Friday

I get this question an awful lot… “If you were me, what would you do to jumpstart your paycheck?” It’s a fair question as I can see where many of these loan officers are coming from. Just look at how much the market has changed.

The inherent problem in answering a question such as this one though, is I am not you. I have no clue how hard you work, if you will stick with it, what you are, or are not willing to do etc… There’s many variables involved here.

HOWEVER, let’s make a few sweeping assumptions to better allow me to answer this question. I’m going to assume that you work hard, I’m going to assume that you are telling me the truth when you say “I’ve tried everything” and I’m going to assume you’re actually working when you’re in the office, instead of emailing, and surfing the web… (Haha - You knew I couldn’t resist ribbing ya a bit there)

Ok, so what’s a great way to jump-start your pipeline?

#1 - Think big, think fast

If you listen to all the people who tell you to not expect quick turnaround for your marketing efforts, you’ll only do small minded marketing, because you EXPECT failure. When you expect failure, you “play it safe.” Can any of us really name any business, or person who has just exploded their business by “playing it safe?”

I can see an interview on TV now: “Well Bob, see, we reigned in our marketing efforts, and stopped meeting prospects and waited for them to call us, and BAM!!! Next thing you know we’re going Fortune 500!”

No. You need to THINK big before your actions will reflect and mimic your dreams.

loan officer #1 - Is thinking big. Knows he’s valuable and has a lot to offer, and he plans on getting at least 3 loans this month just from his realtor partners

loan officer #2 - Has heard that it takes 4 - 6 months from the “guru’s” to get any business from realtors

Who’s going to win this? Even if these 2 laon officers are identical in every single way EXCEPT for their mindset, who’s going to win? When you play to win, you do things you normally wouldn’t. When you do things you normally wouldn’t, you stir things up,  get people excited, and HAVE FUN!

When you’re getting great results, you’re having fun right? Who can’t help but smile and laugh a bit when the loans keep piling in? It’s a great feeling. If you expect to win, you will win.

So that’s my advice for today. Try changing your thought process a bit and see what happens. ASSUME that your efforts this week will pay off big time, and then act like it’s already a reality. You’ll pick up the phone more, you’ll meet more agents, you’ll touch base with past clients, you’ll ask for referrals etc.

We’ll continue this discussion in my next post. I want to talk about the actual marketing efforts now that we have your mindset on the right path…

Chad Webre - www.loanofficermarketinglab.com - Have you watched out online demo yet?

Amidst all the news and debating about what could/should/will happen with a bailout, I wanted to post a quick reminder of what marketing tools you should have in your arsenal to keep your pipeline flowing. I was going to title this as a loan officer marketing post, but in reality, whether you are a loan officer, or a real estate agent, these tools need to be attached firmly to your “toolbelt.”

Call Capture -A call capture hotline is a wonderful thing. Rarely will you find such a versatile marketing tool that allows you to capture leads, track performance, and even distribute information in such a flexible manner.

Why it works: Call capture works because of the mindset of the consumer. Any time information is made available 24/7, and (most importantly) without having to talk to a salesperson… Well, there’s a winning combination!

Mistakes that cause failure: Take a quick look around and you’ll find many mistakes that can kill a call capture marketing campaigns right out of the gate. Often I see real estate ads just “giving away the farm” so to speak. Price, address, all the details you could want are right there on the page for the buyer to read. With all the details there, this person has everything needed to make a decision, and there is no reason for them to call.

Marketing is about “dangling the carrot” a bit. Sure, give some useful information, but leave a  bit of mystery  while you’re at it, or hint at something great they can learn by calling in now.

Next, I often see the call capture number posted as just another 800 number… This is a terrible abuse of the call capture line! The primary motivation to call is the ability to collect recorded information without speaking to a live party right? If you leave out the words: “Free Recorded Information 24/7″ then you’re effectively cutting your calls in half or even worse! Ouch! <That ouch came from your pipeline, not me>

Overall, therre are plenty of great things you can with a call capture line:

- Advertise listings

- Market First Time Buyer seminars

- Host teleseminars (Great for marketing to FSBO’s)

- Market special financing options

- Host a 24/7 question hotline

See? With a bit of creativity, there’s plenty of lead generating activities you can partake in. I’m sure you can easily double the size of this list. Just imagine what you can do with a blog, your call capture line, and a blank peice of paper…  (I’m leaving that one to your imagination)

Make it a great one! I know it’s turbulent out there, but it’s critical that you let the news remain just that… The news, not a significant part of your day. It’s easy to waste hours each day watching and reading, and discussing. But at the end of the day when it’s time to pay the bills, which activities do you want to reap the rewards from?

