Real Life CRM Success Example

A real life example, from earlier this month, of results achieved from combining a great selling strategy and an effective CRM system – 22 units sold on the inaugural weekend of a new project launch, which represents 60% of the phase.

Here is what the developer did to make it happen:

Contracted a design agency to create an attractive website.
Used their Lasso CRM corporate database (aggregated names from past projects and opted-in leads/prospects) to announce the upcoming launch to these prospects, plus a select group of realtors.
Used targeted, consistent email campaigns leading up to their events that included RSVP links so those interested could confirm their attendance (and the sales team could follow up in advance to confirm appointments).
Monitored open rates and easily resent unread emails, increasing their read rates.
Confirmed 18 pre-grand opening appointments.
Sold 22 homes on the inaugural weekend (60% of the total phase).
Created ongoing urgency, immediately after the weekend, by distributing an email campaign announcing the success of the Grand Opening.
Continue to follow up with leads returning to their website, creating further urgency that is timely and personal.

The website was their primary marketing investment – the names of potential prospects and realtors were already in their database. Getting these super sales results did not require a lot of expensive advertising, marketing programs, or collateral materials.

Want to learn more? We can show you how to do this too.

Weekly Snapshot Report Delivered to Your Inbox

April 2, 2012 in CRM Software, Lasso Tips by Judy Beere | No Comments

Would you and your management team like to receive regular emails that provide you with a quick look at the week’s current lead and sales activity? This up-to-date information is now available in a scheduled email called the Weekly Snapshot Report. See how many leads came in as well as the number of activities that occurred during the week for each project.

The Weekly Snapshot Report contains the following information:

Leads and Sources including Total New Leads, Online Registrations, and Walk Ins
Activity including Visits, Emails, Phone Calls, and Mass Mails
Sales including Firm, Closed, and Cancelled units of inventory (for clients using Lasso Inventory edition)

For email recipients with the appropriate Lasso login and user permissions, clicking on a project name in the report will log an email recipient into Lasso. Clicking on a number in the Leads and Sources and Activity sections brings up the relevant list of Registrants in Lasso, allowing the User to take action immediately. Clicking on a number in the Sales section displays the list of inventory. Including the Sales section in the report is optional and dependent on whether you are using the Inventory module of Lasso.

Ask your Client Administrator to set up the Weekly Snapshot for you. They will need the following:

Specific time that the email is to go out on an hourly, weekly, monthly, or one-time basis
Lasso Users and/or email addresses of report recipients
Projects to be included in report
Source Types to be included in totals for Total New Leads and Walk Ins columns
History Types to be included in totals for Visits, Emails, and Phone Calls columns

If you have questions or need assistance, please let us know at support@mylasso.com .

Ask Your New Home Buyers to Share Your Message

March 2, 2012 in CRM Software, Email Marketing, Lasso Tips, Social Media by Angela McKay | No Comments

We all know that social media is a powerful tool. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin can all amplify your message and create awareness of your new home communities and projects far beyond your circle of fans and followers. Many websites and blogs are built with the ability to using social media tools to share information – for example, if you like a blog post, you can tweet it or like it or post it on your wall.

The following is a way that you can incorporate a request to “tweet” right in your email. Let’s use the example where you want to send a thank you email to everyone who attended a Realtor event. Include in that email a request to Tweet about the project. But instead of just asking them to follow you, or asking them to tweet about you, you make it easy for them: you write the tweet, and include the link directly to twitter.

Here’s a Lasso example where we included the “tweet this” for an upcoming webinar featuring Meredith Oliver. On the webpage and in the email, we have a “Tweet This Webinar” link:

When someone clicks on this link, here’s the message that comes up:

Your agents, prospects or purchasers can then tweet out your message. Here are a few ways you can use this functionality:

Ask your purchasers to tweet a message that they just purchased a home in one of your communities
Realtors and brokers can tweet that your homes are selling fast!
Create a contest to incent your prospects to tweet your message and include a link to ask others to register.

Include a specific hashtag to track who is tweeting so you can track results!

Do you want to try it out? Here’s how to do it:

Insert a “Tweet About Our Community” button or link in your email template.
Go to a site where you can shorten the URL that you want to include in the tweet. For example, maybe it’s your registration page, or a link to an online video of the community. Google has a link shortener here – http://goo.gl/
Add a hyperlink to the button or words to tweet, use the following format:

Test the link to make sure it works! Send your email either as a mass email or individual email.

Questions? Contact Lasso support for more information.

Learn more about creating your online message and social media during our next webinar with Meredith Oliver. Learn more here:

Builder Tech 2012 @ IBS

February 18, 2012 in News by Angela McKay | No Comments

On Thursday, February 9th, Lasso, along with Zillow, NewHomesDirectory.com, Focus 360, and Builder Designs hosted a Builder Tech event at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando.

This was the first ever “Builder Tech” event and it most definitely won’t be the last! A great time was had by all. Thanks to all who attended.

