Bliss Sawyer's Marketing Blog

New Giveaway

After I did this post on advertising with car decals, I met up with a Rob Nichols, owner of www.vinyldecalstore.com and since it's been a while since I've had a giveaway, we decided to pass along some of his great products to you!

 

It is becoming more and more common to advertise your business and web address on your vehicle. To help get your name out there, Rob is sponsoring a free decal giveaway from www.vinyldecalstore.com.

Enter to win one of three FREE car decals (good for up to $20) AND free shipping. 

You have two chances to win!

Enter once by filling out the online form below.

Enter a second time by commenting below with a creative marketing idea.  (I am going to have limited computer access for some of the summer and want to be able to keep the blog fresh for all of you.  What better way than sharing ideas!  So if you share an idea - I may be contacting you to get more info and permission to add to my blog.)

Drawing will be held Monday, June 1 at 5:00 p.s. CST

Getting More Done in Less Time - Webinar

I've had many requests for a class on this subject.  It's great to be busy and have loans in your pipeline, but if you aren't feeling in control of your day then you are most likely missing out on even more production (and future referrals!).

This one hour seminar, Getting More Done in Less Time, will give you tips, tools and secrets to getting more done in less time.

• Get more done through my simple planning techniques
• Great ideas on how to keep in control of your daily business... so you can still have a life outside the office.
• Keeping up with your marketing - even when things are busy.
• Simple techniques to make sure your production stays up, even when things slow down.
• Ideas for successfully hiring an assistant.
• Learn how to love your job, even when it feels overwhelming!

Don't miss out!  June 2, 1:00 CST

Click here for more information!

Keeping track of those Realtor Contacts

I've had a few emails since my last post asking what I recommend to help loan officers keep track of their Realtor Marketing.  I created this form years ago and find it to be one of the simplest and most effective ways to track Realtor contacts.

Click here for a copy.

Use this on a weekly basis to help you stay focused and on task... which, of course will result in referrals!

Pay attention to your referral sources.... gurantee future income!

It's easy right now to get caught up in the urgent of getting loans closed and keeping your staff happy.  But guess what?  Realtors are feeling abandoned.  This is an long-standing problem in our industry.  I remember the same situation way back in the 1993 refinance boom.  (Yes - I am THAT old)

It's a tough thing... many have gone with very little in their pipeline (and paycheck) for some time now and this is a fantastic opportunity to generate much needed cash flow.  And yet you MUST look at the bigger picture.  Refinances will not always be this prevalent.   Rates WILL go up.  Purchase loans WILL sustain your business.

Do you want to be a top producer now AND in 12 months.  And in five years?  How about ten?  Do you want to build a business fueled by referrals?  Then there are a few steps you need to take NOW.

1. Spend time communicating with your core group of Realtors EACH day.  Doesn't always have to be in person, but should be a mix of e-mails, phone calls, mailings and in-person touches.
2. Calendar this in.  Make an appointment.  Set an alarm on your phone, calendar or outlook.  No matter what, JUST DO IT!
3. Work longer if that's what it takes.  Remember that this refi boom is temporary.   "Make hay while the sun shines."
4. Don't let your referral partners see the stress or difficulty of your job.  Be upbeat and positive.  Be grateful for the current low rate environment.  People want to work with someone that makes them feel good.  If you are negative or just want to talk about the stress of your job, people will not be attracted to you.
5. Wisely set expectations with current borrowers.  Let them know things are backed up.  Explain that everyone is busy, but you will do everything in your power to make their loan transaction as smooth as possible.  Email updates every couple of days to reduce phone calls and anxiety.  This is a great task for an assistant.
6. Exceed expectations with your Realtors and their clients.  Look for opportunities to do something extra.  Something your competition isn't doing.

Work harder and smarter now to reap the benefits of a strong, referral-driven business.  Sounds like a great business plan to me.

Eliminating Junk Mail (email idea)

I have always made a big push to inform your clients on how they can protect their name and reduce unwanted credit offers, and I know many of you have sent this out with great success.  I read this article today on The Simple Dollar and thought it might be a good link for you to pass along to your borrowers as a follow up to that free report.

