Creating a Nurture Series of Letters for Probate Direct Mail Campaigns
Jul 9, 2020
Creating a Nurture Series of Letters for Probate Direct Mail Campaigns
Today I want to talk about one of the most important aspects of a successful probate direct mail campaign. That is creating a nurture series of letters for direct mail campaigns to send to the personal representative. I have gotten probably a dozen emails in the past couple of weeks about what to say to these folks that are settling estates. The words are important, but the tone and the expectations that you set in your letters are so much more important.
Remember the Probate Process
If you remember the probate process, the first thing that happens is that the estate is opened through a legal process. Once the estate is opened, this is a sign that the family is ready to move forward with selling the property in the estate.
Your next concern is, “Who is the decision maker”? If there was a will, the executor will have been named in the will (that’s the decision maker). If there was no will, the court will appoint someone to be the administrator (also the decision maker). The two people are also referred to as the personal representative. There are some other things going on in the background, but generally speaking, this is the time when you can start marketing to the personal representative.
What is the Timeline Here?
What I am referring to is, how long has it been since the person passed away? The answer is, it really doesn’t matter. It may have been a relatively short period of time. It could have also been months or even a year or more. When they open the estate, they are saying that they are ready to move forward with the sale of the property in the estate.
People start the “business of settling the estate” on their own timeline, and that is different for everyone. What you really need to understand is that sending a nurturing series of letters is a “soft touch” marketing strategy that works really well with with probates. These letters rarely upset the sellers. On the rare occasion that does happen, investors can easily explain to them how they are able to help families that have inherited an unwanted property.
Why Send a Nurture Series of Direct Mail Letters?
I believe this one thing has been responsible for much of my success; the ability to clearly understand the seller’s mindset then market to these people with kindness and understanding. Using a very nurturing series of direct mail letters is merely an extension of that. It’s actually just common sense.
These folks are feeling many uncomfortable emotions during this time.
They are often grief stricken and overwhelmed by everything that has happened. On top of that, they may have inherited property that needs a significant amount of work or has some type of debt associated with it which causes them to worry. As if that weren’t enough, the business of settling the estate has just been dumped in their lap.
Remember that these folks are just like us. They have jobs and families and soccer practice.
Your Message: The Most Important Thing to Convey
You want the folks handling the estate to know that you will be there when they are ready; that you’re OK with waiting until they get to that point. You also want them to know that you may be able to help with things like cleaning out the house. When done correctly, the sellers will happy to call you when the time is right for them. They will be so happy you were able to help them. You’ll notice that I didn’t say pick up the phone and call them.
Direct Mail Campaigns – Creating a Nurture Letter Series
When it comes to direct mail campaigns, I recommend you have about 6 letters. You will send those, scrub your list and then start over.
Think of it this way. There is a path this process follows, and somewhere along the path these folks will be ready to sell the property in the estate.
Get Your FREE Probate Investing Starter Kit Here
If you would like a sample of one of the probate letters I have used successfully for more than a decade, you can get it free along with some other “goodies” in my Probate Investing Starter Kit.
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This post which was originally published on Jul 29, 2019 has been updated.
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