Mortgage Broker Marketing - Sell Problems, Not Solutions

Are your marketing messages to Realtors® guilty of these promises?

- To render great customer service?
- To close loans on time?
- To offer the best competitive rates?
- To help them make more money?
- To deliver referrals or free leads?
- To co-market services?
- To qualify all buyers through a diversity of programs?

Guess what?Realtors® have heard this before. So much so, that they've become immune to listening. Your message is competing with other similar messages and getting lost in the noise. If you can't cut through the noise and stand out from competitors than you're invisible.

To Stand Out, Learn Their Language

You don't like hearing static during your favorite song played on the radio, why put real estate agents through that same pain. When you're engaged in conversation with agents talking about closing loans on time, returning calls promptly, keeping clients informed about their loan application that's like static beating on their eardrums.

Instead of speaking "Swahili", you need to speak their language. If you listened to a professional conversation between two realtors, what would you hear? They'll talk about listings, sales, commissions, referrals, open houses, marketing, policies that affect them, etc. In other words, they'll talk about real estate, not about mortgages. Why? Because that's their business.

To Stand Out, Understand Their Problems

Today, mortgages are a commodity, there's a mortgage guy on every corner. If an agent needs a loan officer, they can step outside their office door and have several choices within a city block.

But agents don't want a loan officer - they want someone who can help solve their problems. Reflect back for a moment on the conversation between two agents and you'll also hear them bicker about problems they can't solve.

"Builders are capping my commissions?"
"There's not enough inventory?"
"Sellers want me to reduce my commission rate?"
"I'm getting contracts on properties the night before the open house?"
"Investors are submitting ridiculous and embarrassing offers?"
"There's twice as many realtors farming my area this year?"
"My marketing isn't as effective as it used to be?"
"My buyers dumped me for another realtor?"
"I'm averaging only one sale a month?"
"I have very little repeat or referral business."
"I lost my listing to the competition?"
"My open houses produce little traffic and few good leads?"

If you want to stand out, understand their problems and facilitate solutions that solve them.

To Stand Out, Describe Problems - Not Solutions

With a solution in hand, you're ready to market a powerful message that'll get heard ? the problem. Agents are more likely to listen if your message describes a problem, instead of the solution.

Think about this ? your message communicates competency. Competency shows you understand the problem. Your message communicates ? caring - because many agents don't believe loan officers care about them. Finally, your message communicates ? potential ? which stirs an agent's curiosity to learn more about your solution.

Their curiosity is what will spark their level of interest forward. You realize with more opportunities for one-to-one interactions, the more familiarity and trust can develop. Two key ingredients to successfully attracting the relationships you want.

To Stand Out, Get Noticed Through Associated Channels

Part of your marketing plan should include points of contact that your prospects can discover you. Of all the methods of communicating your messages, direct solicitation is always the toughest. To avoid this, make a list of points of contact you can use for future promotional activities.

Here are some questions to consider:

- Where do they network?
- What conferences or workshops do they attend?
- What magazines, publications and newsletters do they read?
- What websites do they visit frequently?
- What directories are they listed in?
- Where do they advertise their services?

Your promotional activities should be pointed toward these areas. Otherwise, you're left with direct solicitation that isn't the most effective way.

Jeff Nelson helps mortgage companies and individual loan officers increase loan originations by developing customized relationship-building strategies that secure quality relationships with real estate agents. Click here to get a free copy of the Marketing Planning Guide, a 20-page workbook designed to help you outline a strategy to becoming an Agent Magnet. Visit us at http://www.loan-officer-marketing. com

---

5 Reasons Your Marketing Communication is Falling Flat

One of my associates sent me a promotional email she'd... Read More

Effective Lead Generation

How to Gain your Prospective Clients' Attention and Generate the... Read More

Secret of Strategy - Part 1

A step-by-step guide to creating a growth strategy... Read More

Creating Assets: Spark Your Thinking With These 16 Comprehensive Questions

Here are some questions to get your thoughts and cash... Read More

Mortgage Marketing and Advertising ? The Magical Ingredient

Do you offer superior service, consistently close loans on time... Read More

Good Vibes/ Bad Vibes

Have you ever walked into a store or business and... Read More

Effective Use of Promotional Products and Ad Specialties

1. Determine the goals of your promotional products program. Do... Read More

Be a Smarter Marketer - Learn the L-A-W for Trade Shows

People attend trade shows because they are in a specific... Read More

Your 30 Second Commercial

This tip is so simple, that many people we've talked... Read More

Is It Time To Revisit Your Marketing Strategy?

Small & Mid Sized Business owners, have you revisited your... Read More

Marketing Success - Marketing Strategy - Brand Identity Guru

Marketing message x Credibility x Visibility = Marketing SuccessThese three... Read More

Guide to a Profitable Marketing Mix

You may have heard the term Marketing Mix used in... Read More

Plant a Seed and Watch Your Business Grow

Do you have all the business you could possibly want... Read More

Fax Marketing : Reaching a New Niche of Customers

Traditional marketing and advertising assumes that all of your customers... Read More

Slogans: Creating and Using Them In Life, Career and Business

Information is coming at us from all directions nowadays. This... Read More

How to Promote Yourself Or Your Company Through Award Competitions

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't... Read More

25 Ways To Make Your Next Direct Mail Campaign Work

This list contains 25 powerful strategies to improve your direct... Read More

Three Alternative Methods On Getting Quality Testimonials with Bonus

Here are three alternatives to increase your testimonial numbers or... Read More

Consumer Thinking And Search Marketing

12/20/04According to a recent article by ComScore Networks, about three-quarters... Read More

The Marketing Recipe: Money, Marketing and Me ? 3 Keys For Success

You have a great product or service? Now, how should... Read More

Second Dose Of Marketing Vitamins

Organizations often get stuck in neutral when it comes to... Read More

Full Color Postcard Marketing: 7 Reasons Why They?ve Become the New Direct Mail

The most crucial aspect of having a high response rate... Read More

Private Practice Marketing: 3 More Secrets I Wish I Knew When I First Started Out

Secret #4 - Get very comfortable asking for paymentOne of... Read More

The Fine Art of Relationship Marketing

The buzzword these days is "relationship" marketing. Just what is... Read More

Terrific Titles, Happenin Headlines

You've probably heard the slogan, "You never get a second... Read More

Are You Ready To Research Your Market?

Picture this. You develop some product or service, spend countless... Read More

Why Doubling Your Fees Can Increase Business: How Pricing Affects Buyers Decision Making Process

Want to know the simple way to get all the... Read More

Take a Leap! How To Take Your Business To New Heights

Take a moment to reflect on the current reality of... Read More

Ten Tips for Creating a Winning Proposal ? Part 1

If you want your business to grow and attract new... Read More

Creating a Marketing Plan for Your Website

Have you created a marketing plan for your Website? If... Read More

Developing A Focused Marketing Strategy

You want all of your marketing messages to have a... Read More

The Magic of Using Booklets for Tradeshow Giveaways

Candy, squeeze balls, pens, and key chains -- these provide... Read More

Recipe for Success

Special event and a special recipe- hand it out on... Read More