Loan Officer Magazine http://www.LoanOfficerMagazine.com

Personalized Post Cards for Fun and Profit Post Card Marketing is one of my favorite guerrilla marketing techniques. I ran a search on the web under "post cards mortgage" and found 85,106 sites--and that's just through one search engine. There are literally hundreds of ways to use post cards. Informational post cards Recipe post cards Cartoon post cards Oversized post cards ...You name it -- they've-got-it-postcards. Written By: Karen Deis and Mike Osterling

The Power of Pictures Oh no, not another old cliche about how, "a picture is worth a thousand words". But have you ever thought about taking pictures of your clients at the closing table? I know what you are saying-I never attend my closings! Millions of words have been written about the pros and cons of loan officers attending each and every closing. However, this article is about a guerrilla marketing idea that you can use effectively-regardless if whether or not you show up at the closing! It would be great if you could attend every closing because you could also be in the picture. But if you are not able to be there, provide a camera for the attorney or closing agent to take the pictures for you. Written By: Karen Deis

For Sale By Marketing - Made Easy! For those of you who have considered marketing for, "For Sale by Owner" clients and if you have done any research on the marketing ideas out there, I'm sure that you have found many of them too complicated or too labor-intensive to use. If you have not considered the For Sale By Owner market before, here's an easy way to get started. George Hanzimanolis and his loan officers have created a simple guerrilla marketing idea where, having read this article, you can implement almost immediately. Written By: Karen Deis and George Hanzimanolis

Mortgage Mastermind The Expert for this issue is Dave Hershman(Dave is a leading author [with 7 books to his credit] and top speaker for the mortgage industry. Dave also heads ORIGINATION PRO MORTGAGE SCHOOL. For more information, visit www.originationpro.com) Question: I always thought that I could not give my clients a copy of their credit report. However, how can I help them clean up their credit and increase their scores without giving them a copy? Written By: Dave Hershman

An Easy "Corporate Referral" System That is Guaranteed To Get You Business Regardless Of Interest Rates! (The Corporate Benefits Program accounted for 26% of my business when I originated mortgages. You can develop your own system or purchase my system. (CLICK HERE to purchase.) Details can be found at the end of this article.) Just when you thought you had refinanced everyone in the world—you now have even more business than you can say "grace" over! Low rates, increased home values, high levels of credit card debt have kept you busy—closing your guts out. Consider yourself LUCKY if by the end of the day you only have 55 phone messages to return. You know the 1003 word-for-word. You have heard the warning—"rates will go up again and then what are you going to do?" If history really does repeat itself, one-third of the loan officers originating mortgages will leave the business. Why? They simply will not have a plan to generate new business and keep those loans rolling in the door. It does not have to be that way. The wealth of information that is contained in your closed files right now is enough to set up a "Corporate Benefits" marketing program where you can have employers referring business to you without having to spend a bunch of money. Written By: Karen Deis

Take Me Off Your Calling List! Credit bureaus make a lot of money providing credit reporting services to lenders. However, they make TONS of money selling "lists" to telephone solicitors! This is how telephone solicitors develop their lists of qualified people that they think can purchase their products. The solicitor provides the credit bureau with a list of criteria—like income, credit ratings, list of credit cards or total amount of debt and even mortgage balances. (Yes, even when you buy lists from sellers who would provide you with mortgage leads, they are getting the information from credit bureaus.) Dave Udy, President of 1st Money Group has developed a marketing piece that tells his clients how to opt-out with the credit bureaus so their names (and customer profiles) are not sold to telephone solicitors. However, here’s the COOL part— the additional benefit to Dave is that his clients’ names are NOT being sold to other mortgage companies either. Dave sends out a post card once a year providing the central phone number they can call to opt out! Here’s what the post card says: Written By: Dave Udy and Karen Deis

Using a Financial Life-Events Timeline Chart To Predict Your Client’s Future Financial Needs By: Karen Deis with Contribution from Bill Dallas, former CEO, First Franklin Financial We can’t begin to tell you the number of seminars we have attended and the number of articles we have read about on how to set up your database. Personal information is a MUST. And it is vital that you enter the loan amount, interest rate, loan term, appraisal value and any data you feel is important to the transaction. But how do you actually set up a marketing program with the information from this data? There is more than one way to skin a cat—and you probably can start virtually anywhere. However, we wanted to share with you a system that has been developed by Bill Dallas, the former CEO for First Franklin Financial. It’s called a "Financial Life-Events Time Line." The time line is positioned by AGE and shows the major financial decisions and financial crisis based upon the average age of an average American. Written By: Karen Deis and Bill Dallas

Are the Rich Really Different? Originating Million-Dollar Mortgage! By Karen Deis Bill Gate's House Have you ever had the chance to originate a million-dollar mortgage and had this happen to you? You received a phone call for an interest rate quote; you put a proposal together, met with the client and for some unknown reason—they ended up doing their mortgage with another loan officer? Are the rich REALLY different? No. They just travel in different circles. And, you have to go through a lot of layers of agents, assistants and unlisted phone numbers to get to them. Written By: Karen Deis

