Posted by John Scott Smith on Thu, Mar 25, 2010 @ 02:11 PM
As part of my daily reading, yesterday I came across an excellent article on using social media in sales by Bill Rice that inspired this post.
I recently published a post asking is "Social Networking Overrated for Mortgage Professionals?" After some discussion in the comments and more on Twitter, I wanted to tackle how you *can* use social media more effectively for mortgage sales. It's not difficult once you understand a little bit about consumers' behavior, starting with your own. Let's do a quick walk-through.
First, take a quick look at how YOU are already using social media for your OWN consumer behavior. Whether you think about it in that context or not, you have probably already used social media to help you with a buying decision. How?
Do you ever read the reviews on Amazon? Do you ask your circle of friends on Facebook for their advice? Are you looking for their experience or for their recommendation on a product you're thinking about buying? Ever "tweet" questions like that? If so, you've been using social media to help in your buying decisions.
Personally, I've posted questions about pasta makers, minivans, and computer software on Facebook, on Twitter, on blogs, and over instant message to friends so that I could draw on the collective experience of my network to find out what they recommend. I ALWAYS read the product reviews on Amazon before I decide which product is going to meet my needs, especially since online shopping means that you can't get a close look at it before you pull the trigger.
These behaviors are the tip of the ice berg for using social media for your business and your personal brand. Let's talk about just using a couple to get started, and then we can grow it, together, from there.
- Google Alerts. Who is talking about you? Who is talking about your business? What are they saying? Google alerts are free, easy, and (mostly) instant, so get 'em going! This is another Google feature that allows you to use ANY Google account, like we mentioned in our recent blog entry. Just set up the alerts around the name of your business, your personal name, or any other word or phrase that you'd like to track. I use these to keep tabs of who's talking about me, my business, FHA mortgage leads, you name it. Very helpful.
- Advanced Twitter Search. Tres chic!! Using this application, you can keep track of ANYONE talking about your service anywhere, or within a certain mile radius of yourself. I use TweetDeck, myself, but that's because I'm constantly "plugged-in." Advanced twitter search allows you to look, at your leisure, OR you can even set up an RSS feed into your reader if you want to get more technical.
Once you find people talking, introduce yourself and answer their question(s) with an eye toward being helpful instead of toward selling.
Imagine tweeting a question about a product and hearing back with an answer from a representative of that company with an answer...It's happening out there, RIGHT NOW, and you can be a part of it fifteen minutes from now by getting set up and getting started.
What do you think? Are you already using techniques like these? Tell us about your experiences.
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Posted by John Scott Smith on Thu, Feb 25, 2010 @ 12:16 PM
Monday, I was prospecting for business calling on a customer that I hadn't spoken to in a while. Apparently, I still had his personal cell phone number, so I was able to reach him. After fifteen years of being a mortgage broker, he had decided to get out of the business. Fifteen years....It had become that hard to make a living at selling mortgages, and he didn't see any changes coming down the pike.
The mortgage industry has gotten brutal for everyone in the business. We all feel the pain. There are fewer deals to go around and competition is fierce. Branches are shuttering every single day.
I have found and want to share with you some effective and inexpensive ways that you can help shore up your business.
There are several different companies offering complimentary marketing and sales training that can be applied to the mortgage industry. And, from what I've seen, HubSpot has some of the best.
Are you using LinkedIn to promote yourself? What comes up when you Google your own name? Are you on Facebook?
In this industry, often your fees are what they are. The rate shifts, daily. But, one thing that you have control over is your reputation. And, getting it out there, proudly and prominently, is what today's seminar at HubSpot will be about.
The link is here and if you don't catch it live, I know that it will be posted to view later and for all time, because at HubSpot, that's just how they roll.
Use your social media platforms to promote yourself, so that when your prospective customers Google your name (and, you KNOW they do!) they'll be able to see all kinds of things about you: that you're a tee-ball coach for your kids, that you sent that letter to the editor of your newspaper, that you have a gazillion endorsements on LinkedIn. Be easy to get found, and get found for the right things.
Customers want to work with a real person. They want someone they can trust. Let them see that you're real. And, LinkedIn is one of the ways to do that.
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Posted by John Scott Smith on Tue, Oct 20, 2009 @ 01:11 PM
I admit it. I'm on Twitter. I'm on facebook. I read and comment on blogs. Struggle that it is, I try to send only "good" Tweets, and avoid contributing to the pointless babble with which these networks are wrought. I do all of these things with the stated goal of promoting my business, but, mostly I do it because it's fun!
Traipsing through the Internets, it will seem that everyone talks about how invaluable these services are to business. Many real estate agents and loan officers out there saying that social media are important to them, too. But, how are they important?
The very best description that I've heard of the usefulness of social media for most of us was from an interview with legendary social media expert, Chris Brogan, when he spoke on HubSpot TV. Brogan explained that social media was a great place to keep people (leads, customers, prospective customers) warm between meetings with them. That's it.
My thoughts are that Twitter, facebook, et.al. are an excellent way to interact, lightly and occasionally, with your leads and customers, but probably not a very good way to get new customers.
What do you think? How are you using social media for your mortgage business?
(By the way, if you would like to read my very own brand of pointless babble, I can be found on both Twitter AND facebook.)