1. Email - If you conduct business using a free email provider such as Google, Hotmail, or AOL (example: yourname@hotmail.com), STOP IT! You instantly lose credibility among potential clients and peers. Why, you ask? Because it is NOT professional. You may think otherwise, but that is not the point, your prospects are the real judge and they will hands down respect and trust you less if you use a free email provider. If you are a customer in a high dollar transaction, would you rather work with tom@schwabb.com or tom@hotmail.com ? If you still aren’t getting it, just trust us on this one and consider outsourcing your marketing activities.
2. CRM / Lead Management Software – If you aren’t using professional grade CRM software to manage your leads, then at the very least use your LOS to manage your leads and prospects. Excel is not good enough, you need to be alerted when follow up calls need to be made in the future, whether it is 6 months, 12 months, or 24 months from now.
3. Use Your CRM Software – Every prospect you speak to, every day, should be entered into your CRM / Lead Management software with a follow up Follow Up alert set so that you are alerted when you need to follow up.
4. Lead / Prospect Follow Up – Repeat after me: I will brush my teeth every day and I will follow up with my Leads / Prospects every day. Repeat Daily. Twice for brushing.
5. Set Up a Drip Campaign – Every lead or prospect you encounter should be entered into your email drip campaign. You will need an email mortgage newsletter manager that you can input each lead email address into. When you input the address, the prospect is instantly sent out a welcome email. A week later this lead is sent another email with general refinancing tips. A week or month later another email is sent with useful information. This way, if you are not working with the prospect, they are reminded about you and your services, if you are working with them, they still receive helpful information.
6. Client List – You MUST keep an organized list of all past clients in your CRM. This list must include the details of any transactions you have completed for this person, notes, and complete contact information. This list will be used for future email and direct mail campaigns.
7. Save the Whales and Stop the Full 1003 Online Application – If you are using a Full 1003 application on your website, your website is a dead end for prospects and you will never receive the valuable lead information that you so badly desire. It is also important that when a prospect clicks “Apply” on your website they are not taken to an intermediary screen where they can choose between application types or are forced to create an account. If the prospect asks for an application form, give it to them NOW! Do not make them jump through hoops.
8. Postcards – Every person on your client / prospect list should receive a postcard from you no less than once a month. There is no excuse for this simple exercise which will prove to be some of the best marketing money you will ever spend. How many times have you followed up with a past client, only to find out they have already refinanced with somebody else or referred a friend to somebody else because they lost your contact information. This is one more way to prevent this from happening. Again, this is some of the best money you can spend, hands down.
9. Invest in Your Business – The most successful mortgage professionals are those that are not afraid to spend money on marketing. Not only are they not afraid to invest in marketing, but they are willing to experiment in different mediums because they know that not all mediums will work and sometimes diversification between mediums provides a steady stream of business without having all of your eggs in one basket. On the other hand, a former employer of mine spent every marketing dollar on AM Radio and he was extremely successful, so if something works well, you can’t argue with results.
10. Don’t Be Cheap – Dress for the money you want to make. Don’t send cheap or hastily prepared marketing materials such as direct mail, flyers, or business cards. Don’t have a cheap looking or cheaply built mortgage website as it will cost you money, you are better off with nothing. If you, your services, or your marketing materials look cheap, you will lose business and you will perform poorly. You are better than that!
11. Set Goals – What are your goals for the year? What about for the month? For the week? If you can’t answer these questions, you aren’t doing your job. Setting goals is essential for performance. If you do not set goals you will underperform and can lose track of where you want to be and how to get there.
12. Be Consistent – Set a work schedule and stick to it. If your employer allows you to come and go as you please, still set a schedule. This is especially important if you are self-employed or work from home. I know this better than anybody. Your productivity and profitability are often directly correlated with your consistency.
13. Listen to Bob Marley – Really, it is good for your health. If you aren’t feeling Bob, then think POSITIVELY, that is the real goal. There is a direct correlation between your mindset and your performance, your health, your happiness, your life, your love, etc. I know this isn’t news to you, but it is so true. Make a concerted effort to break negative habits related to thought, your temper, and how you react to bad news and situations that don’t turn out as you would like. Be proactive in your thought and spend more time acting as opposed to reacting.
