Coaching Calls- May 12 and May 19

http://www.box.net/shared/static/r7u059hivd.wmv May 12th Part one on Personality Profiling May 19th Part 2 on Personality Profiling




http://www.box.net/shared/static/mkklyyc4an.wmv

5 Tips on Building Brand Loyalty Through Twitter

Kevin Gibbons | May 3, 2011


A social platform like Twitter isn't a sales driver; it's a far subtler marketing tool.

The public doesn't like to be harangued with sales messages when they're socializing. They don't want it in the pub and they don't want it online.

But Twitter still has an immense value, even if it's hard to measure. It's superb for building brand loyalty, as long as you approach it in the right spirit.

Last year, a U.S. study by Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate found that 79 percent of consumers who follow a brand on Twitter are more likely to recommend that brand compared to before they followed them.

It's hard to put a price on that kind of word-of-mouth publicity and shows the value of having a popular Twitter identity.

So, here are my five top tips for building brand loyalty through Twitter.

Tweet Something Worthwhile

This is a basic tip, but it's sadly often overlooked. What will your corporate Twitter account actually say and will it be anything that people want to read?

You'll never follow a brand that relentlessly churns out marketing messages, even if you like the actual product or service. Who would?

Some brands also retweet every favorable mention of themselves, which is fine in small doses but gets a bit tiring if they are constantly bringing these tweets to your attention (price comparison websites are particularly bad for this).

Every message you post should provide some value for the reader, unless it is such good publicity that you simply have to share it.

On the occasions that you do use Twitter simply to blow your own trumpet, make sure it's for something impressive -- think major donations to good causes or winning industry awards.

Anything less and you just look a bit desperate and a bit corporate, which won't result in brand loyalty.

Valuable tweets might include links to interesting, relevant articles and blog posts; research and statistics you've uncovered; expert commentary on industry events; discounts; offers of freebies; and relevant news.

What's most important: The two most important words here are value and relevance. Deliver both and your Twitter feed will be a success.

To read the rest of the story click here.

I Don't Have Time for That Social Media Stuff!

By Karen Deis
Origination News

The biggest compliant when is ask if a loan originator is doing anything with social media is—“Yeah, I know I need to do it—but can’t seem to find the time!”

What if I could show you the way to not only create and add content to four social media channels and it will only take you 60 to 90 minutes per week to do so? (Check out the Social Media Retreat for Women Loan Originators, May 12 and 13 in Chicago at http://www.mortgagegirlfriendsmastermind.com/.)

In my humble opinion, your target audience should not be consumers, friends and family. Your target audience should be real estate agents and builders.

The top four social media sites (to connect with Realtors and builders) are Active Rain, Facebook Fan Page, Twitter and your personal blog.

Out of the four, Active Rain is the mother lode (of all the social media sites) to not only make connections with loan real estate agents, it’s a way to generate leads. You can also get Google Juice (be on the first page on Google in just one day), and best of all, you can teach your real estate agents how to use it advertise their listings and their expertise.

You only have to spend 30 minutes per week to post twice a week on the site. (www.LoanOfficerTraining.com has a 90-minute DVD with Ruth Vogt on how to use Active Rain to increase your business.)

Coming in second place would be your Facebook Fan page. You are limited in the “word count” when you create a post. I suggest that you spend 30 minutes a week, write five Facebook posts at one time, and post your first one at 10 am on Monday; 2 pm on Tuesday; noon on Wednesday; 4 pm on Thursday; and 8 am on Friday. By writing all at the same time, your content will be consistent from day to day and it will take you only a few seconds to cut and paste what you have pre-written.

Third place would be Twitter. Again, you are limited to 140 characters (including spaces); but you can use the content you have already written for your Facebook posts, re-write it and tweet one per day. This should take you about 15 minutes to condense your content from your Facebook posts. The best part, there are services, such as Hoot Suite that will automatically post your tweets on the day and time you set up at the beginning of each week.

Then comes your personal blog. This is the site where you tell your stories. Stories of how you’ve helped someone get a loan, a lesson that you learned and/or a synopsis of a book that you read that might help others. I suggest that you write about 250 words and post it at the same time and on the same day every week. This should take you about 30 minutes.

