You sent the mail, 1,000 letters, maybe 5,000 postcards. Some salespeople called. The rest of the list stayed there.
That’s usually where people stop. They count it as a dead list and move on to the next one. But a landowner who doesn’t call back after receiving a letter isn’t necessarily saying no. The most common is, “I’ll deal with that later,” or the letter was never opened, or it was opened and forgotten on Tuesday. Investors who get better numbers from the same lists don’t write fancier letters, but rather follow up with those who didn’t respond.
Why mail alone leaves money on the table
Cold direct mail campaigns typically generate response rates between 2.7% and 4.4%, according to the American Marketing Association. That’s not a sign that the list is bad, it’s just what happens with a single tap.
The tracking channel that best combines with email is sending ringless voicemail. Deliver a recorded message directly to the recipient’s voicemail without the phone ringing. They see a voicemail notification and can listen when it’s convenient. People hear voicemails delivered at a much higher rate than they would ever hear an unknown cold caller.
How numbers tend to develop
Here are the calculations for a typical campaign. Let’s say you ship an envelope of 1,000 pieces in rural packages from a single county. With normal direct mail response rates, you might see about 30 callbacks from the mail itself and then the rest of the list goes silent. That’s where most investors move forward.
Now run the following three-drop voicemail sequence with the approximately 970 people who did not respond. In practice, the first drop does the heavy lifting, often generating callbacks in the neighborhood of 10% of the list. The second installment, sent only to those who have not yet responded, attracts a smaller batch, and the third even smaller. It’s common to retrieve dozens of additional conversations from a list you’ve already canceled, and most tend to come back as text messages rather than live calls.
Your results will vary depending on the quality of the listing, the market, and the script. But the principle is consistent: a list that seems dead after a mailing is often not.
The time sequence
This schedule is based on a standard mail delivery period of approximately one week to ten days:
- Day 0: the mail goes out.
- Day 10 to 12: First voicemail drop, after the letter has had a few days to be in someone’s hands.
- Day 17 to 19: Second drop, sent only to contacts who did not respond to the first.
- Day 30: Third and final delivery for whoever remains, along with a second advertising shipment if the budget allows it.
Send too soon and the letter has not yet been recorded. Wait too long and it will already be in the recycling.
The script
Keep it under thirty seconds. Reference the letter. Take a clear next step.
“Hello, this is [Name]. I sent you a letter last week about your property in [Street Name] in [County]. I bought some land in the area and wanted to keep track of it in case it got buried in the mail. If you have a few minutes, call me at [phone number]or just text me. There’s no pressure in any way, I just wanted to make sure you saw it. Thank you, take care.”
It doesn’t fit. It doesn’t read like a script. He doesn’t ask for a yes on the spot. The street name and county do the real work. They are proof that a real person sent this, not a mass robocall. Offering a text message response is intentional – in most campaigns, many callbacks arrive as text messages rather than live calls, so make it easy.
When someone calls you or texts you back, maintain the same low-pressure energy. A good start: “Thank you for replying. Did you have a chance to look at the letter?” Let them lead. If they’re not interested, ask if you can check back in six months. If so, skip to the standard seller rating questions. The voicemail sequence allows you to communicate; Your conversation bridges the gap.
Search and clean your phone list
A clean phone list is the most important input in this process and the step that most guides skip. County records give you the owner’s name and mailing address, but not a phone number. To get numbers, you’ll need to run your list through a skip tracking service.
Popular options among domestic investors include StrideSkip, PropStream, and Direct Skip. Upload your list of owners, pay per registration (typically $0.10-$0.20 per follow-up), and get matching phone numbers with trust scores. It’s worth prioritizing higher confidence scores for the first drop.
Once you have the numbers, delete the list before you send anything. Eliminate duplicates, remove numbers that returned with low confidence, and check for landlines if your voicemail platform charges per attempt for undelivered deliveries. Most platforms will attempt delivery and only charge for successful voicemail placement, but confirm before running a large campaign.
List quality directly affects your callback rate. A poorly drawn list with bad numbers and disconnected lines will give you disappointing results that have nothing to do with the strength of your script or sequence.
A note on compliance
Ringless voicemail is a powerful way to connect with people, but it’s important to use it responsibly. Like phone calls and text messages, ringless voicemail is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other federal and local agencies.
Before launching a campaign, it’s a good idea to take the following steps:
- Check the National Do Not Call Registry (DNC). If a phone number appears on the DNC list, you should generally avoid contacting that person unless you have an existing business relationship or other appropriate permission.
- Review your state’s telemarketing laws. Some states have additional requirements that are more restrictive than federal regulations.
- Seek legal guidance if necessary. If you are running large-scale campaigns, purchasing contact lists, or are unsure of your obligations, it is a good idea to consult with an attorney familiar with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and other telecommunications regulations.
The information provided here is intended as a general guide only and should not be considered legal advice. Each company is responsible for ensuring that its communications comply with all applicable laws and regulations. When in doubt, it is always best to proceed with caution and obtain qualified legal advice.
What you need to get started
A phone list with skip tracking, a caller ID number dedicated to your campaign (which keeps callbacks separate from your personal line), and an account with a ringless voicemail platform. Slybroadcast operates on a pay-as-you-go basis, with 100 voicemail sends in a 30-day sequence costing about $0.045 per send. Upload your audio file and contact list, and the platform will take care of delivery. You’ll then receive a report showing exactly who received the voicemail, so you know who to follow up with.
The practitioner’s conclusion
If you send emails and walk away, you’re leaving callbacks on the table for very little additional cost. Perform the three-drop sequence on your next list. Use the script as a starting point, swap the actual street name and county for each message, and keep track of which delivery generates responses before escalating. The first drop does most of the work. The second catches slow responders. The third is a final step in a warm list that costs you real money to build, so it’s worth taking an extra step before continuing.
