How to use Personal Note Cards effectively to generate more referrals....

Personal Note Cards
Send Out the Personal Touch

 
The business professional with the most friends WINS! Period. The formula for success is that simple.

The power to attract people is what gauges success. The more people consider you a friend and a business professional, the greater your potential for success. Your existing client base, if managed properly, can become your most treasured outside sales force for referrals, the champions of your cause.

Your style of marketing to these people will profoundly impact their impression of you. I firmly advise implementing a personalized, hand-written note campaign. It's quite simple: Two cards a day and 10 a week equal 520 notes per year. That's 520 subtle yet powerful marketing opportunities for a very small investment on your part.

It's important that these personalized cards don't mention anything about your business, nor should they contain a business card. Never send them in an envelope with your company name and logo. You wouldn't send your mother or cousin holiday greetings with your business card or company logo. Likewise, if your goal is to create a multitude of friendships, then why jeopardize them by sending business information to a prospective client?

Here's the drill: Purchase several boxes of blank, inexpensive note cards. Place two blank cards on your desk every morning. Sometime throughout the day, perhaps at lunch, during a break or while on hold for a business phone call, grab a card and write that personalized note to someone in your database. You'll find it most helpful to have your database open when you are ready to draft that note. You might write, for example:

Hi Joe,

I've been thinking about you. Did you catch that Dodger game last night? It went into the 11th inning. Sure was exciting! I hope that you and your son are both doing well. Perhaps we can all go to a ball game sometime this summer and enjoy each other's company. Let me know if that would work for you.

Sincerely,

Your Name

That note doesn't say "business," it says "friend." Remember, two cards a day and 10 a week equal 520 a year. Ask yourself this: If you reached out 520 times a year to people you know with a friendly note, how many more transactions would be referred to you as a result? 

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How to farm your existing client data base....Orphaned Clients and ideas to bring their business back to life....

Amp Up Your Database
How To Capture "Orphaned" Clients

 

Since the housing crisis began back in August 2007, over 400,000 Realtors have "left the building." One reason for this, according to Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors Chief Economist, is that many who flocked to the industry for a quick buck around five years ago have left the business to pursue the same elsewhere.

But there are many different reasons people leave the business—from relocation to retirement—so who's looking out for all those former clients now?

The one who keeps in touch with them is the one who will win their future business.

Follow these easy steps to capture these potential clients:

1. If an agent is leaving or has left the business, ask if he would be willing to leave his clients in your care. If his answer is yes, ask if he would vouch on your behalf with an introduction letter. Volunteer to create this intro marketing piece yourself, or it may never happen. Then before he leaves, ensure to collect his list of database contacts either on a spreadsheet or out of his contact management system.

Alternatively, if you're part of a real estate brokerage, ask your broker for a list of "orphaned" accounts and database contacts.

Add them to your contact management system and start a marketing campaign to this group.

2. Send your introduction letter, explaining to this new group of clients that their former agent has left the business, that you'd like to keep in touch with them, and that you'll be calling in a few days to say hello.

3. Follow up with a phone call as promised to obtain an idea of their status, and request permission to gather their email address to keep them up-to-speed on what's happening in local real estate. This will also be their permission to be added to any sort of email marketing campaigns.

If anyone is going to add a slew of new names to their database by following up with these clients—while reaping the future income and referrals they can bring—shouldn't it be you? 

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Client Testimonials and how they can help your business success.....Marketing Tips 2015

Testimonials:
How to Market Success

Testimonials are not about bragging or tooting your own horn. Sharing your successes with your client base and associates is an essential part of growing your business and your reputation within the community. And a great way to do this is by utilizing testimonials in your marketing efforts. Not only do testimonials get attention, they can also create a sense of confidence in the idea of doing business with you.


The following are a few simple steps for gathering positive feedback from your clients:

• When clients thank you for completing a phenomenal deal, ask them to write a testimonial for you about their experience.
• If they're too busy to write it themselves, write it for them. Then have them simply approve and sign it.
• Make sure you secure their permission to use the testimonial in your marketing efforts.
• Create a file with as wide a variety of testimonials to draw from as possible.

Now it's time to leverage what you've gathered. Dr. Robert Cialdini, best-selling author and nationally-recognized researcher, has analyzed data on this topic and has discovered that the biggest and best testimonials are not always the most persuasive when it comes to increasing business.

Instead, Cialdini suggests that finding the right testimonial, one that your clients can strongly relate to, is much more effective in creating confidence. Cialdini believes that by obtaining testimonials from an array of clients, you'll create a diverse collection of simple, yet effective marketing messages that will hit the specific bull's-eye for each and every potential client.