You might be saying to yourself, "but where do I find content?" That’s the easy part—if you know where to look. Repost what others have said. Update your agents on the current mortgage rules that affect them. Post links to USA Today articles, CNN news stories or local industry updates and make a personal comment why the real estate agent should read it.

Out of the four mentioned above, the top two to initially concentrate on would be Active Rain and Facebook. Then add Twitter within 30 days. Then create your blog. When you sit down once a week to create content, you’ll be able to see the big picture (how you can tie your content together) and spend a minimal amount of time doing so.

Characteristics of Top Producing Loan Officers

By Tim Davis

What makes a top-producing loan officer? Is it their system, their lead generation strategy, or is it something more? I am often asked by loan officers to give them the latest, greatest, and newest strategy that will propel them to the top of their industry. What I have discovered is that there are hundreds of ways to generate business and it is not the strategy that works. It is the individual loan officers’ characteristics PLUS the strategy (in action) that produces the results.

For example, if I am working with a loan officer who has little or no confidence, there is not a system, plan, or strategy that will put multiple loans in his or her pipeline. Therefore, it is not the “system” that this loan officer needs, it is the confidence first, then the system.



As I have had the honor and pleasure of coaching and working with originators all across the country, I have come across seven distinct characteristics of top producers that I want to share with you. I also want to challenge you to decide where you are in each of these areas and make the decision to improve any areas in which you fall short.

1. COMMITMENT

Top loan officers have made a full on commitment to themselves, their families, and their industry. They have decided that they are going to be the best they can and they will simply make it happen. They understand that the road to success is paved with speed bumps, broken pavement, and detours, but they have an unwavering spirit of commitment that simply will not derail them from their goal.

At the root of their commitment is their understanding that building a business takes time, effort, and money. They are willing to invest all three.

Coach’s question: At what level is your commitment?

2. CONFIDENCE

Once a loan officer has made a full commitment, he or she knows that their confidence must match their desire. Confidence comes from two areas: 1) Knowledge of the business, and 2) Experience. Top loan officers spend time studying their craft. They understand the business both from the customer point of view as well as the larger economic picture.

Once they have the knowledge, they will go into the market and call on the best referral partners. They accept rejection as part of the learning process and work to perfect their presentation and selling skills.

Confidence comes and goes. When things do go wrong, deals fall apart, or agents get mad they dig into their confidence vault of motivational messages and fill their tank back up.

Coach’s question: At what level is your confidence?

To continue reading the article click here

I WANT YOU TO GIVE ME YOUR LOAN!

Comp Reform is delayed!!!

From: Christopher Hart


Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2011 10:55 PM

To: Kevin Hughes; Ralph Hints; Mike Lamka; Jim Woodcock; Jim Ferrol; Dan Rawitch; Kat Hollowell; Jennifer Warmerdam

Subject: First Cal's acknowledgment of LO Comp STAY Order



Good evening,



At 7pm PST, this evening, the US Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit issued an emergency STAY regarding the implementation of the Loan Originator Compensation Rule, which was to be effective tomorrow morning.

The drama will continue until at least Tuesday April 5th, 2011.



This STAY has been verified of the last couple of hours and through multiple sources. Therefore, First Cal WILL NOT be enforcing our planned Comp Rules tomorrow.



We will be following the development of this Rule closely over the next couple of days. Let's focus our individual attention on executing upon WHY First Cal exists- To Redefine the Mortgage Industry. We do that when we originate loans into First Cal. So, let's keep originating!!



Chris Hart

Vice Chairman

President

ckhart@firstcal.net

Phone: 877.885.3262

Direct: 707.238.3737

Fax: 866.557.0096





Together we prosper®




Office Address: 5401 Old Redwood Highway N, Suite 250, Petaluma, CA 94954

Link to March 31st Coaching Webinar!

This was another great webinar and in fact was over subscribed!  We had 101 attendees on the call!  Here is the link, please share it with those that could not get on the call.  http://www.box.net/shared/zv1yjq3n9g

Coaching Call 3-24-11

Hi All,

Here it the link to the coaching webinar we conducted on 3-24-11. 
http://www.box.net/shared/3hioiiy25c

I hope you enjoy this webinar and find it helpful!

