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ACTION E-zine

An online newsletter for
Mortgage professionals
By Jeff Nelson



#2 What You Don't Know About Marketing Could Hurt You

This is the second of four articles in a series about the missing ingredient in your marketing.

If your marketing strategy doesn't have Agents lined up at your door begging to use your services, read my articles closely. You'll learn how to develop effective strategies that convert agents into clients.
 
The first of four articles unveiled the missing ingredient in your marketing - campaigning.
 
Campaigning is what moves each process of a relationship forward. Remember, your marketing reflects three major processes of relationship building; lead generation, client acquisition and client retention.
 
Today's article discusses the first campaign you use in lead generation. Of course, the goal in lead generation is to uncover agents who are initially interested in your services. That's worth repeating...uncover agents initially interested.
 
A common mistake a loan officer makes in marketing is attempting to convert strangers into clients. Relationship building requires patience, which you've probably figured out by now.
 

How to Generate a Lead

The campaign you design and execute to generate leads is called a Teaser Campaign. The goal of a teaser campaign is to generate leads that grant you permission to market future messages to them. It's designed to tease the prospect by offering only bits of information without revealing the entire message.
 
For example, you mail a postcard with a free offer to prospective agents. The postcard's only goal is to tease the prospect and convince them to visit your agent-focused website.
 
If the free offer addresses a burning issue that the prospect has, they'll visit your site to learn more about it. There they'll decide if they want to exchange their information, such as their email address, to gain access.
 
The value of this example is that it requires several actions by the prospect. So if they jump through the hoops, it's a good sign they're motivated and need help. They've gone from being a suspect to a prospect. You've gone from being a stranger to an acquaintance.
 
If you're tight on finances, instead of postage, deliver postcards to their mail slots. If postcards aren't in the budget, use colored flyers. If lines are too long at the gas stations, contact as many real estate offices as possible in your area, request permission to send a fax and then blast your teaser to them.
 

Formula for Writing Teaser

What grabs an Agent's attention? Sex. It's key, but don't actually use the word. Well, maybe sometimes. By the way, I don't mean being sexual. Sexy, in this case, means an intro with a dollop of intrigue, a bit of suspense. These attributes are key and you usually have to give something away in order to create them. It's called a teaser for a reason.
 
The message in your teaser should be lively. How do you do that? Describe a problem, solve one or give advice about it. There's usually an issue at hand that an Agent is painstakingly grappling with.
 
Next, talk directly to the reader, recalling their pain.
 
Do you have this problem?...It's frustrating, isn't it?...But it doesn't have to be this way...For the rest of the story go to www.my-agent-focused-website.com...
 
Obviously, don't reveal the solution in the teaser. The objective is for them to want & read the whole enchilada. But remember, whatever you choose to offer, it must be recognized as being valuable, and relevant to your expertise.
 
Apply the, "Gotta Know Test," by addressing a burning problem and offering a solution. Back out of that and into your teaser. Now you're dangling a tidbit that leads to something the reader has just gotta know.
 
Always, a teaser should be truthful. Don't promise what you can't deliver. Keep it short. A few sentences, tops. You want to entice, not overwhelm.
 

Your Expertise is the Bait

Be sure that whatever you offer it's something that educates and informs the prospect. This is a golden chance to influence the prospect's perception of your expertise. Agents seek out experts to solve their most critical problems.
 
There are different formats you can use to give away your knowledge. Some examples include:
 
Tip Sheets - list of bullet points for a quick read and excellent for reference.
 
White Papers - an excellent choice, because of its rich content and high-perceived value.
 
Case Studies - if you've made claims in your teaser, this is a great format to cement those claims by imparting a clinical & scientific impression.
 
Newsletter Subscription - your best choice if you can commit to sending information with repeated frequency.
 
 
Putting It Into Their Hands
 
Technology has created a valuable channel of communication, especially a friendlier one. An Agent won't feel confronted by visiting your website to learn more about you. Combine that with the ability to offer free electronic downloads, securing permission has become relatively easy.
 
If you don't have an agent-focused website, other forms of securing permission include:
 
Fax-on-demand
Where callers dial in, respond to a recorded description of documents available, request the desired document, and have it downloaded directly to their fax machine.
 
Postage paid reply cards
A two-part perforated postcard. One part for your teaser and the other part that can be separated, filled out and mailed back to you.
 
Call-capture
A single toll free phone number provides prospects with 24-hour instant verbal and faxed information on your free offer AND provides you with the time, date, phone number, and marketing source of the call.
 
Auto responder
Prospects request the free offer from you via e-mail or through your web site, and it is automatically delivered to them within seconds! If you're not familiar with this incredible technology, check out http://www.aweber.com/?204434. It's the same one used for this newsletter. 
 
 
Next week's critical step
 
When your teaser campaign is successful, you've got prospects - Prospects who need to be converted into clients. Next week, we'll work on the client acquisition process.



Thanks for support,
 
Jeff Nelson
Salesachievers
Helping loan officers attract more clients


© 2004, 2005 by Jeff Nelson
All rights reserved


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