Where Technology Can Help

Technology can greatly help you manage your campaigns in several ways. It can help you:

• Develop and maintain lists of contacts, such as previous clients, potential clients, and so on. Databases or contact managers let you manage your contact lists.

• Deliver the campaign materials. Bulk e-mail software or Web-based services can handle the delivery of your campaign materials. (Chapter 1, "The Right Office Tools," lists several such tools, and the accompanying CD has links to all of them.)

• Track the results of your campaigns. A simple spreadsheet can help track the effectiveness of various marketing efforts, including nontechnology efforts such as sign-up lists at open houses.

Checklist Client Data

When you build contact lists, collect as much of the following information as you can. And remember you should accumulate all these details over time rather than try to squeeze them out of everyone the first time you talk.

• Name

• E-mail address

• Phone number (home and work)

• Mailing address

• Client category (active seller, previous buyer, etc.)

• Personal data: birthday, names of family members, etc.

• Source of contact (how they found you: ad, Web site, referral, etc.)

• Notes (such as what they're seeking or bought, when they bought or sold) that will help you keep in touch appropriately