One of the greatest moneymaking features of contact managers, such as Top Producer and PREP, is their ability to use fully automated follow-up action plans.

Simply put, these programs allow you to specify any sequence of actions (call, postcards, letters, etc.) that you would like to use for prospecting, and then apply the entire plan to any contact with the click of a button.

For example: Using an "action plan" you can easily insure that every person in your sphere of influence receives a custom, and personalized, prospecting letter every single month.

While each contact manager comes with a standard set of "stock" letters to use, it's important to think of these generic plans as "soup starter." Before using any plan that comes with the program, I strongly suggest that you modify the letters that come with the program, and add your own letters to the plans, as well.

For instance, Top Producer comes with a generic "12 Month Farm" action plan, which simply contains a letter each month for a year. While this kind of follow up is superior to what most agents use, you will receive much greater impact, and more leads, if you customize the action plan so that:

Each of the standard letters is more personalized, and more accurately reflects your marketplace and the way you write. By adding a few sentences and changing a few words, these letters will sound much more like you took the time to write them.

You add your own letters to those that come with the program. This not only increases the effective length of the action plan, but allows you to add your favorite marketing letters into the program, as well.

Instead of simply sending a letter a month, the action plan contains calls, postcards and handwritten notes, too. While a letter a month can be effective, you'll receive much greater response if your action plan includes a few letters, followed by a phone call, then a few more letters, a postcard, and another phone call, a few more letters, a hand-written note and another phone call, etc.

This kind of follow-up insures that you're in constant contact with your prospects, without becoming too predictable.

While you might spend several hours customizing each action plan that comes with your contact manager, you'll find that the results are well worth the investment.

Not only will prospects respond much more favorably to the customized follow up, but you can easily extend a twelve-month action plan to three or four years. And, since you've modified the plan before applying it to a prospect, you'll only have to do this once! Your customized action plan can be used over and over again!

While many agents use the action plans just as they come out of the box, you will see an increase in leads, for years to come, if you will just take the time to customize these action plans to create your own unique marketing program.

Also See: Why Your Marketing Efforts Don't Generate Leads

Published: January 15, 1999

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