It's that time of year again when our thoughts turn to... doo-dads!
What's a doo-dad, you ask?
A doo-dad is a promotional item, usually customized, that we send out to our spheres of influence with the goal of reminding them that we exist and are still selling real estate. With the ultimate goal, of course, being that they remember to think of us when it comes time to make a real estate hiring or referring decision.
I believe there are three categories of doo-dads.
The first is the silly, cheesy trinket-y type that does absolutely nothing to promote the professionalism of the agent whose name is featured on it. Personalized fly-swatters might be a good example.
The second category is the ho-hum, run-of-the-mill doo-dad that isn't silly or cheesy, but isn't really special, either. Maybe the recipient will hold onto it; maybe he won't. Nothing wrong with this category of doo-dad, but there's not all that much right about it, either.
The third category is, you guessed it, the Soulful Doo-Dad.
And that's the topic of our next SWS Teleseminar show. Gina Dotson from the House of Magnets will join me to talk about some creative promotional items you can customize and send out this holiday season - or any other time, of course. While we'll be talking about items that Gina's company sells, we'll leave the sales-pitch in the car and let you decide if any of her products are of interest to you. I've used the House of Magnets for all my own doo-dads over the last few years and they're great to work with.
Join us?
THE DETAILS
Date: Wednesday, October 20th, 2010
Time: 4:00pm Pacific / 5:00 pm Mountain / 6:00 pm Central / 7:00 pm Eastern
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
Equipment Needed: Nothing fancy - just a phone and/or computer
Cost: Free, but you must register, HERE
hey Jennifer been missing your posts lately . Thanks for this one. I am not a big doo dad person so I will have to tune in
Doo dads if used correctly can be great.
Jennifer, I've used "the House of Magnets" for years. However, I spend very little on doo-dads. I use the Golden Rule to decide many things. Do I want doo-dads around my house and office? No. So why pass them on to others?
Has Gina ever addressed the issue I have with magnets - that so many people don't have a place to put them? In this area, so many kitchens have cabinetry on their refrigerator fronts and thus magnets won't work.
Doo-Dah's is what they tend to become :/ I'm with Marian ... do I want them collecting dust in my house/office? Now if it's an actual useful item them I'd probably give it more thought. I'm interested to hear what you consider a Soulful Doo-Dads :)
Ahhhhhh... bingo! When is a doo-dad a dust-collector and when is it actually valuable!? Definitely follow the Golden Rule - if you would appreciate receiving a particular doo-dad, it's appropriate to send out. If you'd think it was silly or cheesy or stupid... don't. I actually hate it when people send me stuff I have no use for - I feel bad throwing it away, but I certainly don't want to find a place to keep it.
So, yes, one of the definitions of a "soulful" doo-dad is one that your audience will truly enjoy receiving, aside from simply being reminded of your existence.
I love doo-dahs, I'll try to make this. I am just now finalizing my program for 2011 with my promotions person, so great timing.
Cindy in Indy.
Doo Dads can be fun, but you want some "shelf life"
A good pen, A calculator.. Something that will actually be used... that's a plus. cant wait to see what ideas come from this!
As always, looking forward to it! Of course, I just read we can expect "real" books to disappear within the next 5 years, but perhaps bookmarks would be a nice doo-dad. They could look just like our magnets! LOL
Glad to see this JA. I was heading towards SWS Teleseminar withdrawal and it's not pretty! We all definitely need your help with this one.
It has been awhile, hasn't it Kevin? I've missed y'all! But we have several coming up BAM BAM BAM!
I love House of Magnets. I've used them for years also. Great company to do business with.
Hi Jennifer,
Where did you find that fly swatter? That is so classically cheesy its almost classy!