Bandit Signs Manual1

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs Manual A Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign Why Marketing is the Lifeblood of Your Business Marketing is the single most important aspect of your real estate investment business. At its most basic level real estate investing is a business of matching together sellers with buyers. Whether you wholesale, rehab, or buy properties to hold you will find that your success and the profitability of your business depends on how well you market, how many leads you produce, how many of those leads turn into deals, and eventually how quickly you can get those properties sold. Well, the most critical element that determines your success at each one of these stages is your marketing. Unfortunately, there is no one marketing strategy that will provide you an endless supply of seller leads or buyers leads. All successful real estate investors know they must have multiple marketing strategies on both sides of the transaction. As a real estate coach I feel it is my duty to share with my clients the best marketing strategies I and my students use in different markets around the country. I am always testing new marketing strategies in my business and I always share with my students what works and what doesn’t work. Likewise, after years of coaching different students in different markets I also know what works in different areas of the country. For years, bandit signs, has been one of my best marketing strategies to find both sellers and buyers. However, as simple as the marketing strategy seems there is a lot to be learned if you want to consistently bring in leads week after week while at the same time maximizing response rates and minimizing the cost. Any real estate investor can put out bandit signs a time or two, but it is only the smart marketer who has long term success with the strategy. The “smart marketer” considers all factors and is constantly testing, tracking, and tweaking their marketing campaigns in order to maximize their return on investment. The “smart marketer” tests the message, the media, the frequency, and the method of delivery. Likewise, the “smart marketer” does not just put out bandit signs, they design a system so that signs get distributed each and every week without their involvement. As we examine this simple yet effective campaign remember that your long term success is completely dependent on the systems with which you implement. The reason we have had long term success is because every area of our business is efficient

Transcript of Bandit Signs Manual1

Page 1: Bandit Signs Manual1

Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

Why Marketing is the Lifeblood of Your BusinessMarketing is the single most important aspect of your real estate investment business. At its most basic level real estate investing is a business of matching together sellers with buyers. Whether you wholesale, rehab, or buy properties to hold you will find that your success and the profitability of your business depends on how well you market, how many leads you produce, how many of those leads turn into deals, and eventually how quickly you can get those properties sold.

Well, the most critical element that determines your success at each one of these stages is your marketing. Unfortunately, there is no one marketing strategy that will provide you an endless supply of seller leads or buyers leads. All successful real estate investors know they must have multiple marketing strategies on both sides of the transaction.

As a real estate coach I feel it is my duty to share with my clients the best marketing strategies I and my students use in different markets around the country. I am always testing new marketing strategies in my business and I always share with my students what works and what doesn’t work. Likewise, after years of coaching different students in different markets I also know what works in different areas of the country.

For years, bandit signs, has been one of my best marketing strategies to find both sellers and buyers. However, as simple as the marketing strategy seems there is a lot to be learned if you want to consistently bring in leads week after week while at the same time maximizing response rates and minimizing the cost. Any real estate investor can put out bandit signs a time or two, but it is only the smart marketer who has long term success with the strategy.

The “smart marketer” considers all factors and is constantly testing, tracking, and tweaking their marketing campaigns in order to maximize their return on investment. The “smart marketer” tests the message, the media, the frequency, and the method of delivery. Likewise, the “smart marketer” does not just put out bandit signs, they design a system so that signs get distributed each and every week without their involvement.

As we examine this simple yet effective campaign remember that your long term success is completely dependent on the systems with which you implement. The reason we have had long term success is because every area of our business is efficient

Let’s Start at the beginning…What are Bandit Signs?Bandit signs, also known as street signs, are corrugated plastic signs with basic marketing messages printed on them. They are usually 12x18 or 18x24 inches wide. They are also one of the fastest ways to generate leads for real estate investors. You can literally generate a steady stream of calls within days of putting them out and sometimes within hours. (Of course results vary depending on whether your competition is following you in an unmarked van.)

These corrugated plastic signs are either hammered into the ground on stakes or grass, stapled onto utility poles, or zip tied to metal poles. (Please do not hammer them into live wires...joking sort of!) Real estate investors use these signs to display a brief, clear solicitation with a phone number. The best part is…drumroll please…they are cheap. In fact, bandit signs are one of the least expensive yet most effective forms of marketing that will fuel your real estate business.

