Bliss Sawyer's Marketing Blog

H is for Humor

Welcome to my series:  ABC's of Mortgage Origination (based off Harvey Mackay's ABC's of Selling that was printed in my local newspaper)

Humor

Mackey says it best:  H is for humor - as in don't take things too seriously.  Humor helps pull you through tough times.

I was at a luncheon the other day listening to top Real Estate agents share their success tips.  One agent says humor is what has helped him, especially on social media.  People connect with him because he makes them laugh.

One of the things I look forward to each day is Rob Chrisman's joke of the day.  Makes all heavy news a little easier to swallow (you know - kind of like that spoonful of sugar thing)

G is for Giving

Welcome to my series:  ABC's of Mortgage Origination (based off Harvey Mackay's ABC's of Selling that was printed in my local newspaper)

Giving

I've heard the phrase "givers gain" from many different sources and believe it wholeheartedly.  Especially in business.  Yes, we are in this to make money, support our family and keep our kids from having to change our diapers in a few years; but if you give you will receive.

Do you volunteer in your community? Does your company have a program to give back?  Do you tell clients that you are available to help them, even after their deal is done?  All of these are great ways to give without expecting anything in return.  The crazy thing is that you will get things in return.  The universe is simply wired that way.

What does 60 mean to you?

I loved Michael Maher's Seven Levels of Communication and I appreciate his Wednesday Words of Wisdom email.  Many days, I go too fast, which causes me to crash and burn.  Which isn't a pretty thing. So this really resonated with me....

What does the number 60 mean to you? 

In this case, I want you to think about 60 miles per hour. 60 mph. Last week, I talked about 98.6 degrees and being even-keeled or even-tempered. Today, it is about being even-paced. Steady as she goes. 

Dave Ramsey wants to be a billionaire and I'd guess he is well on his way there. To be a billionaire he decided to interview and research billionaires. What are their characteristics? What do they do differently than what others do? He found that they were 1) givers (generosity), 2) continuously improving (kaizen), and 3) as Dave tells it, the tortoise always wins the race. 

He explains that billionaires are consistent. Every day, they show up, go to work, and move forward. 

Even pace wins the race. It is not about going 100 miles per hour. It is also not about going 45 miles per hour. It is about going 60 miles per hour each day.  

100 miles per hour is dangerous, high-stress, and reckless. This happens when end-of-month quotas are upon salespeople, or bills pile up, or a huge need arises.

45 miles per hour is also dangerous. It's too slow. It happens when someone is bogged down with "stuff". It also happens when someone gets close to success. Many get fearful right before they are about to achieve an important goal. They slow down because the subconscious is struggling with the soon-to-be reality.   In (7L), I call this Success Suicide. I've seen it often. 

60 mph is the speed. Go to work, focus, get things done, and avoid the orange barrels in your office (those who hug the coffee maker). As business and clients come, handle them quickly and efficiently.

Walk at a good pace. Talk at a good pace. Move with authority. Being business-like is not being rude. Being rude is being rude. 

Being focused, structured, proactive, and in control is good for business, good for you. Success is not about going 100 miles per hour or 45 miles per hour. It is about going 60 miles per hour each and every day.

 

F is for Failure

Welcome to my series:  ABC's of Mortgage Origination (based off Harvey Mackay's ABC's of Selling that was printed in my local newspaper)

Failure

According to Mackay:   F is for failure.  Few entrepreneurs make the first time they try.  If you can survive it to fight again, you haven't failed.

Can you give me an amen?  Remember Go for No?  A must-read if you haven't done so yet.  Rejection, along with failure is part of the process of success.  Don't let it beat you down.  Thick skin is a good thing and dealing successfully with failure is the best way to toughen up.

Don't hate me 'cause I'm faaabulous!

I like to set goals.  It's a sickness.  

In January I set a crazy one to bike the Alpine Loop.  I put it on this blog because I knew I would need accountability.  I don't want to disappoint the blogosphere.  

• 10.5 miles straight uphill - pretty sure I left one of my lungs at the 7,900 elevation point.
• 40 miles round trip.  My legs were very, very angry at me.