Your email could go something like this:

Eliminating junk mail is often a chore, so when I saw a great blog post on this topic, I wanted to pass it along.  In the past, I have sent you information on how you can protect your name... this post gives that same resource along with other tips and suggestions. 

Feel free to pass this along to anyone else you know that might need these resources and let me know if you have any questions.  If you did not receive my Free Report on How to Protect Your Name, contact me by email or phone and I will get you a copy.

As always, I appreciate your past business and look forward to helping you or your friends and family in the future with any of their mortgage finance needs.

Sincerely,

It's great marketing to continually look for things of value for clients and potential clients.  This is just one example of a simple email that will give you a stronger relationship with your sphere of influence.

Finally.... A Webinar for Managers!

Featured Speaker:   Dave Hershman Mortgage Industry Trainer

Join us for a Webinar on May 19th!

Business is back. Mortgage companies are hiring. However, we have not solved the basic and age-old issues we face when expanding or running our operations.

How do we hire the right people? How do we support them? 98% of the managers and owners in this industry are producing and managing. This leaves precious little time to do things right. And when we do things wrong, the result is fires and more fires.

In fact, today we need even more support for our originators and operations personnel with guidelines changing every day. If there is precious little support for originators, there is even less support for managers. Don't miss this session which is designed to give you the direction you need to move from a manager fighting fires day-to-day to a leader in the industry!

Title: Management Skills For Leaders
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM EDT

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar Seat Now.

Click Here to find out more!

The Power of Small

A few weeks ago, when I was in the mood for new reading materials, I spent  some time in Barnes and Noble.  (yes - I know I can get things cheaper online, but I LOVE bookstores)  I didn't have anything specific in mind, just browsing and looking for something that caught my eye.  I read the info on about ten books from the business section and ended up buying two.

It wasn't until I got home that I realized the humor in the two books I chose:  The Power of Less and The Power of Small.  Was my subconscious trying to tell me something?  I'm a multitasker and tend to take on BIG projects and get in over my head.  These two books are about different things, but the humor in getting them both during the same shopping trip (without realizing their similarities) was quite funny.

The Power of Small takes on the concept of "don't sweat the small stuff" (and yes - I do have a copy of that book as well).  Why Little Things Make All the Difference.  Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval do an absolutely fabulous job at pointing out why it truly can make all the difference if you take time to be aware of the small things.  They come from the advertising world and use many examples from their experiences as well as other industries and life in general.

Since I am NOT a detail oriented person and tend to tackle many projects at once, there are times when mistakes happen.  This can create more problems later on, give a negative impression to a potential client and undermine the best of intentions.  Taking care of the small things and working to make sure they are done well is a trait to be developed and worked on in any business.

This was a fun, quick book that I thoroughly enjoyed, and most importantly, went away with some great tools for my business and life.

FTHB Tax Credit email

Here's another no-cost marketing idea to help you gain credibility as an expert and increase your first time homebuyer referrals. 

Tim Powell created flyer about the First Time HomeBuyer Tax Credit with the help of one of his referral partners, an accountant.  The goal was to strengthen his relationship with her and get her name out to his database with the hope of helping her business as well.

Click here to see a sample of this email.

Suggestions:

• Send out to everyone you have email addresses for.  Even though the majority may be homeowners, they probably know someone that fits into this category and can pass along the information.  (You may even want to add something to that affect in the first section)

• Mail out to others that might benefit from the information but you do not have their email address.

• Drop off to Realtors and let them know they can copy and pass along as needed.

• Subject line:  2009 Homebuyers Tax Credit - Your Questions Answered

• Get the information out to human resource managers or small business owners to pass along to their employees.  Studies have shown that homeowners are more stable employees.

Do you need help with FHA?

FHA Training Webinar with Dave Hershmann

FHA is the fastest growing loan source in the industry - are you ready to deliver it to your clients?  Industry expert Dave Hershman is author of The Complete FHA/VA Originations Guide.  For the first time ever, Dave will be giving his FHA training seminar in the format of a 90-minute on-line Webinar with a special emphasis on Down Payment Assistance alternatives.

If you are serious about growing your business in 2009, this is a "must see" event!