Compensation Reform Webinar

Hi All,

Here is the link to download our webinar on how First Cal will handle the comp changes on April 1st!

http://www.box.net/shared/itduae9ox9

5 Great New Social Media Strategies by Anne Hill

Most business owners understand the basic premise of social media marketing today, which is that linking your website to your company presence on other social networking hubs (such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter) is more effective than just getting a lot of SEO for your site. Consequently, I spend a lot of time advising small businesses on how to create and maintain their Facebook Pages, and how best to improve their LinkedIn presence.

However, there are some golden opportunities for creative marketing that haven't been widely adopted yet, that would be even more effective for many professionals. While all your competitors are concentrating on updating Facebook and LinkedIn, wouldn't it be fun to outshine them all by doing something completely different? Here are five new strategies for business marketing -- things that have only become possible quite recently, that will make your service or storefront even more relevant in a crowded field.

1. Claim your business profile on Yelp. If you have a storefront or office, you absolutely must list it on Yelp. Why? Because Yelp has a great mobile app that is very popular for finding products and services when you are on the road. It is quicker and easier to use than Google's iPhone search app, making your store hours, phone, and location instantly accessible to the large group of Yelp users.

When you sign up for Yelp and claim your business, you can interact with all of those users -- and Yelp gives you free swag you can display in your window, or add to your website to cross-link your site to its Yelp listing. Non-storefront businesses can also have profiles on Yelp, and can list up to 5 different cities they serve. Finally, consider writing reviews yourself. Leverage your deep knowledge of a locale or industry by writing helpful comments on relevant businesses, then create a widget on Yelp that you can place on your website, that will share your reviews with a wider audience.

2. Improve your business search results with a listing on Google Places. In its recent efforts to improve search results, Google now gives greater weight to local data, most notably from its own Google Places. The first step is to simply Google your company name, then locate it on the Google map for your area. Like Yelp, you then claim your business identity (creating a Google account if you don't already have one) and are able to add lots of information about your business.

Having a listing on Google Places will automatically bump up your business in a Google search, and filling it out is pretty straightforward. You can also correct any misplacement of your store location on GoogleMaps, which happens fairly frequently in rural areas. Being easily found on GoogleMaps is important, but you can also use Google Places to do the opposite and hide your company from view (by substituting a P.O. Box for a street address), if you work from your home and do not wish to divulge your residence to the world.

To continue reading click here

Coaching call from today 3-17-11

Great call with Andy Mason, Paul Johnson and Jeremy Forcier of First Cal.
http://www.box.net/shared/static/h0lk0q2zx3.wmv

This and the slides are also in the retail marketing box.net account. Have a great day!

The Top 10 Things Salespeople Shouldn’t Be Doing

The Top 10 Things Salespeople Shouldn’t Be Doing

March 15, 2011 by Bob Hill

1.Talking more than listening. There’s a reason we have two ears and one mouth. Salespeople who spend all their time talking give prospects no opportunity to explain what their true needs are and how to satisfy them, which leads us to …

2.Telling more than asking. If you want to determine who’s controlling the flow of conversation, look no further than the person asking all the questions. Salespeople who find themselves providing long, drawn out answers to the handful of questions prospects have aren’t only losing the prospect’s attention, they’re also prone to lose his/her business.

3.One-size-fits-all presentations. Mediocre salespeople spend their time explaining to prospects how they can offer the same type of value and benefits any one of their competitors can. Top performers go to great lengths to differentiate their offer, focusing on what they can provide that no one else can. They also tailor their key selling points to each prospect’s specific needs.

4.Mistaking big-name accounts for profitable ones. A stall is a stall is a stall is a stall. Salespeople need to prioritize their time and resources based on which buyers truly provide the most buying potential, rather than those whose companies have the biggest coffers. Six months wasted with the biggest prospect in the region is still six months wasted.

5.Information overload. Just the facts, please. Provide prospects with what they need to know to make an informed buying decision and save the rest for a rainy day (or subsequent meeting).