Call it my need to prove that I'm not a loser, but this was important to me.  Working towards something difficult is an important part of  life.  This includes our success at work.  Aim high, set your goals and then work your tail off.  It'll hurt at times.  You'll doubt yourself and want to give up at some point.  You may even wonder why on earth you set such a difficult goal.

 

Yes, I complained.  There might have even been a few bad words cross my mind.  At one point where it felt like an 23% grade, if I were pedaling any slower I would have been going backwards.   But I kept thinking of the reward.  Downhill from the summit to Sundance Ski resort.  Yes - I was a couple of miles ABOVE the ski resort.  It was breathtakingly gorgeous.  

A friend asked my why I didn't just drive the Alpine Loop.   I feel perspective is different when you have worked so very hard for something.  I've driven this road and it is beautiful, but this was about conquering the road and reaching my goal.  Which made it even more rewarding.

Thanks for the accountability :)

Ethics

Welcome to my series:  ABC's of Mortgage Origination (based off Harvey Mackay's ABC's of Selling that was printed in my local newspaper)

 

Ethics

There are quite a few people that have lost their licenses, been fined and even served time in jail for fraud and other ethics violations.

My theory is this:  Honesty is the best policy and the only way to build a strong reputation. 

Amen.

And on this topic from Rob Chrisman:

A fourth-grade teacher asked the children what their fathers did for a living.
All the typical answers came up - fireman, mechanic, businessman, salesman... and so forth.
However, little Justin was being uncharacteristically quiet, so when the teacher prodded him about his father, he replied, "My father's an exotic dancer in a gay cabaret and takes off his clothes to music in front of other men and they put money in his underwear.”
The teacher, obviously shaken by this statement, hurriedly set the other children to work on some exercises.  She took little Justin aside to ask him, "Is that really true about your father?"
"No," the boy said, "He's a mortgage banker, but it's too embarrassing to say that in front of the other kids."

Communicate. Their way.

Here's a pretty simple tip for you that can make a big impact.  Ask your clients and referral partners how they best like to communicate... Email, text, phone, smoke signals etc.  Then use that method for most of your communication.

One of my coaching clients recently shared a way to send texts by email.... so if you are like me and don't enjoy typing out texts, this is a great tool:

http://www.emailtextmessages.com/

 

 

Delegate

Welcome to my series:  ABC's of Mortgage Origination (based off Harvey Mackay's ABC's of Selling)

Delegate

I'm in the process of working on this one as we speak. I know that in order to increase my production without increasing my time at work, I need an assistant.  I know what I do well (marketing and networking) and yet, I am spending much of my time working on other things.  

The problem with delegating (for me anyway) is that feeling of being out of control of my business.  I realize that is unrealistic and I will have GREATER control when I delegate properly.   

Take the time to decide what you can delegate so you are working on the tasks that you enjoy and excel at.

Customers

Welcome to my series:  ABC's of Mortgage Origination (based off Harvey Mackay's ABC's of Selling)

 

Customers

In our business, your customer is not only the borrower, but the Realtor and other referral partners. If you focus your marketing and service correctly to these customers, you will be able to build and maintain a strong referral-based business.  And who doesn't want that??

Remember "A" - Availability?  This is customer service.  Customer service IS marketing, and it doesn't cost you a dime.  Treating your customers right and working to "WOW" them every step of the way will give you customers for life.

One thing I am implementing is multiple email touches throughout the loan process to the borrowers, listing and selling agent to keep them informed and also to show that I am ALWAYS working on their deal to move it forward.  Find ways to improve your customer service at every step of the process.

Believe

Welcome to my series:  ABC's of Mortgage Origination (based off Harvey Mackay's ABC's of Selling)

 

Believe

Mackay states "believe in yourself and your company, or find something else to sell".  I think if you don't believe in yourself, you shouldn't be selling.  Confidence is a large part of what it takes to be successful.  If you doubt your abilities, do what it takes to gain that confidence.  People want to work with people that believe in themselves, their company and their product.

If you don't believe in your company, then there are plenty out there to choose from and maybe it is time for you to do a little research on your options.  But remember that EVERY company, every office and every business relationship has it's problems.   If you believe in the core-values of your company and the people you work with then you will be able to handle those day-to-day problems.