Title:		FHA Training Webinar With Dave Hershman
Date:		Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Time:		2:00 PM - 3:30 PM EDT

 

FREE to NewsletterPro and Premium MyMortgageCommunity and Velma members: Members register here: CLICK HERE TO LOGIN & REGISTER    Not a Premium Member Yet?  CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP AND REGISTER FOR ONLY $1

Your $1 Registration Gets You:

•  Registration to this seminar.

•  30 Day Trial of the Newsletter Pro Marketing System, Velma & My Mortgage Community ($69 Value)
•  Lifetime license & setup for Velma.com ($199 Value)
•  Full access to our online CRM and complete library of hundreds of downloadable tools/resources

First Impressions

Whether good or bad, first impressions have a lasting impact... and in our industry good impressions can often lead into strong referral relationships.  What is the first impression a new client has of you as they come to your office?  Here are a few tips:

• Have a clutter-free reception area.  This includes desks, tables, and copy and mail areas.
  
• Instruct your receptionist to greet each person cheerfully and when people are in the waiting area, to keep her phone conversations upbeat and positive.  Negativity from ANYONE in your clients hearing range reflects poorly on you.
  
• Offer clients a soft drink or water.  Consider having a jar of candy.
  

• Have a few magazines in the waiting area. Preferably ones like Money, Time, Newsweek.  Magazines such as People and Entertainment Weekly may be more interesting, but remember the image you are striving to reinforce.

• Be prepared.  Don't over book yourself. Have a few minutes between appointments to get things ready for the next client.  Making a client waits does not make you seem busy and successful, it just makes you look inconsiderate.

• Have quiet books, games or coloring projects for children.  If parents are busy entertaining their children, they will be less likely to hear what you have to say.

• Be upbeat, positive and most importantly, friendly.  Look for things you may have in common to help establish rapport.  Take very little time on this - they came to get information, not necessarily make a new friend.  But that is exactly what you want to accomplish by the end of the meeting, just do it casually.  Forced is never good.

• Remember to have empathy if there is a difficult credit, asset or income situation that might make it difficult for them to obtain financing at that time.  At some point, they will be able to get a mortgage and you want them to remember you favorably.

Consider each client to be worth $25,000 over 10 years.  Between the potential loans they will do with you and the referrals they have the ability to send your way, you are guaranteeing future income with your first impressions.

Websites Every Realtor Should Know

Eric Gross, with Cendera Funding, recently shared this great idea with me.... he was looking for something to share with Realtors that would benefit them and help to reinforce him as a resource and keep him top of mind as they work with buyers.  Thanks, Eric for sharing with all of us! 

WEBSITES EVERY REALTOR SHOULD KNOW

Studies indicate that over 80% of today's home buyers visit the internet long before seeking the professional assistance of a REALTOR.  This means that, thanks to popular realty-themed websites that compete for your business, your clients are already armed with more information than ever before.

That's why today's savviest real estate agents must change their perspective and fight back.  And the best way to do this is to visit and become familiar with these kinds of sites and the features they offer.  This data will not only prepare you to answer any questions your clients might have, it will allow you to provide a more complete service that your clients will want to recommend to all of their friends and family members

1. www.redfin.com
In addition to listings, this site offers information such as how long a home has been for sale, its last sales price, and its current value.  It also provides virtual tours to listed homes.

2. www.trulia.com
Like Zillow.com, which offers satellite views and the estimated values of each home, Trulia's "heat maps" show how hot or cold an area is based on prices, sales, and popularity amount its users.  Trulia also has free tools real estate agents can easily add to their own websites to increase functionality and traffic.

3. www.maps.google.com and www.maps.live.com : For a birds eye view, even 360 degrees in some cases, these amazing map sites offer a virtual perspective of available homes.

4. www.walkscore.com
This is an interesting site that rates any address based on the walking distance of its nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, coffee shops, etc…

5. www.schoolmatters.com
This site offers parents (and potential home buyers) an objective rating of public schools and public school districts by region, including test scores and demographics.  www.greatschools.net offer similar info and ratings on private schools based on region.

GIVE ME A CALL IF YOU CAN THINK OF ANY OTHER WEBSITES THAT YOU THINK MAY BE USEFUL TO THIS LIST.  I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR INPUT/FEEDBACK.