The following is a short photo show of the event. Enjoy!

Using Campaigns to Send Mass Email

February 14, 2012 in Email Marketing, Lasso Blog by Angela McKay | No Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I was creating an email for a mass mail. After testing the template and doing some final tweaking it was ready to go; but I wasn’t ready to send it. I wanted it to be sent as two mailings over the following two days. I could have set a reminder for myself to send it manually but instead I used the campaign feature in Lasso. I created a campaign, added the template, selected the recipient group and clicked save. I was done; I was able to move onto the next task at hand and didn’t have to think about the email again. Two days later, when the mailings were complete, I was able to review the mass mail report to see the stats of that campaign. This was simple to do and saved some time.

When planning an event or a special promotion, often multiple emails are created – announcing the event to prospects, maybe a separate one to agents and brokers and then subsequent reminder emails leading up to the event. Utilizing the Campaign feature in Lasso, you can associate your list of recipients to the mailing, schedule the time to send and then move onto the next item on your list. If you need to make changes to the template or campaign prior to sending it out, this can be done easily.

A campaign can be created in Lasso by clicking on Campaigns under the Marketing drop-down in Lasso.

Create a new campaign (create a name and add a date range)
Add a mailing: choose a send time, select a template, choose a group or custom list, and determine who the sender should be.

Questions about this feature? Contact our support center at support@mylasso.com.

Have You Cleaned Up Your Failures Lately?

January 6, 2012 in Email Marketing by Kelly | No Comments

Mass Mail Failures

Nobody likes a failure but it’s amazing how many don’t get cleaned up!

I’m referring to email failures. When a mass mail is sent Lasso attempts to send to all the email addresses in the list or group. Some of these email addresses fail . . . it’s inevitable. But the key is to minimize these failures. After you send out a mass email through Lasso, the Mass Mail Details report will show all the email failures. I encourage you to review this list and take action! Not only will cleaning up your database help with deliver-ability, it could help you re-engage with prospects. By reducing some of these failures, your mass mail reporting statistics will be more meaningful as you go forward.

Below is a list of example failure notifications and their explanations.

Failure Reason	Explanation
Hard Bounce	Email attempted. Registrant email address does not exist. Suggested Client Action: Contact Registrant to obtain new email address.
Hard Bounce (Suppressed)	Email address has hard bounced in the past and therefore is suppressed from future mass mails. Suggested Client Action: Contact Registrant to obtain new email address.
Soft Bounce	Email could not send due to an issue with the Registrant’s email mailbox (e.g. mailbox is full). Suggested Client Action: If the email consistently soft bounces, contact Registrant and ask for an alternate email address. If the email has bounced more than 3 times, a good rule of thumb is to opt them out.
Invalid Email Address	Email address has syntax errors (e.g. angelam@@mylasso.com) Suggested Client Action: Correct error in Registrant email address.
Email address has been opted-out	Registrant has Opted-Out or unsubscribed from Mass Mail for this project. Registrants will not receive any mass emails for this project. Suggested Client Action: Contact Registrant to determine project interest level. Registrant should be removed from Custom list and/or Group.
Registrant had no email address	No email address in Lasso. Suggested Client Action: Contact Registrant to obtain email address. Adjust Custom List criteria for Mass Mails to exclude Registrants without an email address.
Registrant has chosen not to receive email	Contact preference in Lasso is No Contact or No Email across all Client Projects Suggested Client Action: Registrant should be removed from Mass Mail Custom List and/or Group.
Technical	Email cannot be delivered to the email address because of technical difficulties (e.g. Network error, or a Data format error). Note: in some cases, the email addresses have incorrect domain names (misspelled) or typos. Suggested Client Action: Update Registrant email address. Contact Registrant to confirm email.
Block	Mass Mail is being blocked because your domain name or IP address is on an ISP/Inbox Provider internal blacklist. Suggested Client Action: If email is a corporate address, follow-up with Registrant to request unblock, or ask for alternate email address. If email address is a large ISP (e.g. Hotmail, gmail, Yahoo, etc.), try resending in smaller volume. A typical rule of thumb, the larger the list, the higher the chances of blocks. If issue persists, contact Lasso Support.

Learn more about Lasso home builder software.

Creating Emails that Get Opened

December 16, 2011 in Email Marketing by Kelly | No Comments

Emails That Get Opened
It’s been said that an email recipient will first look at the sender to determine whether an email gets deleted and then look at the subject line to determine whether it gets opened.

Using a familiar from name when sending an email is your first step to success and your carefully crafted subject line is next in line for importance. The following are a few tips:

Keep your subject line to about 50 characters. Some email clients allow more characters to appear in the subject line but make sure the most important part of the message is in the first 50.
If the “from email” includes your company name than you don’t need to repeat in the subject line but make sure it’s clear in either the from name or the subject who the email is coming from.
Check your spelling – often the subject line is not part of spell check so don’t forget to pay particular attention that your subject line doesn’t include any typos!
Create some urgency. Creating a deadline often elicits more action.
We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again – avoid the use of all UPPER CASE letters and the use of exclamation marks. Not only does it look kind of tacky, it will trigger spam filters.
Ensure that the subject line matches the content in the email and that it’s not misleading.
Subscribe to other projects and communities and learn from your competition! Read headlines from online articles and newspaper. What catches your eye? Appeal to your readers’ need for information.
Ask for response in your subject line. One of the best ways to generate interest is to ask for feedback and opinions.

