House-Hunters" to want to KEEP these Listing Sheets.

He LOVED the idea and was my first participating realtor.

I have since...signed up other real estate offices where I was able to put together a program where I collect $600 a Month from each real estate office....simply for providing them with MY "Listing Sheets".

Your "HomeWork" is....go for a ride around YOUR neighborhood. Stop your car at some of the "Flyer Boxes" in front of houses for sale....pick up some "Listing Sheets" in the boxes....look at the backside!

Are they.... BLANK?

IMAGINE the "possibilities" of WHAT could be on the backside of these and how these sheets could put money in YOUR pockets.

If anyone is interested in how I did this....send me an email with the heading, "Listing Sheets".

[email protected]

Thanks for reading,

Don Alm

P.S. Mark down this date... "Sept 21, 2006"..... as being the FIRST TIME you read about THIS program...so that as time goes by and more and more "Info Writers" create their own versions of "How To Make Money with Real Estate Listing Sheets"....YOU will remember WHO was the FIRST to introduce this concept.

ME....DON ALM

-TW September 22, 2006 03:11 AM

Jason- whatever you think of him, that IS a great idea!
 
Try to see that the glass is half full, not half empty. Makes no difference who Alm 'really' is -- if his ideas are good (+ can do some good for some people), I say: It's a good thing.

MichaelRoss September 22, 2006 08:25 AM

Re: Jason- whatever you think of him, that IS a great idea!
 
TW,

Thanks for putting forth an different way to look at things.

I'd like to add an additional caution, if I may...

Quote:

Makes no difference who Alm 'really' is -- if his ideas are good (+ can do some good for some people), I say: It's a good thing.

A couple of things Stand out from this text, thanks to my Studying of Bill Myers...

Thing # 1: "If his ideas are good (+ can do some good for some people)..."

In some of Myers sales-letters he uses the old "If this.... then that..." logic. Such as, for example only, "If you can identify a hot market for software, then you stand to make some really Big money selling the software you create."

Meaning, when stripped down to it... that simple word IF has a vast difference in meaning. IF the idea is good... and THAT is the question... is the idea Good in the first place???

Thing # 2: That is makes No difference who the person really is if the ideas are good and SOME people are done good by it.

I am sure that SOME people were done Quite well by the Gestapo in Nazi Germany and Hitler. By your statement, therefore, that is a good thing.

I am not saying that you condone Hitler, the Nazi party, the Gestapo, or what they did. Merely pointing out that, based on your choice of words, almost anything can be said to be good.

That an idea is Good or Bad is also subjective.

When Eric came up with his Pixel Site Idea, I canned it for Not being of Full Use to those who buy ads. And I say the same of this...

The ads do Not enhance the sale of the home - the Primary reason for such flyers. And whether they actually generate additional business for those who take out the ads is questionable also - even if they are coupons with offers on them. In short, while the idea is geared to make money for the person selling the ad space, that is all it is truly geared to do.

A small while back Gordon wrote about everything being about The Customer, not you. My understanding of this idea.. and all those Ad ideas is... they are about the Ad Seller and Not the customer. And with such sales coming from FaceTo Face selling, that it's good for the ad seller is also drawn into question - as those most drawn to such an idea cannot do face to face selling at the moment and are likely Not to make money Trying the idea.

Thinking this way - as I expressed above - is not a "half empty half full" idiom. It's a statement of reality. Can Some people run with what has been presented and make some money? Yes. Can the Majority of those who are excited by it do it and make some money? No. That's not to say the idea is good/bad/otherwise. That's just the way it is. That's all.

Just beware of those...

If this... then that...
With just... you stand to make...

...kinds of statements. They make things very appealing. While the details are always hidden behind those IF and JUST words.

Michael Ross

Dien Rice September 22, 2006 09:15 AM

Knowledge is neither good nor bad, but neutral... It all depends how it's applied
 
Hi Michael,

I don't know if this is addressing the concerns of your post... But I'd say you CAN learn many useful things from all kinds of sources...

I believe that knowledge is knowledge - no matter what path it took to reach you.

I see knowledge as something neither "good" nor "bad", but neutral... Almost any kind of "knowhow" can be used for "good" or "bad" - it depends on how it's applied...

For example, learning how to raise funds would seem to be "good". And it is "good" if the funds are raised for some worthwhile cause... But if this knowledge is used to raise funds for an "evil" cause, then the application of this knowledge is no longer "good". But the knowledge of how to raise funds itself, I think is neutral - it's how it's applied which can be either "good" or "bad".

Also, learning how to create poison would seem to be "bad" - since it could be used to hurt or kill. But if that knowledge is used to help prevent people from being poisoned, then using that knowledge could be "good" and used to save lives. However, I see the knowledge itself as "neutral" - it all depends how it's applied.

I don't think any of this changes no matter what pathway that knowledge took to reach you.

