I have a routine when I write a product review. I ask for a demo, walk through the user interface from the perspective of the consumer, the agent, the broker, and anyone else. I take screenshots. It's a lengthy, meticulous process. Today, I experienced something very different. Today, I took a "tour" of Happy Grasshopper and walked away with a sense of the simplicity that makes this email marketing tool so popular with busy agents.

What Is Happy Grasshopper?

Happy Grasshopper is an email marketing solution that allows real estate agents to maintain relationships with their professional contacts. What's unique about Happy Grasshopper is the way they accomplish this. They write fun, lighthearted messages (rather than typical salesy or stats-driven marketing messages) and automate the process of sending them out to your contact list.

The messages, like the one below, are short and sweet. They go out once every three weeks. As far as the recipient is concerned, the email is sent from the agent's email and includes a signature block with the agent's photo and contact information.

The agent Control Panel is (no surprise here) very simple. When they log in, users can manage functions such as:

• Adding and editing contacts. Adding contacts may sound like a difficult task, but it's far from it. With Happy Grasshopper, you can actually send your contacts to their support team, and they will enter the contacts for you themselves. In the alternative, you can upload contacts yourself.
• Creating an email signature. Enter your information into a basic form and add a photo.
• Adjusting preferences for sending emails. Emails can be sent automatically, or settings can be changed so that the user sees each email before it goes out.
• Choosing, editing, and sending messages. Users have several messages to choose from before they are sent out. Within the control panel, they can view their options and edit them (if desired).
• Viewing analytics. Information about open rates, bounce rates, and other important statistics are available from the Control Panel.

The Benefits

During my discussion with Dan Stewart, Happy Grasshopper CEO, he mentioned that they have only a 3% cancellation rate; you don't need any context or specialized knowledge to understand that this is pretty impressive. There are several main factors I believe contribute to this:

• The solution offers a different way to connect with contacts. Often, real estate agents send listings, statistics, or "just checking in" messages. Sometimes, these are effective; oftentimes, they're not. The truth is, the people you're reaching out to don't want to talk about real estate. Happy Grasshopper sends them messages that are always relevant, no matter what phase they're in (even if they're not buying or selling a home).
• Happy Grasshopper is easy. As Mr. Stewart explains, "People don't know what to say, when to say it, or how often it should be said." In addition to taking the "guess work" out of email marketing, this solution makes it ridiculously easy. The concept, the Control Panel, and the messages themselves are all wonderfully simple.

Next Steps

• Learn more about Happy Grasshopper in our product directory or at HappyGrasshopper.com.
• Review all your options for drip marketing.