Chad Weber - www.loanofficermarketinglab.com - www.fsboleadportal.com

PS - Next post we’re going to talk about drip email campaigns - Hope you’re ready.

I thought it would be fun to post some of my favorite “strange but true” facts about the good ol’ U.S.A. :)  Before we get to these, I wanted to invite any and all who are able to come see us next week near Atlanta on Wednesday, and Orlando on Thursday of next week for the Thrive Semianr series with Greg Frost and David Bartels.

Since i’m in a great mood this morning, I’ll even toss in a coupon code you can use on the site to get in for free.

Take a look at the schedule below, and visit www.thriveseminars.com - enter FSBO as your coupon code and you’ll get your ticket to the seminar for free. You’ll be glad you came!  

Atlanta, GA July 9, 2008

Hilton Atlanta Northeast 5993 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Norcross, Georgia 30092-3402 Hotel Phone: (770) 447-4747 Orlando, FL July 10, 2008 Orlando Airport Marriott 7499 Augusta National Dr. Orlando, Florida 32822 Hotel Phone: (407) 851-9000

www.thriveseminars.com  - Use coupon code: “FSBO” to secure your free tickets (Greg and David will cover 21 strategies you can use today to close more loans - Great material!) <<< We’ll see you there, so stop by to say hello, and snap a picture with us for our “Aftermath” blog post here on Lenderma!  

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Ok, now it’s time to chat about the 4th… I’m a huge fan of little known, or even strange but true facts. So now, in accordance with tradition, you will be subjected to me opening the floodgates for no other reason than “hey, it’s the 4th of July… It’s appropriate!” Enjoy!

Let’s start out with an interesting question. Do you know the answer?:

Who Am I?

When he was 22, his business failed. When he was 23, he lost a bid for U.S. Congress. When he was 24, he failed in business again. The following year, he was elected to the state legislature. When he was 26, his sweetheart died. At age 27, he had a nervous breakdown. When he was 29, he was defeated for the post of Speaker of the House in the state legislature. When he was 31, he was defeated as Elector. When he was 34, he ran for Congress again and lost. At the age of 37, he ran for Congress yet again and finally won, but two years later he lost his re-election campaign. At the age of 46, he ran for a U.S. Senate seat and lost. The following year he ran for Vice President and lost. Finally, at the age of 51, he was elected President of the United States. Who was this?

None other than Abraham Lincoln! Yep, there’s something to be said for never giving up!

http://www.civil-liberties.com/factoids/july4_02.htm  << Source - Giving credit where credit is due…

Hey uhhhh… Can I borrower a dollar?

President Washington was the wealthiest man in American at the time of his election as President, but he had to borrow money to attend his inauguration. His enormous wealth was attributed the vast property that he owned which produced almost no cash flow. 

This land is my flat land…This land is your flat land…President Andrew Jackson believed the world was flat and FDR was so superstitious, that he would never leave town on a Friday and never sit at a table with 13 people.

At least he didn’t run a red light…

Ulysses S. Grant was convicted of exceeding the speed limit while riding his horse in the streets of Washington, D.C. late one night. The accusing police officer was reluctant to issue the $20 fine when he realized that the offender was President Grant, but Grant insisted the he be fined.

Pool Anyone? 

 The dome on Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home, conceals a billiards room. In Jefferson’s day, billiards were illegal in Virginia.Now that we’re done with the factoids, it’s time for Strange laws in the U.S.!!Michigan:
–A state law stipulates that a woman’s hair legally belongs to her husband.
–Under state law, dentists are officially classified as “mechanics.” New York:
–In NYC, “it is disorderly conduct for one man to greet another on the street by placing the end of his thumb against the tip of his nose and wiggling the extended fingers of that hand.”