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

Why are Bandit Signs so effective?Bandit signs are like mini-billboards, a form of advertising allowing you to create 24/7 lead generation in a highly targeted way. As real estate investors our business relies on locating undervalued properties and/or properties owned by a seller who is in a distressed situation in your local area. When you effectively target where your bandit signs will be posted you’ll by amazed by the flood of new leads (motivated sellers) you’ll attract. This is why highly successful real estate investors have been using bandit signs as one of their main marketing methods for years!

Think about it…your signs are strategically placed in areas trafficked by homeowners owning the type of properties your looking for. The seller hasn’t put in a stitch of effort to find you, nor have they been harshly solicited. They have a problem – a house in distress to sell, and you offer them a service – “We Buy Houses” and a phone number where they can inquire about that service. It’s a very non-invasive way of attracting qualified sellers, with very little cost or effort expensed on your end. We’ve relied HEAVILY on bandits signs, and recommend ALL investors, both beginning and season, implement a bandit sign campaign to get the phone ringing fast! The reason you see bandit signs posted…BECAUSE THEY WORK! In fact, there is no faster way to literally generate leads over night. I always tell investors if you want to get your phone ringing now then there is no faster way. Likewise, I strongly believe this should be the #1 campaign all beginning investors start with.

These results however, do not occur by merely posting a few scattered signs. Running a successful bandit sign campaign is a science, which requires a very detailed system for consistent fulfillment.

Are Bandit Signs legal?Street signs are referred to as “Bandit” signs because they are illegal. Why? Most cities prohibit signs on “public right of way” (ROW). Meaning a person may not install a sign on a structure located on or over public property….it’s land dedicated or reserved for streets, utilities or other public facilities. Most cities site that land up to 10 feet back from the street on public property is consider a public ROW.

City ordinances rarely allow for prosecution, so investors tend to decide that the risk (penalty) is well worth the reward (lots of leads). Regulations vary from one place to another, punishments vary greatly as well...you must always remember to check with your city or town officials before you post signs. (That is of course if you want to be told “No” and don’t want any leads) Just to note, if the City says “you must obtain a permit and pay a fee to be permitted to post on public ROW”… keep in mind the City will NOT issue such a permit for Bandit Signs.

You may be wondering who is held responsible for illegally posted bandit signs. Each city will define who’s responsible, but here is an example description used in one of our local city’s sign ordinance, "the primary beneficiary of any sign installed in violation with this section of the code is presumed to have authorized or caused the installation, use or maintenance of the sign, commits an offense." In plain English (pig latin) that means YOU (the business owner) will be held accountable for violating a city’s sign ordinance, not your sign worker who is actually posting the sign. You can assume the city will remove and dispose of your illegally erected signs (without notice).

Punishment for violating a city’s sign ordinance can include fines up to $200 or more per violation. Therefore, fines can get hefty if the city wants to come down hard and charge you a fine for each

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

sign you have posted. Some cities have begun filing misdemeanor charges against businesses and individuals who knowingly violate the sign ordinance. Furthermore it’s important to mention that many neighborhood residents see the signs as ugly street spam that litters their neighborhood. When putting up signs you can expect to encounter not only city officials, but angry neighbors as well. (Likewise, you may also encounter a competitor posing as the sign police who calls you in a very muffled voice and threatens lashings.)

Often you’ll be asked (told) to remove your sign, and threatened that you’ll be report/fined if you continue to violate the sign ordinance. You could also run into an obsessed “sign slasher” that literally scours the neighborhood slashing signs…they may even get creative and go out and paint over all or part of your sign, or cut out just enough of the phone number to make the sign useless. Whether being pulled down by the city or slashed by the neighborhood watch, bandits signs typically don’t last too long…which is why bandit signs need to be monitored and posted frequently to assure consistent calls. (We install shock buzzers in our signs so that people know not to mess with our stuff.)

What You Need To Know Before You Order Your Bandit Signs

You Must Have an Easy-to-Remember Phone NumberAn easy-to-remember number can either be a local phone number or toll-free 800 number (known as a vanity number). Establishing an effective easy-to-remember number is VITAL your bandit signs being successful.