For example, let's say you were to use a testimonial as part of a direct-mail flyer to first-time home buyers and, in your testimonial, your satisfied clients wrote about how you helped them build the retirement home of their dreams. Although your clients may have raved about your ability in that transaction, the message doesn't fit the specific needs and desires of a first-time borrower. Instead, select from your library of testimonials something that addresses the well-known fears of the home-buying process and how you were able to solve them. Something more like this:
"I was nervous about buying my first home, unsure if I could make the leap from renting to owning. But, thanks to John Real Estate Agent, I'm finally living the American Dream."
 

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Why your credit score is important when buying or refinancing a home......

Credit Bureau FICO scores range from 300 to 850 and their purpose is to predict the likelihood of how a person will handle their credit obligations.  The higher the score, the lower the perceived risk and therefore, the lower the interest rate you will be offered.  Five factors generally go into producing a credit score: Overall Payment History, Balances Outstanding vs. Credit Limits, Length of Credit History, Mix of Credit Use and New Credit Inquiries. Like a thumbprint, no credit score model is exactly the same. Each credit score model has a slightly different formula for weighing credit score factors. The credit bureau can use dozens of different credit score models based on the requirements of different lenders. As an example, a mortgage lender may use a different scoring model than an auto lender because they each place importance on different factors.Though your scores may vary, they're all based on information in your credit reports. So focusing on what's in your reports could help you build your credit overall. While FICO is the most famous, there are several other versions and providers of credit scores, such as VantageScore, NextGen, BEACON and EMPIRICA. Some scores are directly developed by credit bureaus, while others are developed by outside companies. This can be very confusing to the average consumer who is shopping for a home or a car to purchase. Hypothetically, the consumer could go to multiple dealerships or multiple lenders and see all different credit scores from each one.


How you pay your creditors is one of the most important factors and make up about 35% of the credit score, but just behind it come balances verses credit limits, which makes up about 30% of the score. The higher your balance is in relation to the credit limit, the more adversely your score will be impacted.  It is usually better to have several small balances spread over several cards than one large balance on one maxed out card. The length of time a person has held credit is another factor which makes up around 15% of the score.  Basically, a borrower who has a long credit history without past late pays will not be as adversely affected by suddenly having one 30 day late payment as a person who has a shorter credit history and suddenly has a 30 day late.  However, also think about this....let's say a borrower has a 20 year credit history with no late payments and has always managed their credit cards, but suddenly their credit card balances are on the way up and then a late payment occurs. This scenario would probably adversely affect their credit score severely as it could indicate the person is having difficulty paying their bills and is borrowing to keep afloat. 

Summary
 

Because there are hundreds of credit scores that measure many different probabilities, consumers generally do not need to be overly concerned with the type of score or even their number. It's also important to note that your credit score is a variable which can change every time your credit report changes. For these reasons, monitoring changes within a single score over time can be a better way to gauge your overall credit health. Best of all, it's always free to check your credit score with the big 3 credit bureaus annually. In this way, you can access your score as often as you want and always have a consistent baseline to better understand how your score is changing.

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Some unique closing gifts & ideas for your clients...

Thank You for Your Business:
Unique Closing Gifts for Your Clients

 

Sometimes, a simple note is not enough to show your gratitude. Housewarming gifts are a great way to remind your clients that you're there for them, long after the paperwork is done. And, like business cards or branded mailers, these gifts are another way to market yourself to potential clients and their referrals. The following are a few great closing gift ideas your clients will talk about to everyone they know:

Decorated Dinnerware – A flock of pottery shops have sprung up across the country where you can paint ceramic pieces from little statues to plates and coffee mugs to giant cookie jars. Register your clients at one of these stores, so they can decorate their own dinnerware. Every time they use these items, they'll think of how you helped them reach their dream of homeownership. For a state-by-state list of these businesses in your area, visit www.paintyourownpottery.net.

Services Directory – If your clients are new to the area, why not compile a directory for them as a unique closing gift. Imagine a book that lists and even maps out all of the restaurants, markets, gas stations, movie theatres or playhouses in their neighborhood. Include business cards from emergency services like a plumber, electrician, landscaper, and handyman and create some outbound referrals. Be sure to brand the book with your contact info because this book just might become their go-to guide for all of their home and entertainment needs.
Basket of Goodies – Instead of the typical basket of fruit many agents give their clients as a closing gift, try something different. Fill a basket with pancake mix, muffin mix, jam, Earl Grey tea or coffee, a couple mugs, a spatula, oven mitts and anything else they might use in the kitchen. Each time your clients cook breakfast, bake a cake, or just relax with a hot cup of coffee or tea in their new home, they'll remember you and the great service you provided.