The subject line may have the greatest impact on your email marketing success so it pays to take some time to get it right. It takes some time but it pays to get it right.

Learn more about Lasso home builder software.

Designing Emails for Mobility

December 5, 2011 in Email Marketing by Kelly | No Comments

Designing emails that look great regardless of the viewing mechanism is a challenge these days – many people are reading email on mobile devices as well as their desktop. How do you design for different devices and screen sizes?

Here are a few tips to improve the readability of your email:

Mobile Friendly Emails

Stick to the “Keep it Simple” rule – the design of your email as well as the message should be kept simple. Try to avoid too much clutter and stick to a single column design as it’s easier to read.
Use a Preheader – often you see text at the very top of the email allowing you to view the email as a webpage. That text is called a preheader. While having a link to a web version is important, this is also a great spot to include the main point of your email and will give your recipients a better idea of the contents of the email before they open it.
Consider the readability and navigation of your email – make it easy for someone to click on a link in your email. Don’t put too many links together. When viewing on a small screen, it’s sometimes difficult to click on the correct link when there are multiple links close together.
Label Your Images – while some mobile devices automatically display images, others don’t. Always include an alt-tag so if your image doesn’t display, the reader can at least still get the gist of your message.
Choose colors wisely – small gray text may look great on your large monitor, it may not be easy to read on a small screen. Test out the email and see for yourself how it renders! Can you easily read it?

Consider these simple tips when creating your next email template and you will improve readability!

Learn more about Lasso home builder software.

Don’t Forget a Personal Touch When Communicating with New Home Buyers

November 25, 2011 in Lead Nurturing, Social Media by Kelly | No Comments

How do you feel when you receive a mass email from a company that clearly has no relevance to your needs? How do you react? The worst case scenario is that you unsubscribe from the email or report it as spam to your ISP; but more often than not, it just gets ignored and deleted. We are all too busy to read everything we receive so we focus on the things that are important and relevant to us.

This is an important concept to remember when nurturing new home buyer prospects. The last thing you want to do is alienate prospects and turn them away because of your communication.

The best way to handle this is to allocate time to database management and ensure that you have a good system in place for duplicate management, that you’re recording all prospect activity (and avoid sending duplicate messages), and that you segment your lists before sending out mass email to help customize the message to that group.

It’s important to not hide behind email. Give your sales group opportunities to take a more personal approach to communication. For example, give them note cards (and stamps if necessary!) to write personal handwritten notes of thanks to their prospects. Encourage them to send birthday cards, or letters of congratulations when a milestone has been reached. Not only will this pay off in the long run from a referral perspective but it will create closer ties with the prospect.

And don’t forget how you interact with your fans and those who engage with you in social media. What is the benefit of being a fan on your site? Do you have a process in place for acknowledging followers and re-tweets? Find ways to involve your fans, ask for their feedback and acknowledge their comments.

A personal, professional approach goes a long way for long term success!

Learn more about Lasso home builder software.

Built Green BC Builder of the Year – Adera

November 21, 2011 in Customer Success Story by Kelly | No Comments

GreenAward
Kudos to our client, Adera! They have recently received the award for the Built Green BC Builder of the Year. This is the second consecutive year that Adera has one this award and we’re proud to have one of our clients be so successful in their sustainability initiatives.

“Sustainability has been a very important focus for Adera for more than 8 years,” says Eric Andreason, vice president of sales and marketing for Adera Development Corporation. “The people in our team actively participate in working with other groups and Eco-consultants to stay abreast of green technology in order to meet people’s housing needs and desires. Consumers are demanding sustainable living and energy-efficient homes for its significant benefits: direct financial saving, personal benefits by reducing their carbon footprint and the social benefit of living green for the greater good.”

Green is the new black. So what does that mean? State-of-the-art features made from natural materials or recycled content, chosen to last longer, and designed with a reduced carbon-footprint in mind. What else? High efficiency appliances that minimize energy and water consumption, and also reduce waste production. This is a motto that Adera stands by and have maintained for over 40 years. They have built a world-class portfolio that includes the development of more than 8,000 homes, from distinguished residences at UBC, to condos and town-homes spread throughout the Lower Mainland.

Adera Currently they have an extensive list of projects both coming soon and currently selling. These include Ultimate Green, Zen and Spirit which were the Adera projects that were recognized as part of the award. They are all innovative developments from Adera that consider green building practices, from livability for homeowners to the stunning designs that incorporate the latest innovations in sustainable building and West Coast architecture.