Through our experience, we’ve found that a local number always works better than a vanity number. Typically, homeowners looking to sell their home (especially in a complicated situation) prefer to work with an investor who does business in their area. Local numbers are more personal, give a good impression of your local presence, build a feeling of trust and can often give you an advantage over another investor who’s using an 800#. There are situations where a vanity number works better for example 1-800-JOE-BUYS, so it’s wroth testing out which works better in your market. It really depends on the number itself and how easy it is to remember.

How Do You Get An Easy-To-Remember Phone Number?There are a variety of online services that offer to find and establish an easy-to-remember number. Most of these companies offer this in conjunction with other telephone number management services i.e. voicemail service, answering service, etc. If you’re simply looking to establish a new local number or vanity number which you’ll be managing directly, the best thing to do is call your preferred telephone service carrier. Before calling your carrier you can write down a series of numbers you would prefer to have, although in all honesty it’s very likely that the “easiest” are already taken. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you’ve hit a dead end. Most phone companies will search the available database for local numbers available with repetitious digits, for instance 777.1111 or 444-111. Some database search services will charge you a fee (for instance our local telephone service charges $30 to do such a search), which is well worth it. Try and get the first three digits repeating as well as the last four. If you can get a number like this it is well worth it.

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

If you’ve contacted a carrier and don’t like the numbers they are offering you, your next step is to go to another carrier. If you find a number that is carried by a carrier you would prefer not to use, see if you can get it ported over to the carrier you want.

Your final solution is to flat out call numbers that are easy to remember and make offers. You should expect to pay between $300 and $1000 for the inconvenience. This is well worth it if you can get an easy to remember number you can write on the bathroom walls (I mean put on your signs.) In all seriousness it is well worth the time to do this and I have had many students who have had tremendous success doing this. After all we are used to making low offers as a real estate investor aren’t we? (Mom…I will give you $5 dollars for your cell phone number)

Should You Include Your Company Website?The answer to this question is debatable. While on one hand, your website is a great place for prospects to get additional details about your company and your services. However, adding your website could distract from the message and give people two things to remember (phone number and website) instead of one, making it less likely they will remember EITHER. This also depends on how good your website is at capturing leads. The only way to truly know is to test and see. We do not put our website on our signs; we keep it as simple as possible and make the phone number as big as possible. I want someone to see my phone number from space so this is why I do this.

Choosing the Size of Your SignsBandit signs come in variety of sizes 6" x 18", 6" x 24", 12" x 18", 24" x 36" with the most common size being 18" x 24”. Our experience has been that 18” x 24” signs general last between 3 to 10 days. 18” x 24” signs are well-read when passed at 40mph and we’ve had the best results with this size. However, 12” x 18” signs do tend to be out for a little longer and don’t bend when it get’s windy.

Choosing the Color Scheme of Your SignsSigns are available in a large variety of background colors, the most popular being either white or a bright florescent color. When choosing your color scheme keep in mind the purpose of Bandit Signs is first and foremost to draw attention. Secondly, if you have a common color scheme that you use in all of your marketing you should keep things consistent. The purpose here is to GET YOUR SIGNS READ, not to look pretty. We’ve tested every color combination there is, and have found the most effective in our area to yellow with black text and white signs with blue text. Results are going to vary so see what your competition is doing and differentiate yourself.

Choosing Your MessageAlong with an easy-to-remember phone number, your message is the most important thing you will put on your bandits signs. When choosing your message (or several messages if you are ordering multiple signs) make it blunt and keep it SHORT. MAKE SURE THE FONT YOU USE IS AS BIG AND BOLD AS POSSIBLE…unused background space is NOT your friend! An average person driving by your sign will have 3 to 5 seconds to read the sign. Here’s our rule of thumb…no more than 2 lines of text plus the phone number, that’s it. Here are the messages we find most effective:

WE BUY HOUSESCASH FAST

203.555.5555

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

WE BUY HOUSESAny Condition, Any Location

203.555.5555

SELL YOUR HOUSEIN 9 DAYS

203.555.5555

JOE BUYS HOUSESCASH FAST

203.555.5555

(Note – using a name like “Joe Buys or Bob Buys” is very catchy and easy for people to remember so if it works for you, do it)

(Not a Good Sign Below)WHAT’S UP SIGN POLICE?