How a Remarkable Website Established Me as a Trusted Advisor By Denny Andrews (Denny is President of Andrews Mortgage in Bellevue, WA. In 2002 alone, he closed over $60M. Visit his website at www.dennyandrewsteam.com) Great websites are few and far between--especially ones that help both you and your clients. A few months ago, I listened to a seminar given by Mari Gottdiener and www.LoanOfficerSeminars.com. While she provided some great information, there was one website she compelled me to visit. It’s called www.MyFICO.com. Your prospects and clients will learn how their credit scores affect the interest rates they would pay on home mortgages, equity loans and auto loans. More importantly, the Website provides a "FICO Simulator" where you or your prospects can enter "what if" scenarios to see what would happen to their credit scores if they paid down/paid off a debt; refinanced existing loans, or even added another credit card! Now, here’s the brilliant part—if I must say so myself! Written By: Denny Andrews

Provide Added Value To Clients and Real Estate Agents Using A Simple Market Analysis By: Karen Deis, Publisher Here is a great way to keep in touch with your clients on an annual basis by tying your contact with them to the anniversary date of the closing of their loan closing with you. Then go one step further and GIVE them something of value (and at virtually NO COST to you!) with a simple idea that I will bet not one of your competitors is using. GIVE your clients a real estate market analysis showing them the "value" of their home based upon recent home sales in their neighborhood or area. It is easy to implement and best of all, you have the chance to get your real estate partners to do the work, that is a huge part of their job anyway. Here’s a step-by-step plan for implementing: Written By: Karen Deis

What the Heck is "Page 5 of the 1003"? By: Karen Deis, Publisher (as told by Tim Braheem at the TURN ON YOUR MILLION DOLLAR BRAIN Workshop in Delray Beach Florida. Tim is President of First Rate Financial and creator of LoanToolBox.com) You can purchase a ready-to-use copy of PAGE 5 of the 1003 for only $29.00 CLICK HERE You might be saying to yourself, "What is Page 5 of the 1003?" According to Tim Braheem, he and his clients complete a "questionnaire" that he calls PAGE 5 OF THE LOAN APPLICATION. This powerful tool has shifted his business from GOOD to GREAT! (The more you know about your clients, the better you are able to create the WOW mortgage experience of a lifetime! Here are the questions and how this approach can increase your knowledge of your clients.) Written By: Karen Deis

Are You A Loan Officer In the Mortgage Business—Or Are You in the Mortgage Business As A Loan Officer? By: Steve Stone (is CEO of Sofin Mortgage in Phoenix, Arizona. He specializes in marketing, training, and planning for the company. His Website address is www.sofinmortgage.com or email him at sstone@sofinmortgage.com) We have all heard from major mortgage associations and gargantuan mortgage companies who are predicting that we are heading into a period of a significant drop in volume during 2003. But, are we really? Maybe, maybe not! If history repeats itself, for many of us, this will mean a career change! The low hanging fruit will be gone—and so will the order takers. Is it possible for an "order taker" to prosper in the days ahead? The answer is a resounding YES—but if you cannot answer this next question, you can kiss your mortgage career goodbye! Written By: Steve Stone

Your Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words (and Maybe a Life Long Cient)! At the TURN ON YOUR MILLION DOLLAR BRAIN WORKSHOP III held recently in Delray Beach, Florida, one of the most popular sessions was the "Share and Tell" workshop where loan officers from throughout the country shared their best marketing ideas with each other. Then, each idea was "judged" and valuable prizes were awarded to the best, most creative idea. Dave Kuiper, a SuperStar loan officer from Republic Bank in Holland, Michigan was awarded one of the top prizes. His idea was to give a "one-time use" camera to all of his clients who are building a new home. Giving away a disposable camera so clients can take pictures during the various phases of construction—is not a new idea! However, he has added a new twist! Before he gives the camera to a client, he takes a picture of himself and his team. When the client develops the film, a picture of Dave and his staff become part of the client’s photo memories. Based on our research, we recommend the following: Written By: Karen Deis and Dave Kuiper

Marketing to Divorce Attorneys: According to the latest statistics, the divorce rate in the United States is 43%! Breaking down the numbers, that means that for every 10 people married, four of them will be getting a divorce within the first seven years of wedded bliss. Hey, there is even a magazine called Divorce Today. And this niche market is NOT interest rate sensitive—couples get divorced regardless of the interest rates. Many times couples that are having problems within the marriage feel that one of the ways to "save" their troubled relationship is to buy a house together. As a loan officer, you know who these people are. They come in to see you and by the time they have left your office, you felt like a marriage counselor, right? Armed with this information, marketing to divorce attorneys is a HUGE niche market for you to develop. Here’s how you can easily target "divorce attorneys" and the marketing letter you can use to establish yourself as an expert in helping couples "untie the knot". The added benefit is that not only will you get one mortgage deal—you are likely to get two deals—especially if the other spouse will be using their equity to buy another home. Written By: Karen Deis