6.Granting concessions as a way to get deals done. Sure, there are some concessions that are necessary and positive. But the current state of the economy has transformed far too many salespeople into Monty Hall – entering every conceivable selling situation as if it were a game of “Let’s Make a Deal.” Concessions set a tone. They give prospects the impression they’re entitled to more than you’re offering. They make it increasingly more difficult to maintain a long-term buying relationship. They also diminish profit margins.

7.Assuming their responsibility ends once the initial deal is closed. Loyal customers aren’t only the lifeblood of an organizations, they’re tremendous, low-maintenance forms of repeat business (and commissions), as well as valuable sources for testimonials, referrals and feedback. Treat them with the respect they deserve, or they’ll treat you with the lack of respect you’ve earned.

8.Going from 0 to close in 60 seconds. Selling is a process, closing is the destination. But it takes time to get there. Skipping crucial steps, no matter how minor, could mean the difference between sale and fail. Slow down. If the prospect likes what you have to offer, closing the sale provides an opportunity to gain trust and build the relationship.

9.Resigning their prospecting efforts to one form of communication. Consider for a moment the people in your life who you maintain contact with on a regular basis. Chances are you have phone friends, text friends, e-mail friends, IM friends, direct mail friends, social networking friends and so on. Now consider this — prospects are people, too. Determine which mode of communication each one prefers, and use that to maintain contact on a regular basis.

10.Assuming a “no” today means “no” tomorrow. Be resilient. Build strong relationships with top prospects, especially those who have strong ties to other suppliers. When/if things go downhill, or they encounter an issue with their incumbent supplier, who do you think will be the first person they call?

Originally posted on http://www.businessbrief.com/the-top-10-things-salespeople-shouldnt-be-doing/

Recording from 3-10-11 Coaching Call

Larry Davis shared with us so many GREAT tidbits that are game changing if you follow them..

Thanks Larry! 

Here is the link to our call http://www.box.net/shared/hiprm0ifbu

3-10-11 Coaching Call Materials from Larry Davis

The materials Larry shared today on the call are on box.net, here is the link to the folder, http://www.box.net/shared/dzz0ttysth.

Happy Thursday!

March 3rd Coaching Call- Learn how to dig deeper and get more!

Hi All,

Here is the link to our March 3 coaching call!  I hope you will listen and commit to pushing yourself harder and achieving more out of life.  You only get one shot at this!

http://www.box.net/shared/a8r4yevzog

2011: Right Time to Buy a House?

By: Kalyan Nandy
March 1, 2011


Is 2011 a good year to buy a house if the pocket permits? Declining home prices and a low interest rate environment suggest that the time is just perfect. Also, many of economists expect housing prices to bottom in 2011.

So, if buyers have a secure job and the confidence to meet stricter lender requirements, it would probably be a wise decision to proceed.

To read the rest of the article click here.

Security, Privacy, Ethics: How To Get New Clients Now by Molly Dowdy

I’ve been sharing marketing advice here for the past several months, and I’m certain all of my columns have been critically important to you. I have strong suspicions, fantasies even, that your life has changed thanks to my tips for landing more referrals from real estate agents. My advice about e-mail marketing undoubtedly blew your mind and you are probably still recovering.

But this month, I feel an urgency to communicate with you effectively because time is of the essence and I strongly believe this topic will have a bigger impact on your business than any of my advice to date.

In marketing, there are specific periods in time where just the right message will be wildly successful. Stars have aligned. We call it a “sweet spot,” and there is a big one upon us right now. It is up to you to jump on it. If you were my child, I would hold your cheeks in my hands and look right into your eyes to make sure you are listening to this:

Right now, seize the opportunity to market yourself to borrowers with a message that focuses on security, privacy and ethics. You should unequivocally acknowledge the reputation that financial services and mortgage lending has in the minds of Americans right now, and differentiate yourself immediately. If you do it right, you will have more business than ever – more than you had during the boom. Even better, you’ll build a foundation that will sustain you during the next slump.

To help you, I have again put together some templates for you to use and customize for yourself. Visit http://www.alamode.com/index.php/mortgage/marketing-templates/ and grab the files you need for free.

To read the full article click here

Feb 24th Coaching Call

Hi Everyone,

Here is the link to our call from the 24th of Feb.  Jeremy and I role played his sales techniqes and I talked about the importance of routine.

