Mortgage, Loans, Insurance, Real Estate, Investment, Tax and Financial Services

Loan Officer Marketing – Why Realtors® Don't Read Your Brochures

When you place brochures from every mortgage company side by side, you can't help but notice the similarities. Each piece mentions that they have every possible loan program available, proven & experienced professionals, fast & friendly service, a list of documents needed to process the loan, a promise of individualized attention and a commitment to professionally serve the client.

This is fine and dandy for consumers, but what about your brochure for real estate agents? If you're giving to agents the same brochure you give to clients, does it help you stand out? Probably not - and even if you do have a separate brochure for agents, does it avoid the 3 most common mistakes?

Brochure Mistake #1 – Feature-Driven Messages

This is the colossal mistake with most brochures. Here's a quick list of features often mentioned in mortgage brochures; loan rates, APR, quality service, mortgage insurance, points, refinance, payments, purchase, full service, originate, retail, interest-only, option-only, ARMS, free quote, to name a few.

Features don't tell the reader anything. Sometimes it only confuses them more about your service. When an agent reads your brochure, they're reading it for one reason. They want to know, "What's in it for them." If you've been in sales for a length of time and have been a good student of it, you know that people are interested in hearing benefits, not features. But wait, there's a twist.

If you sell widgets, your brochure follows an old school formula. It describes what the widget is (feature) and than tells the customer what the widget will do for them (benefits). Pretty simple, isn't it?

But you're in the mortgage business. Or better said, you're in the service business. Wherein lies the caveat, when you sell a service, it's invisible. You can't touch, smell or see it. Even though describing the benefits an agent receives from using your services is helpful, it's not enough.

If you want your brochure to make a difference, the kind of difference that gets noticed by agents, than describe the problems they have that you can solve for them.

It's a strange phenomenon, but dreadfully true. Agents are more interested in reading about their problems than reading about the benefits of your services, or features for that matter.

Brochure Mistake #2 – Use of Jargon

Jargon is like, "Swahili," a confused, unintelligible language. It's words that you understand, but leaves an agent clueless. Jargon comes across as obscure and pretentious. Instead, keep things in simpleton terms. Your brochure should focus on expression, not impression. Using buzzwords, stylish words or phrases can come off as pompous.

Jargon slows down or stops the reading process. Avoid it by writing your brochure in a casual voice, as if you're having a conversation with the reader. In English class you were taught to write very formal, remember, your brochure isn't a term paper, it's an opportunity to persuade and shape one's perception.

Make use of pictures to communicate, they're only worth a thousand words. Agents understand with their eyes. Graphs, charts, photos, and pull quotes are examples of conveying or supporting key points.

Everyone's brochure mentions good customer service. As an alternative, use a flow chart to demonstrate your service, and than support it with satisfied client testimonials.

Brochure Mistake #3 – Me-tooism Disease

Don't take offense - most of us have this disease. You see what might be working for someone, so you copy it for yourself. It's easy to grab the leading competitor's brochure and copy some or all of it. Years ago for instance, rate sheets were a hot marketable brochure. You could distribute a few hundred and get a respectable response. Well, when you have hundreds of loan officers copying it, guess what happens? It wears out, but we keep using it.

Me-tooism isn't worthwhile. Look at how much mail you're still getting from other mortgage companies trying to get you to refinance. And they use the same formatted letter as everyone else. The letter specifically states, in bold print, how much you could be saving, and includes an advertised low rate. Sometimes it's printed in the form of a fictitious check ready to be cashed.

Don't be afraid to be different. It's easy to use what others have and challenging to come up with originality. But it's originality that can earn the biggest reward.

The Power of a Well-Crafted Brochure

Like a good movie plot, a well-crafted brochure sets the storyline in motion. It shapes an agent's perception before you sit down with them – curtailing rejection and lessening resistance. It provokes thought in their mind, making you more memorable. And it helps you stand out and be noticed among a huge crowd.