CALL MY UNREGISTERED CELL PHONE800.555.5555

Placing Your Bandit Sign OrderWhen you are getting ready to run your first campaign you should order between 200-500 signs. Obviously, you get better pricing when you order in bulk. It is imperative to test the effectiveness in your area before ordering more. We have ordered signs from many places and our preferred vendor is Super Cheap Signs. We have set up a great relationship with this company and actually have signs already pre-designed for you to order from. All you have to do is click on this link and it will take you right to the page: http://www.supercheapsigns.com/priceit.php?category_id=55

We have set up template signs for you to choose from or you can create your own signs. If you create your own it will cost you a little more money and take a little longer to ship as the template will have to be set up. An example of what the webpage looks like is below:

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

If you decide to order from a different company here are the specs you should use.

Custom 18 x 24 Bandit Signs Coroplast Color (background color): White or Yellow Sign Material: Coroplast Sides: Single-Sided Flute Direction: Vertical (Up/Down) Color of Main Text: Blue or Black

Making Sure No One Can Get To Your Signs Except ShaqThe higher your sign is placed the longer it stays up. Simple logic, but not so simple to execute unless your really, really, tall. Enter…the solution. Hire a basketball player or get a sign stapler which is a tool that you can use to staple your signs an extra 3-4 feet in the air. Most white men can’t jump that high so you should be safe. We use the sign stapler at www.SignStapler.com/than

This sign stapler is about 4ft long and can put up signs over 10 feet in a matter of seconds.

Along with the sign stapler we send our sign workers out with a box of Arrow T50 ½’’ staples to reload the staple gun. Each sign should be stapled about 5 -7 times for a secure posting.

To use the sign stapler, secure the Bandit Sign to the metal clip on the sign stapler and raise the sign to the desired height, shown below in Figure A. Proceed to strike the pole with the sign stapler along the center of the sign from top to bottom, shown below in Figure B

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

Figure A - Raising sign to desired height. Figure B – Securing sign to pole. (Model Not Included with E-book)

Ordering Sign StakesObviously signs will be more clearly visible posted on a utility pole with a sign stapler; PLUS signs put into the ground are VERY likely to be taken down VERY quickly. However, stakes have their uses as well. Stakes serve as a great tool when there simply are not poles to hang signs on. So it’s a good idea to have them on hand in such situations. We purchase our stakes from banditsigns.com, along with our signs. Start out with 100-250 stakes and then re-order as necessary. Super cheap signs has the stakes ready to go for you.

Preparing Your Bandit Sign Placement System

What Area's of Town to TargetYou want to post your signs in the target areas of your city where there are distressed properties and likely sellers in distressed situations. Your response rates will definitely be higher in areas of town that have houses that need work. Focus on putting the signs out in areas that are median price range and below, where properties and sellers are much more likely to be motivated. If you aren’t marketing in areas with sellers who are anxious to sell, you’re wasting your time. Sellers ONLY sell their properties significantly under market value when selling it that cheap is LESS painful than continuing to own the home.

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

The majority of leads you receive from bandit signs will be on residential properties. You will occasionally get commercial leads as well just not as frequently.

When it comes to pinpointing your target areas, it’s really going to require you to have a strong knowledge of the area. You’ll often find that certain parts of town are shunned, and others are sought after. Make sure and familiarize yourself with the hot-areas. Furthermore, when you do get a hot lead and begin to evaluate the deal, you’ll need this knowledge of your marketplace to make the right analysis.

Streets/Sections Of Town To TargetThe best place to hang signs is at major intersections where traffic stops. Heavily trafficked zones will obviously get the most eyes on your sign. In addition to major intersections, other prime areas to target are highway on/off ramps and main roads. The best way to not piss the sign police off is to stagger the signs so they are not directly across the street from one another. Try keeping your signs a quarter to half mile apart. You can flood an area with signs, but you are more likely to get calls from the sign police. (Policia in Mexico)

Quantity Of Signs To Put UpBe reasonable with the amount of signs you put up. If you litter neighborhoods by putting signs at every corner, you’re asking for trouble with the city and to deal with angry neighbors. I recommend you put out about 15 to 25 signs per area you are marketing to. Don’t over saturate an area…it is more important to be able to have your signs up long term.

