Bliss Sawyer's Marketing Blog

Evernote - To Help You Remember Everything

I recently had a great conversation with Amy Shrader, who shared her secrets to keeping organized utilizing a web-based system called Evernote.   Amy has a weekly ezine that she sends to Realtors in her area and Evernote was the topic of one of her articles.  Amy graciously offered to let me share this with all of you.

Evernote helps you remember everything. It’s your external brain. Whenever you see, think, or experience something, throw it into Evernote and you'll have it accessible and searchable across all the platforms and devices that you use.

1. Capture Everything! Chances are, if you can see it or think of it, Evernote can help you remember it. Type a text note. Clip a web page. Snap a photo. Grab a screenshot. Evernote will keep it all safe.

2. Organize Everything! Everything you capture is automatically processed, indexed, and made searchable. If you like, you can add tags or organize notes into different notebooks.

3. Find anything fast! Search for notes by keywords, titles, and tags. Evernote magically makes printed and handwritten text inside your images searchable, too.It is infinitely useful. Put your thoughts, ideas, inspiration, and things to remember all in one place.  

Use Evernote for work, for play, and for everything that’s noteworthy. Here are a few suggestions:

 Snap a photo of a business card with your phone,and have an easy way to store and access contacts.

 Capture plane tickets and confirmation numbers, hotel invoices, and receipts for your expense reports.

 Get inspired. Keep a file of anything cool you want to buy for yourself or as a gift, whether it’s online or out in the real world.

 Keep notes from your meetings all in one place. Take a picture of a whiteboard and you’ll be able to find it later.

 Plan your next trip. Clip web pages, maps, and itineraries. Capture sights, sounds, tastes, and anything else.

 Research web sites and clip pages directly from your browser.

 Keep all communication from your buyers and sellers in a notebook.

For more information and to download Evernote to your laptop, PC, and smart phone, visit www.evernote.com.

This is a great tool for loan officers - keep track of prospects and borrowers, Realtors and your marketing all in one place that is accessible from your office or on the go.  Love this!!  

5/10 update:  Interestingly enough, Michael Hyatt did a post this morning on How to Email Your Documents Directly to Evernote.  Great info!

SnagIt!

I was talking about Jing in a presentation recently and afterwards Kate Wilson shared another fabulous tool developed by the same company.  Snagit allows you to take a snapshot of anything on your computer screen and then edit and share.  Unfortunately, it isn't free like Jing, but is only $49.95. 

Kate uses this daily when she wants to excerpt out a specific section of something.  She also uses it on her blog to capture quick picutres or images from any source at all.  Utilizing this for email would be fantastic!

 
 

Great Technology!

I've had a few of my LO friends share their latest tech secret.   This is especially effective to go with Mortgage Coach.  Jing allows you to share your screen and explain things WITH visuals!  There is a free version or you can get a branded version for $99.

There is great WOW factor with this and your customers will love it!

• Take a picture or make a short video of what you see on your computer monitor.
• Share it instantly via web, email, IM, Twitter or your blog.
• Simple and free, Jing is the perfect way to enhance your fast-paced online conversations.

The most important five minutes of my day

To gain credibility in this business, you absolutely need to understand interest rates and what moves the market to potentially influence rates up and down.  Today I thought I would share what I do that is a core part of my business.

Every morning, I spend a few minutes reading Mortgage Market Guide's  Daily Update and Daily Script.  This market snapshot gives me an overview of what is happening along with a few talking points for Realtors and clients.  I also peruse CNNMoney for other financial information (I prefer this over other more technical sites as I want information that is easy to pass along and more in the average consumer's language).

There is really no excuse for not educating yourself.  Consumers want to feel they can trust your knowledge and expertise.  Take time every day to become an expert!

 

Disclaimer:  I do not receive compensation from Mortgage Market Guide.  I just like them and think you will too :)

Mortgage Coach

One of the tasks I recently took on was learning Mortgage Coach Edge.  For a number of years now I've had plenty of my mortgage friends encourage me (Dave Savage included in that :) but I just wasn't willing to go through learning another system.  I guess I was tired.

Terrible excuse! 

Last week I went through about 30 minutes of training and I'm on board!  I am utilizing Mortgage Coach Edge and think it is fabulous.  Top producer Joe Gonzalez has also been a fence-sitter but recently took the plunge off that fence.  Here's what he had to say in a recent email to me:

The new mortgage coach system seems pretty easy to use as I have already done 2 different scenarios.  Each one took me approximately 10 minutes to show 1 scenario.  With 2 scenarios I would take only slightly more time. 

The level of professionalism displayed skyrockets with MC.  I imagine the application to sale ratio must go up significantly as well.

Disclaimer:  I do not receive any compensation (except warm fuzzies) for endorsing Mortgage Coach. 

Blogging help....

My friend Dan Green over at Bring the Blog has just released the latest and greatest version of his service.

Highlights of the new release:

1. Posts directly to WordPress in Publish or Draft mode
2. Adds tags, slugs, excerpts and categories to every post for better SEO
2. Adds city, state and neighborhood keywords to every post to make content more "local"
3. Is working with a completely new look-and-feel
4. Lets members post to multiple blogs from one Bring the Blog account

We've also made some billing system enhancements but that's about as unsexy as you can get.