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

Student loan consolidation with federal debt program
If you are a college student (parents please take note), this Federal Government program can help you cut monthly payments on your student loans. You can consolidate now and lock in a low fixed rate. When you consolidate student loans with a Federal Consolidation Loan, you not only can take advantage of these low rates, you can lock in that rate for the life of your loan. One easy process, one low fixed rate, one low monthly payment, one lender. This is a free U.S. Government program (no fees or other charges). Really Great Rate is an authorized agency for this program - you can check your eligibility in a minute or two, with no obligation

Home Equity Loans: Expert Tips and Advice
Get expert advice, tips, and timely information. Manage your own Real Estate and Investment Portfolio to generate an income so you can take control of your financial life and do the things you want to do.

MORE ARTICLES:

Home Equity Loan ? Understanding The Basics And Advantages
Are you facing a big expense? If so, a home equity loan could be just what you need. This type of loan gives you the power to tap into the equity in your home for tremendous advantages. Read this article to learn more.

California Dreaming of the Most Excellent Home Loan Interest Rate Quotes
The state of California is so huge that it can be thought of as another nation apart from the United States. It has been one of the most occupied states in the USA. With its myriad of cultures and its own identity, mortgage as well as refinancing needs have increased. California home mortgage lenders abound in the market. As interest rates are constantly changing, getting the most excellent deals can be bewildering. Keep in mind that the most outstanding present mortgage rate for your California home is the deciding factor of your present as well as future economic conditions. Thus develop comparisons. Ask for mortgage rates. Ask for a home loan mortgage rate quote. Don't be ashamed. This is your home being talked about.

Construction Company-Requirement For Everyone
Home Construction is a cumbersome task because it needs lot of time and dedicated efforts to produce desired results. Every people does not have that much experience of building construction. Its really a tough science, its does not matter you are building a new home from scratch or renovating your existing home, You need experts help, or advice every time you think of it.

Make money at home (Make Money At Home For Selling Your Own Products)
Basically make money at home classified to two categories: 1. Make money for selling products at home. 2. Make money for serving people at home.

Locating A Great Cash Making Work From Home Opportunity
Work at home is where the heart is and home is where people go to escape at the problems of their daily lives Many times people think that they would much rather be at home all day and not be forced up into a regular job

Finding A Reasonably Priced Home Theater Speaker System
If you have a home theater already, you know the importance of having a good sound system to go along with your home theater. The sound quality is almost as important if not just as important as the picture quality. A good sound quality will give you the honest feeling of being in a real theater. With all of the options for home theater sound systems on the market today, it is likely that you will spend a fair amount of time choosing one that is right for you without breaking the bank. We will try to take a look at the components of a good sound system, then look at ways to get them at good prices.

Beach Towns Recommended by Philadelphia's Home & Towne ® Magazine
Carolina Beach and Kure Beach Are Recommended Destinations For Winter-Weary Pennsylvanians

Doe Run Facility "Powers" Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Industry
The standard lead-acid battery starts more than 600 million passenger vehicles globally and also powers golf carts, forklifts and other modes of transportation. So it's a good thing that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 98.8 percent of lead in lead-acid batteries can be recovered through recycling.

Yes! Home Business Success is More Than a Dream. How to Wake Up and Smell Home Business Success Every Day
Home business Success For The Newcomer Why the internet is the safest place to start a business

Carlo Gavazzi Computing Solutions Announces Thermal Analysis Services for Electronic Enclosures
Optimize Thermal Management for high-performance applications with Thermal Analysis

Dont Hire Someone to Steal Your Joy: Decorate Your Home Yourself!
In researching what makes people happy, I discovered that "Planning" makes us happy. Therefore, why should a homemaker turn over planning to an interior designer who creates homes to make money and impress others? Furthermore, most designers ignore the important outcome of creating a home, which is to support the emotional well-being of the residents.

Bad Credit Mortgage Loans - How Does Your Fico Credit Score Affect Your Loan Approval?
How "bad" is bad credit? If you can pull your credit report yourself and get a copy of your FICO credit score, that will give you a good idea. Here is a general idea of the FICO score breakdown:

Your Work-From-Home Earn and Learn Online Home Business!
So, you?ve decided to quit the rat race and be your own boss, confident in the belief you can earn the big zylotis with your own home business working online. I mean lets be honest ? we are in this for the money aren?t we and is the word ?rich? such a dirty word?

Tips For Selecting A Fabrication Company
A fabrication company is what customizes products according to your specifications. In an industrial point of view, these are the companies that are experts in metal works, wood works, and stone works.