FrequencyOnce the signs are posted, most will need to be reposted in as early as 1 day or up to 2 weeks due to removal by the town, nearby residents, the weather, and sometimes other investors. Once you become familiar with each town’s response rate, you can plan future weeks accordingly. A good rule of thumb is to rotate the areas you post so you only hit an area once every four to six weeks. Clearly it is best to focus on the towns with the largest number of calls and maintain a consistent number of signs in those towns, which may require covering them twice in one week. Tracking the number of signs that are taken down becomes very important at this stage in the process since you will be looking at the current coverage in each town and it’s response rate to plan out your next week.

Typical Response RatesBandit signs have proven to be one of the most effective lead generator in our marketing arsenal, producing 2-3 leads on a daily basis. Currently, bandit signs account for nearly 25% of our incoming leads. For this reason alone, this tool is an absolute must for every serious investor.

Why response rates vary:1. Strictness of specific town2. Level of competition3. Location of sign placement4. Size of sign5. Effectiveness of message6. Ease of remembering phone number

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

Creating Your Mapping SystemIf you want to execute a successful bandit sign campaign, you MUST follow a thorough plan. I can’t tell you how many investors I see buy bandit signs only to haphazardly post them around town. Not only will such efforts (or lack there of) lead to poor lead generation, you also asking for trouble with the City, Department of Transportation, and neighbors...once you burn that bridge there is no going back. So start out with systems, and maintain your systems…you will thank me later.

Creating route maps, to be used in a rotation schedule, is a key component to successfully outsourcing this marketing method. Your first step is to divide your area up into regions. The number of regions you will want to target will depend on how large an area you want to cover and invest in.

We’ve tweaked our system to the point where we now have it running like a well-oiled machine. Setting up this system in for you area will require investing time and energy upfront, but will financially pay off ten-fold!

Step One: Purchase Microsoft Streets and TripsWe rely heavily on a software called “Microsoft Streets and Trips.” It will cost you about $75 if you buy it directly from Microsoft at www.StreetsandTrips.com, but you can definitely find it for half that price on other websites like Amazon.com or Ebay. Whether you spend $40 or $75 it is absolutely worth the investment (so get up and go order it). It’s remarkably easy to use, very similar to other Microsoft programs. Streets and trips is a mapping software you can use to create route maps and is perfect for anyone who is trying to create fulfillment routes, delivery routes, and the fastest route out of town when your mother in law comes to town.

Step Two: Create 4-8 target regionsDivide your area up into regions you plan to target. You may assign a region to cover as much as a town, or you may separate two or three neighborhoods out within a town into separate regions. Because these maps will be used in a rotation schedule I recommend having 4 to 8 regions. The best thing to do is then hit each one of those regions each week which will put you on a 4 or 8 week rotating schedule.

Step Three: Using Microsoft Streets and Trips pull up a map for each regionLet’s walk through an example. You now have a list of regions you’ll be targeting, and we will start with Region 1. Open Streets and Trips, pull up a map of Region 1 (with the software’s easy-to-use search engine). Then, zoom in so that you’re close enough to see major street names (when you outsource your map, it’s only effective with the street names), see below:

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

Step Four: Drive Region 1 and Mark Where Your Signs Should GoFollowing tips we’ve discussed earlier take your map and drive Region 1. You want to mark the streets/intersections/hot spots where you will have signs posted. When you notice a street that is heavily trafficked, make sure and note which direction the traffic is flowing (northbound, southbound, etc). When creating your final Route Map later, you WILL be specific about which direction you want the sign facing, so this is an important step. Make sure you write down every address of where you want the signs to go to create “Stops” inside Streets and Trips. You will enter these “Stops” to create the ideal route for your driver.

Step Five: Enter all addresses into Streets and Trips and Create “Stops”Now that you’ve detailed on your map where and in what directions you want Bandit Signs put up, you’ll enter all the addresses into Microsoft Streets and Trips for Region 1 Map. Create a new “stop” in the location you want a sign installed.

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

Step Six: Once all your “stops” are added, generate the routeReview your stops on your Route Planner (left panel on above example), if ok click on “Optimize Stops” and the software will automatically generate the quickest route (which will be highlighted in green) and directions are also provided for you.

Step 6: Assign the direction you want the sign postedStreets and Trips has now mapped out the quickest route for your sign worker to take when putting up signs and gives them a location for every spot you want a sign posted. Now, you need to take the instructions one step further and indicate which direction of oncoming traffic you want the sign facing. Thankfully, you’ve already gathered this information when you drove your region with your

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

original map print-out. Now, you just have to print out the final version with the route layout and transfer that data to your map.