The ABC's of Selling - Availability

A few weeks ago in our Sunday newspaper business section, there was an article by Harvey Mackay titled The ABC's of Selling.  As I was reading this, my slightly demented brain started to narrow the items down to what loan originators can do for each item.  I couldn't help myself. 

So.... Over the next few weeks I am going to take each selling point from Mr. Mackay and expand it into what YOU should be doing.

Availability

It really doesn't matter how low your rates are or even how good you are as an originator, if referral partners and clients can't get a hold of you or feel like you are not quick enough with your responses THEY WILL GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Realtors have complained for years that when rates are down and we are making money on refinances, we ignore them.  Then when rates go up we are back in their face begging for business.  Rates ARE low so make sure you are in their face now.

Return calls as soon as possible.  Even if you don't want to.  Email and text make communication so much more efficient, but it also creates this need to be quick about things.  Borrowers and referral partners expect this.

Because of my coaching and training, I only have time to originate about 20 hours a week... but I will meet with clients at their home, evenings or weekends if that fits their schedule better.  Be flexible and then you have my permission to go get a pedicure during work hours the next day.  Unless you are a guy.  That would be creepy.

Brilliant, simply brilliant

UPDATE:  Thanks to Chik Quintans for pointing out this might be a RESPA violation.  You can provide a room for the photos but the Realtors would need to pay the photographer directly.  Interestingly enough, Karen Deis is in the process of writing an article on this marketing strategy so I will share more information with you as I get it.

A local competitor recently brought in a professional photographer and offered a free photo shoot to all the Realtors in our area.  For one afternoon, the photographer was in the mortgage company office and offered photos on a first come, first serve  basis.  Refreshments and networking thrown in for fun.

Brilliant, simply brilliant.

If it weren't my competition.... I would do this in a heart beat and then offer it again every 6-9 months.

 

My focus schedule

I have a few coaching clients that amaze me with their discipline and focus.  One common denominator is that they try to keep a schedule for marketing and file reviews.  I've decided to tackle this and thought I would share my schedule with ya'll.

It's pretty simple.  The hard part of course, is not letting the day's urgent matters get in the way of these IMPORTANT tasks.

Monday:  In-process file reviews with processor

Tuesday:  Realtor office sales meeting, prospect review and follow up

Wednesday: Drop in's

Thursday:  Realtor phone calls

One more note:  Each of these items is a recurring appointment on my calendar as a reminder.  I find that it is easy to get side tracked without this.

Staff Appreciation Day

Our staff has been putting in long hours the past few months.  So we decided to have a Staff Appreciation Day.  The loan officers paid for laser tag and we hired someone to answer the phones so we could all go at 4:00 for our very own "Hunger Games".  

The loan officers were encouraged to show their appreciation individually as well.  I wrote a note and gave a small plant (to the ladies) and jar of nuts (to the guys).  This is a tough business we are in and it can be pretty stressful, so showing gratitude is essential to keeping spirits high.

 Does your staff feel appreciated?

Going the extra inch....

I'm busy.  And sometimes it is easy to forget to do the small things that can make a big difference in our business relationships.  It doesn't have to be an extra mile.... do the small things on a regular basis and you will deepen your those referral relationships.  Here are a few of those small things that I am adding to my task list:

• Weekly email updates on files in process.  EVEN IF NOTHING HAS CHANGED.  Realtors love this.
• Birthday gift/lunch/facebook shout-out
• Thank you note for referrals.  ALL REFERRALS
• Regular drop-in (this is big for those agents that work in an office)
• Weekly phone call, especially to those agents that you do not currently have a deal with.  

Everyone should be worried about what their business is going to look like when thing slow down.  It WILL happen but it WON'T affect you if you have been working on building strong referral relationships.