Memory Mug – Here's a great and inexpensive closing gift your clients will never forget. Take a picture of their new home and add to it their name and the date that they purchased the home. Then put the picture into one of those customizable coffee mugs and give it to your client with a coffee gift card or a pound of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa. Again, you can add your name and logo to the back of the mug, and your clients will think of how you helped them obtain their dream home every time they take a sip.Free Magazine Subscription – Not only do magazine subscriptions make a great closing gift, they're also a great marketing tool. Each month for the next year, your clients will think of you every time they get their latest issue in the mail. Some companies, such as www.magazineclosinggift.com, will allow you to add your name, logo, or even a message to the magazine subscription of their choice. Many subscriptions are less than $20, so it's inexpensive too. During the transaction, try and learn about your client's interests and hobbies. This will show them how much you care, and it will help you select the right magazine subscription as well. 

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What business professionals should know about Twitter... Tips for everyday users....

 

The rules of marketing remain constant, but the media has changed drastically.Consumers have adopted social media quickly, with Twitter growing faster than most. But don't just open a profile and start tweeting! Here are six ways you can optimize your Twitter strategy for maximum business attraction:

• What's In A Name? Choose your Twitter ID carefully–make it memorable and appropriate for doing business. Your own name is always a good choice. Make sure email and social media user names are similar to avoid confusion. Upload your photo, too: Profiles with photos on average have 10 times more followers.

• Wash, Rinse, Retweet. When you embed outside photos, links, and videos into your tweets the likelihood of getting retweeted, attracting more followers, or getting a call goes up exponentially: 19 percent of all tweets have links, but 57 percent of those get a retweet. Also, asking for retweets with "pls RT" or "please RT" or "Please Retweet" scores 50 percent of the time.

• Verbs–That's What's Happening. "The Science of Twitter" webinar from HubSpot says verbs and adverbs get far more retweets than nouns or adjectives.

• Hashtag Heaven: Hashtags make tweets searchable. Make sure to incorporate real estate terms into your hashtags: #RealEstate, #Realtor, #RE, and #NYRealEstate (or whatever state of the Union) work best.

• Your Ad Here. You want as much organic traffic as possible, but inexpensive Twitter ads can help you target leaders and key demographics for your tweets. Check Twitter for Business for details.

• Rules of Engagement. People refer to Twitter as a "micro-blog" for good reason, and many of the same rules apply. Post too seldomly and you'll lose readership, post too much and lose engagement. Most retweets occur between 3-5 p.m. EST; readership declines by 50 percent after the third tweet in a single day, regardless.

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Why you should choose Finance of America for your Home Lending needs.....

I provide lending solutions for purchasers of primary, secondary and investment properties located in North Carolina. I also work with current homeowners in need of refinancing primary, second homes, investment properties.

"Putting Customers First" is our motto. We pride ourselves on providing superior customer service and creating satisfied customers. We work hard to satisfy the mortgage needs and exceed the expectations of our customers. Lower mortgage costs through cutting-edge mortgage origination technology our customers save money and close their loans quickly because we employ the most advanced mortgage technology available. In a rush? We welcome you to try our mortgage calculators! The Internet, advanced mortgage processing software, and automated mortgage underwriting systems are coordinated to speed the mortgage process and deliver the best rate and terms. Highest Quality Mortgage Services (HQMS) from mortgage processing and underwriting, to loan closing and funding, our expert mortgage staff will efficiently expedite your entire transaction. We'll keep you informed every step of the way. We're committed to building rewarding, long-term customer relationships. With that in mind, you'll receive the highest quality mortgage services. Meeting Every Challenge we rapidly respond to new opportunities made available in today's dynamic mortgage markets. As a result, the requirements of our mortgage customers are consistently met through mortgage underwriting flexibility and delivery of unique mortgage programs. We often identify niche mortgage programs that are essential to satisfying individual mortgage customer needs.

Specialties

• Residential
• Relocation
• Condos/Townhomes
• Luxury Homes
• REO/Bank Owned
• Investment Properties
• Short Sales
• Vacation/Resort Properties
• Oceanfront/Investment
• Self Employed Borrowers

"The mission of Finance of America Mortgage is to be America’s preferred choice for home financing options by being the industry leader in responsible lending."

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