For those of you who are ultra tech-savvy there are a variety of ways to create the final version on your computer using a combination of other programs. Here, however, we will go through how to do it manually (physically writing on it). So print out your map, get out a fine-point red or black Sharpie, and mark each of your sign “stop” points appropriately. See example:

Now, every detail is laid out for your sign worker. They have a route, with the exactly location of the sign labeled as well as what direction each sign should be facing. You’ll also go into Streets and Trips and print out the detailed directions for their route.

Milestone 3: Create Your Timetable & Pay ScheduleMicrosoft Streets and Trips calculates the estimated time it will take to complete the route. You’ll want to add in approximately 10 mins per sign for the worker to stop and park the car, get the sign and sign stapler out, position the sign, staple the sign, and return to the car. The average person in a non-rural area can put out about 10 signs an hour, but to be conservative we will say 6 signs an hour in our calculations. In the example region we’ve used Streets and Trips calculated the route itself will take 41 mins. We have 17 total signs to be posted, so 17 signs x 10 mins each is 170 minutes. If you add the 41 mins of driving time to the 170 mins of posting time, you are looking at a total route time of about 3.5 hours MAXIMUM.

It’s important to note the word MAXIMUM there as it’s safe to assume that your sign worker WON’T regularly need to post a new sign at ALL 17 stops. Depending on the number of signs still standing from the previous time the route was done the worker may only need to put up 3 signs (if 14 were left up) meaning the route would only take 1 hour and 10 mins. This is why it’s important for your sign worker the return the map to you each week, and report the number of signs that were still standing and the number he or she needed to post “new.” You’ll want to keep tabs on these

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

figures and also check those numbers against the sign workers time schedule. Keep in mind we find that on average 85% - 95% have been taken down or destroyed and need to be replaced.

Let’s do a little analysis. With our example route, you know each week your sign worker is going to need to travel the entire route (41 mins) just verify signs are in all 17 locations. Hence, if zero signs need to be posted, you sign worker will still have worked about an hour. The sign workers time sheet should then be based on the number of signs that needed to be re-posted. For each sign put up new, the workers time-clocked will increase:

Region ID:

Wallingford I      

                  

# NewSigns

PostedMins per

Sign

Mins Spent

Posting Signs

Driving Time

(in mins) Total Hrs17 10 170 41 3.5216 10 160 41 3.3515 10 150 41 3.1814 10 140 41 3.0213 10 130 41 2.8512 10 120 41 2.6811 10 110 41 2.5210 10 100 41 2.359 10 90 41 2.188 10 80 41 2.027 10 70 41 1.856 10 60 41 1.685 10 50 41 1.524 10 40 41 1.353 10 30 41 1.182 10 20 41 1.021 10 10 41 0.85

As you can see, when driving the same route depending on the number of new signs that put it, a sign worker’s hours can range from under 1 hour to 3.5 hours. When your sign worker submits his map and time schedule, the two must coincide. When posting signs in our example route, if your signs worker wrote they put up 7 new signs...the chart indicates that should have taken under two hours. If your sign worker reported it took them 3.5 hours, something isn’t right. Before you pay your sign worker for the hours they submit, always verify their timesheet aligns with your time charts.

That is not to say the route DIDN’T take 3.5 hours because it may have. If your worker has a valid reason why the route took an unusually long amount of time that day, that’s understandable, and they should of course be paid for their time. However, it’s also possible they are trying to pull the wool over your eyes. It’s your job to figure out which, by evaluating the numbers.

Milestone 4: Placing Your Ad to Hire

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

As you may have realized, bandit signs require constant maintenance and will require very reliable people. It is recommended to post ads and always have at least two people working for you on a sub-contract basis due to the high turnover rate for this position. We’ve had good results posting ad’s on Craigslist.com. “KISS” rules apply...Keep It Short and Sweet. Don’t try and make the position look more glamorous than it is and don’t go into great detail. You can explain the position to potential applicants when they come in to interview. Here’s a sample ad that you can place on Craigslist.

DRIVER WANTED

Real Estate Company needs someone to work 5 to 10 hours a week posting signs. Looking for someone reliable and who feels comfortable driving around and getting out of car to put signs on poles and in the ground.