Oklahoma:
–Whale hunting is strictly forbidden.  (Bet you didn’t know that Oklahoma is a whale hunting hot spot!)
–People who make “ugly faces” at dogs may be fined and/or jailed. (Define “ugly faces” please…)

Ohio:
–In Columbus, it is illegal for stores to sell corn flakes on Sunday.
–In Youngstown, it is illegal to run out of gas. (Sure.Kick me while I’m down and walking to the next gas station!)

Oregon:
–The town of Hood River prohibits the act of juggling without a license. (Good thing I like in St. Louis… I would have been fined just last night! From now on, all my juggling will take place indoors!)

Montana:
–In Whitehall, it is illegal to operate a vehicle with ice picks attached to the wheels. (How about a fork? Is it ok to attach a fork?)
–It is a felony for a wife to open her husband’s mail.

Nebraska:
–If a child burps during a church service in Omaha, his or her parents may be arrested.
–It is illegal for a mother to give her daughter a perm without a state license.

Florida:
–Unmarried women who parachute on Sunday’s will be jailed. (I think I saw this on Cops last week… It was quite the intense episode)

Georgia:
–In Quitman, it is illegal for a chicken to cross the road. (Wow… You have no idea how many corny punchlines you narrowly escaped. I decided to not spare you all! Haha)
–In Columbus, it is illegal to sit on one’s porch in an indecent position.

Pennsylvania:
–”Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass. If the horses appear skittish, the motorist must take his car apart piece by piece, and hide it under the nearest bushes.”

Rhode Island:
–Its illegal to throw pickle juice on a trolley. (But eye-stinging lime juice is perfectly fine apparently! Joy!)

Tennessee:–It is illegal to use a lasso to catch a fish.
–In Dyersburg, it is illegal for a woman to call a man for a date.
–In Memphis, it is illegal for a woman to drive by herself; “a man must walk or run in front of the vehicle, waving a red flag in order to warn approaching pedestrians and motorists.” (I’m guessing this law dates back to the early 1900’s. I’m trying to imagine the serious conversation that took place as this law made its way onto the books)

Texas:
–The entire Encyclopedia Britannica is banned because it contains a formula for making beer at home.
-It is illegal to milk another person’s cow. (darn cow milking bandits!)

Utah:
–A husband is responsible for every criminal act committed by his wife in his presence.

Virginia:
–In Richmond, it is illegal to flip a coin in any eating establishment to determine who buys a cup of coffee.
–In Lebanon, it is illegal to kick your wife out of bed.

Vermont:
–It is illegal to deny the existence of God.
–It is illegal to whistle underwater. (I’m frightened… Frightened I say! What crazy event took place that motivated someone to pass this little gem?)
–Women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth.

Arkansas:
–A man can legally beat his wife, but no more than once a month.

California:
–In L.A., a man may legally beat his wife with a leather strap, as long as it is less than 2 inches wide, or she gives him permission to use a wider strap.
–It is a misdemeanor to shoot any kind of game from a moving vehicle, unless the target is a whale. (I’ll remember that for the next time I spot a whale swimming down highway 270 here in St. Louis)

Massachusetts:
–It is illegal to wear a goatee without a license.
–North Andover prohibits its citizens from carrying “space guns.”
–In 1659, the state outlawed Christmas.

Indiana:
–Monkey’s are forbidden to smoke cigarettes in South Bend.

Illinois:
–In Chicago, it is illegal to take a french poodle to the Opera. (Simply because they can’t appreciate the fine art that is the opera no doubt…)
–According to state law, it is illegal to speak English. The officially recognized language is “American.”
–In Joliet, it is illegal to mispronounce the name Joliet

 There you have it folks! My yearly “Strange But True” post! I hope you’ve chuckled at least once or twice as you browsed through the list. I look forward to meeting some of you in Atlanta or Orlando next week. See you there!

Chad Weber - www.fsboleadportal.com - www.loanofficermarketinglab.com

I started a very serious post. But it just isn’t in me tonight. I think this would be a good time for the return of Silly Fridays.

Guess what? I gotta fever, and the only prescription… is more cowbell.