CAUTION- THIS IS A HUGE FILE TO DOWNLOAD.  Make sure you have a fast connection or you will hate me!

http://www.box.net/shared/static/e8gkllyku4.wmv

I hope you find this usefull!

Weekly Coaching Call 2-17-11

Hi All...here is the link to our Feb 17th coaching call on handling objections!  It was a popular one! http://www.box.net/shared/54ok8uheie

Wow...sorry I have been so terrible posting these webinars

http://www.box.net/shared/nyib2i7exz   Jan 20th Coaching Call

http://www.box.net/shared/r0qr59xzpp  Feb 3rd Coach Call

http://www.box.net/shared/8lddmpx28m Feb 10th Coaching Call

Demand for Housing Will Increase in 2011

by The KCM Crew on December 13, 2010

The last Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) showed a substantial 10.4% month-over-month increase. According to NAR the index measures:

housing contract activity. It is based on signed real estate contracts for existing single-family homes, condos and co-ops. A signed contract is not counted as a sale until the transaction closes. Modeling for the PHSI looks at the monthly relationship between existing-home sale contracts and transaction closings over the last four years.

This increase confirms a growing feeling that demand for housing has begun to increase.

Both NAR and Fannie Mae expect an increase in sales over the upcoming five quarters. Here are their projections:

Bottom Line
Sales will increase over the next several quarters. The increase will initiate a housing recovery. However, price increases will not take place until current inventory levels diminish. That could take 12-18 months.

Click Here to read the article on the KCM Blog

Creating Your 2011 Internet Marketing Plan

Posted by Krista in Internet Marketing

Statistically, something like 94% of all residential real estate sales begin online. If you have been neglecting your internet marketing strategy, perhaps it’s time to start planning your strategy to compete online this year.

Internet marketing doesn’t have to be daunting, even if you aren’t very tech-savvy. To be successful, you need three primary components:

1. A Lead Generating Website – This is the heart of your internet marketing strategy. Simply put, a lead-generating website is one that is designed to get people to contact you. Often, that means giving away content (a free report, newsletter subscription, or access to members-only content) in exchange for your visitor’s contact information. If you don’t get this right, the rest of your online marketing efforts will be wasted.

2. A Marketing Strategy – Just because you build your website doesn’t mean people will come. How will you get people to your website? Common methods include pay-per-click advertising, social media marketing on Facebook and Twitter, or advertising your website in your offline ads and postcard mailings. Whatever you choose, pick one thing and stick with it until you get it working, or you may find yourself overwhelmed with lots of work for little payoff. Once you get your strategy to work, feel free to add other marketing strategies.

3. A Follow Up Strategy – Now that you are getting people to your website and collecting their contact information, the next step is follow up. What information can you send them to follow up? Assume it will take several contacts with a prospect before they are ready to talk with you about buying or selling a home. What information will they need to be convinced that you are the best agent to help them?

As with most marketing, internet marketing is a numbers game. The more traffic you drive to your website, the more you will convert to leads, and the more business you will eventually close.

However, a good internet marketing strategy involves creating a system, not a series of isolated marketing events. Everything you do should work together. If one of the above-mentioned components is broken, your system won’t work.

You may get a lot of traffic, but if your website doesn’t get prospects to give you their contact information, your efforts are wasted. Or your website may generate many leads, but if you don’t follow up repeatedly with prospects, those leads will become cold.

Click Here to read the article on RealityBizCoach

Crush It: Going Viral for 2011 is coming! Who have you invited?

Coaching Recording from 01/06 and 01/13

Hi Everyone,'

Here are the links to the last two weeks coaching sessions.    I hope you find them beneficial!

Jan 01/06  Kick off the year Call! http://www.box.net/shared/o45ex5ldcx

Jan 01/13 Paul Johnson and Jeremy Forcier share ideas  http://www.box.net/shared/qto00eav0e

Webinar 12-23 and 12-30

Hi All,

Here are the links to the last two coaching Webinars:


12/30/10

http://www.box.net/shared/static/ouyhcxv39j.wmv

12/23/10

http://www.box.net/shared/static/io62fmjzj8.wmv