Million Dollar Principle #16 – Maximize Direct Response Marketing Before You Start Brand-Based Marketing
They don’t know your name, your logo, your story—and they don’t care. No one is loyal to your brand. No one is loyal to any brand unless they’ve had a direct experience with it.
That’s why your marketing can’t rely on hope, image, or awareness. It must produce results. Period.
Every Dollar Must Be Accountable.
Brand recognition is earned through action, through delivering results, not by telling the world how great you are.
If a buyer or seller hasn’t worked with you, your brand means nothing to them.
So every marketing piece you put out must have one goal: generate a measurable response.
No fluff. No “just listed” with no offer.
No pretty postcard with no reason to call.
No billboard that doesn’t track.
Clear Offer. Clear Path. Clear Action.
Every piece of marketing must include:
- A clear offer (something they want)
- Clear instructions on how to get it
- A reason to act now
This is non-negotiable.
Whether it’s “Get your home value instantly” or “Tour homes this weekend with zero pressure,” the message must be direct, compelling, and urgent.
If you can’t track ROI, kill the campaign. If it isn’t producing leads, appointments, or contracts, it’s wasting time and money.
Brand Comes Later—As a Result
Here’s the truth: your success becomes your brand. You’ll build a brand by delivering for your clients over and over again. Reputation follows results, not the other way around.
Once you’ve earned trust through performance, the brand takes care of itself. Until then, stick to what moves the needle.
Execution is Everything
To win with direct response, you need two things:
Strong copy that drives action.
Highly trained agents who deliver a world-class presentation and back it with elite service.
That’s the formula. Write offers that hit hard. Train agents that convert. Track everything.
Until your business is scaling from results, brand-building is a distraction. Your job is to create demand, not awareness. Start there, and the brand will follow.
Nick McLean
The Reside Platform – Where team leaders go to get their marketing to grow their teams. Go to www.resideplatform.com