"EveVolution" And The Future of the Mortgage Industry! (The word "EveVolution" is coined by Faith Popcorn. This is Part One of a three part series on being sensitive to women consumers. In this article we will explore "relationships" with women consumers.) The buying power of the woman consumer is reaching tsunami proportions. Because of this, successful mortgage lenders will be aware of and be sensitive to the differences between men and women and position themselves to take advantages of the differences. The book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus wasn’t written for nothin’! First of all, women are a powerful economic factor. Here are some statistics that support this fact: Written By: Karen Deis

Free 1st Year's Homeowners Insurance! An Interview with Adrian Cortes, Mortgage Villa Investors, Vancouver, WA. When I travel throughout the country, I make it a point to read "homes and land" type magazines to see what unique offers loan officers use to attract business. Adrian Cortes, Mortgage Villa Investors (www.MortgageVilla.com) advertises "Free 1st Year's Homeowner's Insurance" as a way to encourage purchase business and truly establish an affinity partnership with an insurance agent. While many loan officers have an established "referral system" where they simply refer clients to their preferred insurance agent, Adrian and the insurance agent actually PAY the client's 1st year's homeowners insurance premium for them. What really happens is that they BOTH share in paying the homeowner's insurance for the client. In addition to generating leads using this "hook", here are the mechanics on how it works behind the scenes and why it's a win-win-win for everyone. Written By: Karen Deis

Guerilla Marketing Myths Written By: Jay Conrad Levinson This article was written and published by "The Father of Guerrilla Marketing", Jay Conrad Levinson, on December 1, 2003, and is being republished with his permission. The path to entrepreneurial success is mined with booby traps disguised at words of wisdom. Guerillas can distinguish the facts from the fables. There are many marketing myths that ought to be tucked away where you keep the collected works of the Brothers Grimm, Aesop and Mother Goose. They may be fun to read, but they are disastrous to any marketing campaign. Heaven help us, there are hundreds of these myths circulating, but we'll deal only with eight of them here because if I wrote about all of them, your computer would probably crash while laughing in disbelief. Myth: It’s good to have a lot of white space in advertisements, brochures, and other printed material. Written By: Jay Conrad Levinson

9 Outrageous Marketing Ideas Written By: Karen Deis It's the proverbial "Chicken-or-the-Egg" conundrum! You many be the best and smartest loan originator in the world, but if you can't get your foot in the door or can't get a face-to-face appointment to meet with real estate agents, builders, financial planners, CPA's or real estate investors, you'll go broke. Sometimes it takes outrageous tactics for people to even realize that you are alive - let alone that you are in the mortgage business! This article will provide you with 9, really inexpensive and unconventional ideas on exactly what to send, where to buy it, how to send, what to say and where you can find on the web, to insure that you at the very least, get a face-to-face meeting with people you want to do business with. Each attention-getting tactic can be used "alone" or as a "series" where you send one tactic every week for 3-4 weeks. Each item has been chosen because it's inexpensive, easy to mail and delivers a distinct message. To reduce mailing expenses, use United States Post Office priority mailing boxes/envelopes, which they provide free of charge. We will even tell you which size packaging to use for each item. (www.USPS.gov) Now, before you say to yourself - I would never DO something like THAT - think about the impact it would have if you received these marketing pieces in the mail and someone was trying to get an appointment with YOU. Here are the 9 tactics - with pictures! Written By: Karen Deis

Power Words for Frustrating Times in the Mortgage Business! Written By: Karen Deis I just read a blog by Brian Clark about choosing the “right words” when writing headlines for your ads and emails. Mark Twain said, “The difference between the right word and the ALMOST right word, is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” Brian goes on to say that it also is determined by the level of emotional identification that the word creates in the minds of your reader or listener. Right now, mortgage clients and real estate agents are totally tapped into the following emotions: Written By: Karen Deis

Corny, Clever or Cool? 7 Low-Tech Marketing Ideas Written By: Karen Deis Marketing is about getting noticed. About being different. About building a brand. It seems like everyone is flocking to social media to market themselves. Don't get me wrong. If you use social media the "right way", you'll get tons of business. But with everyone doing it, you might want to add some low-tech marketing to your marketing strategies. Lauren Comiteau, AdWeek says, "...smart brands are still conscious of the power of low-tech marketing in the overall mix. At a time of shrunken budgets and media clutter, many brands have discovered that sometimes the old-school ideas still work very well - even better, in some cases - because the public hasn't seen them used in a while." This article is about low-tech (yes, even corny) marketing, using trinkets & premiums from the Oriental Trading Company catalog to get noticed (and talked about) beyond the social media clutter. Here are 7 items I found, with suggested tag lines, costing less than 10 bucks! Written By: Karen Deis