As a reminder about what this is all about,Bring the Blog is a blog-for-you service for real estate and mortgage professionals. They write and post relevant blog content to your members' blog every business day. They've been operating since 2006... which is about 20 years in the virtual world.

Cheap yard signs

I've always thought yard signs were a good idea for loan officers to help increase name recognition.  You could do something like "Financing Provided by" or "$8,000 Tax Credit available on this house". 

http://www.50yardsigns.com/ is an inexpensive site for these types of signs.

Loan Swap

No, it's not a new reality show...

Loan Swap is a great program available through LenderLister as a resource for Loan Originators to swap loans they can't do, for loans they can with other Loan Originators.  Here's some of the details: 

Trade any live mortgage lead that you are unable to do because of state licensing issues, or niche loan types such as FHA, reverse, agricultural, commercial, construction, veterans, manufactured, condotel, Coop, business lines of credit, all loan types except land for now. You will receive a live loan lead in the order of which you submit a successful live loan lead.

We all know what a successful live loan lead is. It's that deal you get that is perfect, except you aren't allowed to do it, or you just don't do them. The honor system insures quality and success. Your membership profile is a filter that insures that you only receive the types of loans you are able to close.

It is against the law to collect a commission on a loan you refer to another Mortgage Broker. With a Loan Swap membership you're setting up a mediated referral system that is run by 3rd. party human beings. Loan Swap employee's manages fair, and quality live mortgage lead rotation among all loan originations platforms in the USA. 

Tough Times Bring The Best Innovation.
Sign Up For Your FREE 30 Day Trial Membership Today!

What blogs do you read?

I've had a few emails lately asking what blogs I read that help me professionally.  As I considered the different blogs I peruse, I noticed that most were from authors I had recommended on here.  It seems to me that if you like a person's writing style and message in a published book, you will most likely enjoy their blogs and daily "musings"

Here's my short list:

Sanders Says - I enjoy reading this blog about "business, culture and spirit".  Tim Sanders wrote The Likeablity Factor and Love the Killer App which are two books I love!  I just noticed one I haven't read, Saving the Worldat Work, I'm going to have to check this one out.

Seth Godin's Blog- The king of 21st Century marketing.  Click here to see a list of his books.

http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/.  "Tips, strategies and conversations at the crossroads of life, work, entrepreneurship and play."  I'm not even sure how I stumbled across this blog, but enjoy his take on business and life.

Zen Habitsby Leo Babauta.  I discovered this blog while reading Babauta's The Power of Less.  I am always looking to keep a balance between work, family and my interests and I find this blog to be a great resource.

The Simple Dollar by Trent Hamm is somewhat of a personal finance blog and covers a huge array of subjects. I really enjoy his book reviews and writing in general.

What blogs do you read that help with your life/business??  Feel free to comment below...

Need help with all the industry changes?

I have received quite a few emails recently asking me for a recommendation on where to get help with all the changes going on in our industry.  Mortgage Currentcy is a great resource for this and I thought I would pass along an email I just received listing 6.5 Reasons Why Mortgage Currentcy Makes You an Expert.

1. Company Meetings: "We talk about the articles and Q & A in our sales meetings. Not all of the articles and interpretations apply to us, but it's great to know what changes have been made and how we can either "use them" or "sell against them" or "compare them" with other loan products."

2. Realtor®/Builder Meetings: "Mtg Talking Points^TMhas made me look like THE expert! I print the flyers and use them in meetings with agents and builders — especially if it fits their niche". View sample Mtg Talking Points^TMflyer, Advertising Rules (RegZ) for Real Estate Agents and Builders.

3. Talk with Underwriters/PMI Reps: "Just because Fannie, Freddie, FHA or VA has a "rule" does not mean that the underwriters/investors or PMI companies will interpret it the same way. I pick up the phone and talk to my reps about the "rule as written" and ask what their rules will be."

Sign Up Now for Your 7 Day Free Trial!

 

4. Emails to Agents: "If I want to get the word out fast, I just "cut and paste" the content from Mortgage Talking Points™ and email it to my database. My claim to fame is that I get the word out before my competitors even have a chance to read it, because all the work is already done for me."

5. Blogs: "I just blogged about the Mtg Talking Points^TMFlyer, What You Need to Know About Appraisals and Were Really Afraid to Ask, and got a deal from an agent I had never done business with before...he thought I really knew my stuff."

6. Notify the Media: "Every once in a while, I'll get a call from my local TV reporter on something they read on the news wires. This last time, I had just read the article about it in MortgageCurrenty and it felt good to answer his questions right away, instead of always saying "let me get back to you!"

6.5 Becoming a Guest Speaker at State Licensing Courses: "I am a loan officer who has been invited to be a guest speaker for State Licensing Courses for real estate agents. Not only does this keep me up-to-date, but agents also tell me what issues they deal with on a daily basis. And what do I hear most? That loan officers don't keep up with the rules."