- Flexible Hours - $10/hr + gas expenses covered- MUST have a car and valid driver’s license - If you own a digital camera it is a bonus- Great part time job- Start immediately

If interested email (Your Name Here) at (Your Email Address Here) Location: (Your Area Here) Compensation: $10/hr + gas money Principals only. Recruiters please don't contact this job poster. Please, no phone calls about this job! Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Once an applicant emails you then feel free to email them a driver application like the one posted below for them to fill out and email back to you. This is their first test. If they can’t complete this test in a timely manner then there is no need to interview them because they are going to be a waste of your time. You don’t need a highly skilled person to fill this job, but you do need someone who is responsible and not afraid to get their hands dirty. So look for someone who you feel is going to at least last for at least 6 months.

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

Driver Application

Personal InformationName: _________________________ Email: __________________________ Date:______________________Address: ______________________________________, City: ___________________ State:____ Zip:________Home Phone #: ________________ Cell#:________________________Fax#:____________________________Social Security # __ __ __ - __ __ - __ __ __ __ Date of Birth:__ / __ / __ Drivers License #_________________Permission to Run Background Check? Yes ( ) No ( ) Drivers License Exp Date:__________

Current Job Current Employer:____________________________________ Position:________________________________Supervisor Name:____________________________________ Work Phone:_____________________________Cell #:___________________________________ Email:_____________________________________________Permission to Call Supervisor: Yes ( ) No ( )Current Job Description: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Salary or Hourly Rate:_________________________________________________________________________

Prior Work HistoryFormer Employer:____________________________________ Position:________________________________Supervisor Name:____________________________________ Work Phone:_____________________________Cell #:___________________________________ Email:_____________________________________________Permission to Call Supervisor: Yes ( ) No ( ) Dates of Employment:______________to ________________Job Responsibilities:__________________________________________________________________________

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Reason For Leaving?__________________________________________________________________________Salary or Hourly Rate:_________________________________________________________________________

Former Employer:____________________________________ Position:________________________________Supervisor Name:____________________________________ Work Phone:_____________________________Cell #:___________________________________ Email:_____________________________________________Permission to Call Supervisor: Yes ( ) No ( ) Dates of Employment:_______________to________________Job Responsibilities: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Reason for Leaving?__________________________________________________________________________Salary or Hourly Rate:_________________________________________________________________________

Former Employer:____________________________________ Position:________________________________Supervisor Name:____________________________________ Work Phone:_____________________________Cell #:___________________________________ Email:_____________________________________________Permission to Call Supervisor: Yes ( ) No ( ) Dates of Employment:_______________to________________Job Responsibilities: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Reason for Leaving?__________________________________________________________________________Salary or Hourly Rate:_________________________________________________________________________

Education

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

Schools / College Attended: # Years Year Grad. Degree________________________________________________________ __________ __________ ___________________________________________________________________ __________ __________ ___________________________________________________________________ __________ __________ ___________

Special Qualifications or Job Skills__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are you a vereran of the U.S. Military service? ( ) Yes ( ) No

I CERTIFY that answers given herein are true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I authorize investigations of all statements contained in this application for employment as may be necessary in arriving at an employment decision. I understand that this is not intended to be a contract of employment. In the event of employment, I understand that false or misleading information given on my application or interview may result in termination.

Signature:_____________________________________________________________ Date:_________________________

Applications are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, or in the presence of a non-related medical condition or handicap.

Employer Notes

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

Review Applications

Once the applications have come in your next job is to review all of the applications and pick out three to four qualified candidates. The next step is to interview these candidates over the phone and narrow it down to one to two people you will meet in person at your office.

During the interview your main goal is to get a feel for the applicant’s stability and trustworthiness. Be direct about what the job entails (and yes, mention that it is not legal). Here’s a sample of how we conduct an interview:

Investor: Are you comfortable driving a route I give you, pulling over, posting a sign with a sign stapler, getting back in the car, and driving to the next location to post a sign?

Applicant: Yes.

Investor: When revisiting one of your routes, If signs are left standing from your last time through, you’ll leave those sign up and record which signs were left up on your route map and which locations you needed to repost. At the end of the week you’ll turn the route maps into me with your time sheet to get paid I will be regularly monitoring the signs in order to review and verify the route maps you turn in with your time sheets and gas expenses. Are you able to keep these records accurately?

Applicant: Yes.