P.S to the P.S. post

After this P.S. post, Ken Boyle asked this question:

Bliss -- I have never thought to add this to my signature or do you ask as part of the body of the e-mail? Any text samples?
Ken

I reached out to Catherine and her assistant, Matthew to find out more to share with ya'll:

Hi Bliss, Thanks for the kind words! Catherine and I are both reserved about asking for referrals--we are afraid of getting obnoxious about it. She asks for referrals as part of her email signature. I do not. I decided to be selective and make the request stand out. And the positive response rate has been at least 33%, if not 50%, including one client with whom we had difficulties. If the "PS" goes after a long email signature with NMLS# and contact info, then people likely won't see it. This is also the only time that I sign/type my name above my normal signature, just so I can get that "PS" in the email more naturally. So here is the template of what I send when we receive final approval for a refinance: Subject: [last name] Loan Status Update - Final Approval Hi ____, Your loan has been given approval by the underwriter and there are no other conditions. Congratulations! You will be contacted soon by ____ (or her assistant ___) of Alaska USA Title Agency to schedule a closing appointment. Best regards, Matthew PS: Please don’t keep us a secret – we would love to help your friends and family with their next mortgage. [Insert full signature with contact info here]

I also received this from Matthew:

Here is an example of a note we received last month from clients with whom we had a few tense moments while asking for conditions. I guess that “PS” smoothes over a lot of frustration. Thanks for the advice on adding it.

--Matthew

I wanted to write a note of thanks to both of you for making this a pain free process!!!!   As far as we are concerned it couldn't have gone any smoother.  We are both looking forward to our closing date and to move forward to trying to pay this unit off.  The only thing I would still like at your convenience is what difference it would make on our mortgage if we were to put down an extra $600 a month towards the princepal.

We are definitely telling all of our friends about the wonderful experience we have had with AK USA.  Knowing our mortgage will be with the credit union gives us peace of mind.  We are not bank people.  So you both have every reason to feel good and pat yourselves on the back for a job well done!!!

Priceless!

Tip Jar

 

A client was in my office the other day.... she has some credit challenges and we have been working together for a few months trying to get her in a position to buy a home.  At the end of the meeting she commented that I should have a tip jar on the corner of my desk for all the help I have given her.

Cracked me up!

Maybe that is where our compensation is headed.  bahaahaaahaaa.

Gone Skating.

It snowed last week... which was very fitting for our semi-annual customer appreciation event.  (To see our other event, click here).  My company rents out a local ice rink for the evening and all the loan officer's invite their database.  They've been doing this for many years and our clients love it!

 

             

 

Here are a few details of how we handle this event:

• Simple postcards are mailed out inviting up to five people per card.  RSVP's are requested, though historically we only get about 25% that RSVP
• As people came, they were greeted by LO's and given tickets for their skates.  This year we also gave them a card inviting them to LIKE us on Facebook for the chance to win an iPod touch.
• We offered soda, popcord and brownies for free.
• One rink was only for skating
• On the other rink, we played games.  The picture above shows the sled game were we push kids towards a soda bottle.  If they knock it down (with their sled) then they get the soda.  We also had games with frisbees which had our logo on them.
• As people left, we thanked them for coming and reminded them again to like us on Facebook.

P.S.

I am always encouraging (or nagging, depending on who you ask:) my coaching clients to ask for referrals in their emails.  ACTUALLY- I nag them to ask for referrals EVERYWHERE, but this is a post about emails.  

I digress.

I talk twice-monthly with Catherine, a loan officer in Eagle RIver, AK and her assistant Matthew.  Super-hero Matthew is what I call him).  Matthew recently shared with me the twist they took on my recommendation to ask for referrals in all emails.  He started asking ONLY in the emails that announced their approval or loan funding.

The response has been fantastic and I realize their genious in doing it this way.  

1.  You give your clients great news.  

2.  You ask them to help you by giving you referrals.

3.  They resond back because they love you.

Brilliant, simply brilliant.

House warming par-tay.

One of the great tips in Michael Maher's 7 Levels of Communication is to have a house warming party for your buyers after they move into their new home.  One of my coaching clients has held two of these and I love his email after the second one:

I wanted to shoot you an email this morning to tell you that my 2^nd house warming was a rousing success!  There must have been 40 people there and it would appear that I will pick up a minimum of 1 loan, but probably 3 or more loans, by the time all is said and done!  I brought food…other people brought food and gifts and the weather was perfect!  I think it was about 92 degrees and everybody was having a great time!  It was good and I am anxious to do the next one in a few weeks!

 Just thought you would like to know.

Offering to put together a joint house warming party can also be a great Realtor marketing tool.