ACTION092606 - Offering Proof of Performance

Agents aren't impressed by the same information packaged in a different way. If you really want to impress agents with your ability, you need to provide proof: social proof to back up your claims.

A classic example of old school marketing is sending out claims saying "I can close loans quickly." How does an agent, especially one that doesn't even know you, believe your claims?

When you use social proof, otherwise known as testimonials, you draw the agent into the actual experience. It makes the whole process feel real to them. For your marketing to be effective, you need to offer proof to back up your claims. What better proof than your clients voice confirming your claims that your loans closed "in record time with no problems". It's a lot more convincing and establishes a bit more trust.

Watch Television

If you want to see the power of social proof in action, take a look at some of the television commercials. Most commercials use a consistent formula: one person telling you how the product or service benefited them. Then they tell you how you, the viewer, can have the same benefits.

Consider the long commercial - the infomercial. These lightly veiled commercials are chock full of testimonials, from celebrities to every day folks. These repeated testimonials reinforce your belief that the products or services can work the same for you. You make a connection with the people in the commercial.

How about your mailbox? Notice how many direct mail marketing pieces are using testimonials to covey their message. After you start focusing on the use of testimonials, you'll begin to notice them everywhere, and most importantly, you'll notice how much these pieces stand out from all the others.

Developing Your Tactics

If you want to bring your marketing tactics up to today's standards, you need to wow the potential prospect with you and your services.

Tell them about your success stories. Even better yet, let your success stories speak for themselves. If you tell the agents all about what you did for John Doe, they remember you as the person that helped John Doe. This cements your reputation in their mind.

In this busy world, you have to establish realistic expectations for your service. You can't just make unrealistic promises. When you do, you just become one of the piles of marketing materials agents receive every day.

Save some time and money, even a tree or two. Take a step outside of the marketing box to try something new and up to date. You won't have any difficulty finding a satisfied client or agent to tell the world why they appreciate you, your service and how you wowed them.

I've said it before, if you don't toot your own horn, nobody else will.

Become an Agent Magnet

Stop being frustrated with real estate agents. Learn how to position your service uniquely and distinct. It's easier than you think and you'll produce the results you desire. It's helped hundreds of loan officers learn how to plan and execute a marketing strategy that separates you from competitors and attracts agents to your doorstep.

Each week I try to give as much information as I can, given the space available. But if you're serious about taking your marketing to the next level, you need to take the next step. If you want to...

- develop a powerful marketing message,

- create a perception of expertise that agents clamor for,

- use campaigns that keep your pipeline overflowing,

- build relationships that are loyal for a lifetime,

- establish yourself as a guru in your community,

- get more referrals consistently,

- make marketing less of a struggle and burden...

Then the Become an Agent Magnet Program has what you're looking for - detailed, how-to action plans on growing your business with successful relationships with agents.

Learn more about it here:

http://www.loan-officer-marketing.com/agent-magnet.html

Fast Path to Success Program

Do you feel confused and unsure where to begin marketing to attract more referrals from real estate agents and clients?

If so, you're not alone. It's getting harder and harder to persuade agents to refer their buyers to you and get your clients to evangelize your service to others.

But the real problem isn't how difficult it is to convince agents to do business with you - it's far worse. In working with hundreds of loan officers, I've found the main problem is that they are using outdated marketing tactics that do little to differentiate their services so they go unnoticed and experience high levels of rejection.

To help you put an end to this dead-end way of marketing, I've developed a coaching program to simplify your marketing, help you make smarter decisions, and achieve greater success.

The program is called Fast Path to Success and here is a partial list of the topics covered:

How to answer every agent's most critical question, "Why should I do business with you?"
How to guide your thinking on strategic issues during times of significant change or changing markets.
How to use key marketing indicators to judge performance and improve results.
How to examine your business to identify your strengths to create value and establish key competitive advantages.
How to keep on track with the most important activities that grow income and develop long-term relationships.
How to formulate a budget that tells you how much you will need to invest to achieve your goals, and learn how to track your results so you know which strategies perform best.

And that's only a partial list. The program is conducted by teleconference and limited to 12 participants to ensure a high degree of personalization.

You can learn more about the details here:

http://www.loan-officer-marketing.com/fast-path-to-success.html