Read Subscriber Testimonials!

I have received quite a few emails recently asking me for a recommendation on where to get help with all the changes going on in our industry.  Mortgage Currentcy is a great resource for this and I thought I would pass along an email I just received listing 6.5 Reasons Why Mortgage Currentcy Makes You an Expert.

1. Company Meetings: "We talk about the articles and Q & A in our sales meetings. Not all of the articles and interpretations apply to us, but it's great to know what changes have been made and how we can either "use them" or "sell against them" or "compare them" with other loan products."

2. Realtor®/Builder Meetings: "Mtg Talking Points^TMhas made me look like THE expert! I print the flyers and use them in meetings with agents and builders — especially if it fits their niche". View sample Mtg Talking Points^TMflyer, Advertising Rules (RegZ) for Real Estate Agents and Builders.

3. Talk with Underwriters/PMI Reps: "Just because Fannie, Freddie, FHA or VA has a "rule" does not mean that the underwriters/investors or PMI companies will interpret it the same way. I pick up the phone and talk to my reps about the "rule as written" and ask what their rules will be."

Sign Up Now for Your 7 Day Free Trial!

 

4. Emails to Agents: "If I want to get the word out fast, I just "cut and paste" the content from Mortgage Talking Points™ and email it to my database. My claim to fame is that I get the word out before my competitors even have a chance to read it, because all the work is already done for me."

5. Blogs: "I just blogged about the Mtg Talking Points^TMFlyer, What You Need to Know About Appraisals and Were Really Afraid to Ask, and got a deal from an agent I had never done business with before...he thought I really knew my stuff."

6. Notify the Media: "Every once in a while, I'll get a call from my local TV reporter on something they read on the news wires. This last time, I had just read the article about it in MortgageCurrenty and it felt good to answer his questions right away, instead of always saying "let me get back to you!"

6.5 Becoming a Guest Speaker at State Licensing Courses: "I am a loan officer who has been invited to be a guest speaker for State Licensing Courses for real estate agents. Not only does this keep me up-to-date, but agents also tell me what issues they deal with on a daily basis. And what do I hear most? That loan officers don't keep up with the rules."

Read Subscriber Testimonials!

Get Bring the Blog before the price goes up!

Bring the Blog is raising it's monthly fee from $39 to $57 effective December 15.  If you would like to take advantage of the lower rate, just use code Bliss39 to lock in your rate!  Bring the Blog offers loan officers daily updates for their blog.  They do the work to make you look great!

Start blogging today!

Keep that $200 in your pocket

I have recently had a good friend (insurance agent) and a mortgage originator pass along some valuable feedback on Jeffrey Gitomer's live events.  As many of you know, I often recommend Gitomer's books and Sales Caffeine newsletter.  I have found his information to be entertaining, highly valuable and right on target with what I call "high-quality originating".  I've quoted him in many of my presentations and encourage people to purchase his books.

After the feedback from these two people (who attended live events at different locations) I am going to recommend that you DO NOT spend the money to see Gitomer live.  I have been told that he is very abrasive to the point of offensive and this takes away from the message he is presenting. 

So save yourself some money and just purchase one of his books or sign up for his free newsletter.  If you have opinions on this... feel free to comment below.

How well do you understand the changes?

I have been lucky enough to know Leslie Petersenfrom waaaay back in my career (1992 to be exact.. and I have the wrinkles to prove it).  Leslie is an FHA guru and knows just about everything on FNMA/FHLMC.  She is a guideline specialist and has a talent for deciphering industry changes so the rest of us can understand what's going on and what we need to do about it.

Leslie offers loan officers, processors and underwriters her insights through Mortgage Currentcy.  This unique and invaluable publication presents not only the factual industry updates as they occur; it also offers Leslie's interpretive response to let you know exactly how the changes affect you and your real life loans.

But hey, don't just take my word for it -Leslie is offering a free 15-day trial so you can check it out yourself.  In today's market, it is essential that you stay on top of ALL the changes and technicalities of our industry.  Mortgage Currentcy offers this in one place and in a format you can relate to! 

Staying in touch with Send Out Cards

I have been asked quite a few times what I think about Send Out Cards, so I decided to take it for a test run... and I loved it!  This is a great system to stay in touch with everyone.  I'm a huge believer in using good old snail mail to maintain and strengthen relationships.  This is a simple on-line resource that makes you look like a star.

Here's what you can do with this program:

• create your own personalized greeting card using your own pictures, borders and captions (the possibilities are endless)
• the Campaign Feature allows you to send out pre-determined cards at specific dates. This feature allows complete automation
• the ability to insert gift cards from your favorite places such as Starbucks, Barnes and Noble and Walmart
• the ability to send gifts such as gourmet chocolates or motivational books such as Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• access to over 12,000 greeting cards

To send a FREE greeting card and test drive The Send Out Cards system please go to the following web page www.sendoutcards.com/coriell

Please contact Robert Coriell @ 614-209-7252 or robcoriell@gmail.comto ask any questions regarding Send Out Cards or to learn more about becoming a Send Out Cards Member.