Sorry for gettin' all philosophical on everyone... ;)

Anyway, that's my view on that issue...

- Dien

Dien Rice September 22, 2006 01:56 PM

Re: BIG Money Ideas are ALL Around!
 
Hi James,

My post was actually more of a reply to Michael's than to Don's, and I was talking more about general principles...

However, I did my own search and I found a house which is apparently in Roseburg, Oregon, which is selling for $4.75 million.

http://www.roseburgmoves.com/viewdet...ing_id=6051747

This suggests they have expensive places plus cheap places too. Maybe you were talking about just a part of Roseburg, not all of it?

This isn't a comment about the worthiness (or not) of Don's idea, since I don't have sufficient business experience with real estate agents to assess that...

- Dien

Don Alm September 22, 2006 02:24 PM

Clarification
 
As a reply to some email questions Re: Placing "ADS" on the Back of RE Listing Sheets;

I use a marketing technique called; "REASON WHY"

Besides "Ads".....I place "something else" on the back of MY.... Listing Sheets that...
"GIVES PROSPECTIVE HOME BUYERS A "REASON WHY"...THEY WILL KEEP IT!!

This "something else" makes MY "Listing Sheets" "valuable" to "SELLERS"...AND.......RE Agents!!!!!!!! Whereas "Sellers" and RE Agents can instantly understand that MY "Listing Sheets" will "HELP IN THE SALE OF THE HOUSE"! This ALSO brings on more RE Agents who want to use MY "Listing Sheets"!....to help sell their properties!

Don Alm

Rod Carr September 22, 2006 04:41 PM

Re: BIG Money Ideas are ALL Around!
 
Jim,

A quick search revealed over 250 homes listed in Roseburg, Oregon:

(see http://www.roseburghomes.com/localsearch_results.html)

With an abundance of homes listed at $500,000 and up, an average sales price of $465,000 appears accurate, and is not uncommon in small communities throughout the Pacific NW.

As far as the RE Listing Sheet Advertising idea, I disagree with the “tone” of your assessment, and don't see what good could come from labeling any ideas on this forum like that.

However, without first testing it in the marketplace, my guess is that few Realtors would be interested in simply placing ads on the back, and for the reasons you state.

But the back of those sheets are blank and those eyeballs can be difficult and pricey to reach. So for that reason alone, I think it would be interesting to explore what is, and what else could be done with this surprisingly wasted space.

One thing that comes to mind is the way Joseph Cossman tried to include an FAQ on the back of every circular. And how he used this technique in some very creative and effective ways -- like helping store clerks to identify counterfeits by putting this info on the back of one of his product sheets to help secure more valuable counter space!

And I'm wondering what other helpful information would house hunters like to receive?

What type of unanswered questions do they have?

What type of questions and answers could you provide that tie-in to complimentary local product or service endorsements?

What are the most profitable endorsements to offer?...

The way prices have jumped more people are “flipping” houses, and it seems like something like this could work with helpful ideas for “fixer-upper” listings.

And I know from hosting open houses to sell an old family home how many prospects would walk through each room discussing improvement ideas. What if you could plant those seeds prior to each tour?

Anyway, just a few thoughts, but I think Don's Listing Sheet Advertising idea is a very interesting one that could be twisted into other more effective and profitable sales tools then what exists.

Any suggestions?

Cheers,

Rod Carr

SteveSki September 22, 2006 07:58 PM

Re: BIG Money Ideas are ALL Around!
 
Some people focus on problems while others look for solutions and possibilities.
I still think it’s a great idea! That empty space can be put to good use.

It’s the innovators and shakers that make this forum interesting.

Cheers,
Steve

Unregistered September 22, 2006 09:07 PM

Re: BIG Money Ideas are ALL Around!
 
I really don't see why Realtors would give anyone $600 to advertise others products and services.

As someone posted, Realtors goals are to SELL houses period.

Phil September 22, 2006 09:23 PM

Re: BIG Money Ideas are ALL Around!
 
I have to Agree...

Why not Focus more on those Empty Sheets of "HOTSHEET" Possibilities. :)

What and Where...

One Example...

Think of where there are Lots of People Locally who just may be interested in a Proven business idea, opportunity or whatever...

A Place where people are Fed up with getting up Each and Every day and going to work at a Job most Hate...

Extra Money and Bills are always on people's Stressful minds these days!

Yes... http://BusStopHotsheets.com

Believe it or Not...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_stop

Are a Great Place to "Personally" Market all kinds of interesting information and specialty products.

Not just handing out pieces of paper...

Creative ideas, like the guy who sold Thousands of Suction cup window Air Pillows so people who always like to take a Snooze on the bus Don't keep Knocking their Brains out of their Head. :)

That vibration and movement on a Bus is a Dam Problem and people will pay you if you can Help them with a Solution!

Just thought I throw that one out there. ;)

Phil


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