Investor: Most cities have ordinances against posting street signs on utility poles. You may encounter city officials or angry neighbors. I will provide you with training on how to handle these situations. It’s extremely important that you never reveal the name or location of our business, are you comfortable with that?

Applicant: Yes.

Those are the simple basics you need to cover; otherwise you really just want to get a feel for each candidate.

Monitoring SignsAs discussed earlier your response rates are going to very for a variety of reasons. Also know that a specific regions response rate will have a degree of variation from week to week, month to month, etc. You must monitor your regions to verify your sign worker is putting signs up when and where they are supposed to, and are accurately reporting how many signs are left up and which ones needed to be replaced. This is the only way you can control your costs and assure you are generating as many leads as possible (all other factors aside).

I recommend not only randomly spot checking locations, but I also recommend periodically driving a sign workers entire route before they post their signs (to record for yourself what signs were left standing) and after they posted (to verify the signs are actually getting posted). You should rotate which regions you monitor to make sure they are attending appropriate to EVERY region. Do not tell your sign worker when or where you will be monitoring, you want to be sure they are unprepared

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

for your inspection. When tracking your leads if you find a vast drop, spot check those regions in the upcoming week to make sure the reason for the drop isn’t your sign worker failing to put up the signs.

Another great way to monitor your sign workers is to have them take a digital camera with them when they go on their route and take a picture of every sign they post. So if they are doing a route with 17 signs they can come back and show you 17 pictures before they get paid. This is one of the most efficient ways to monitor what you sign workers are doing without ever leaving the office. Of course this would require people to have a digital camera. Most young people have a camera or a phone.

Payment Schedule & Quality ControlSign Workers will be paid each Friday after submitting their route maps and time sheet and reviewing the amount of leads each region the prior week. Along with getting paid, they will given a new timesheet and Route Maps for the upcoming week. Here is an example time-sheet you’d give your sign worker:

Employee: John Smith

Date 18-Apr-08 19-Apr-08  

Town Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Total

Hours            

Gas Expense            

           # Signs Remaining            

# Signs Posted New            

# Total Region Signs            

           

Payment Amount           $ -

Each day as your sign worker completes a region, he or she will fill in the required information for each day including Hours, Gas Expense, # Signs Remaining (that did not need to be re-posted), # Signs Posted New, # Total Region Signs (this number is listed on each of your route maps). You’ll calculate the Payment Due using the Sign Worker Expense Excel Spreadsheet when they come in and turn in their time sheet and route maps. Example:

Employee: John Smith

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

Date 15-Apr-08 16-Apr-08 17-Apr-08 18-Apr-08 19-Apr-08  

Town Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Total

Hours 3.5 2 3 2.5 3  

Gas Expense $ 15.00 $

5.00 $

10.00 $

5.00 $

10.00  

           

# Signs Remaining 3 1 4 4 3  

# Signs Posted New 20 11 14 12 18  

# Total Region Signs 23 12 18 16 21  

           

Payment Amount           $ -

The bandit sign manager will review the sign workers time sheet and route maps, and compare the two with the lead tracker. These figures will then be input into an accounting spreadsheet to calculate the payment amount due. Here is an example of a completed spreadsheet:

Employee: John Smith

Date 15-Apr-08 16-Apr-08 17-Apr-08 18-Apr-08 19-Apr-08  

Town Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Total

Hours 3.5 2 3 2.5 3 14

Gas Expense $ 15.00 $ 5.00 $ 10.00 $ 5.00 $ 10.00 $ 45.00

            0

# Signs Remaining 3 1 4 4 3 15

# Signs Posted New 20 11 14 12 18 75

# Total Region Signs 23 12 18 16 21 90

            0

Payment Amount $ 50.00 $ 25.00 $ 40.00 $ 30.00 $ 40.00 $ 185.00

In ConclusionOverall, bandit signs can produce a significant number of leads for your business. The calls will many times start to come in literally overnight so you have to be prepared to handle all of the calls.

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Real Estate Investors’ Bandit Signs ManualA Guide to Implementing and Managing your Bandit Sign Campaign

What are you waiting for…start getting those signs out there and you can buy me a beer after your first deal.

Than Merrill

P.S. To Learn More About Our Kick Butt, Take No Prisoners, Marketing Systems You Have to Get Our Marketing Home Study System at http://www.fortunebuilders.com/marketing-for-deals/