In previous months, we've explored the needs and expectations of your clients as they move down the sales funnel, from initial tire-kickers to loan closing. But we're not finished! If you nurture them in various and creative ways, these clients will create more income for you in the future!
Stage six: Post-closing
You can quell a buyer's remorse by listening carefully to your clients throughout the home loan process. Strive to understand every client’s hot buttons: Was it the home's specific location they wanted most, or are they most excited about their plans to remodel?
Then, follow up via e-mail or regular mail with reassurance and a reminder based on that hot button. You could also send a congratulatory e-mail that says, “You just saved yourself approximately $XX on your income taxes next year!" (based on their income minus the interest and tax deductions).
For example, my company sets up drip e-mail campaigns so purchase and refinance customers automatically receive six e-mails from their loan officer within the first year after the loan closes. The final e-mail says, “It's been a year—let’s do a loan check-up to see if I can save you more money monthly with a refinance.”
Ask for their testimonials
If you have already added your mortgage office to such local directories as Google Places, Yelp, Yahoo! Local or Bing Local Listing, you want these satisfied clients to add their testimonials to one or more of these directories right away. You cannot cut and paste to add their review—they must do it themselves from their computer (that's how these directories cut down on spam reviews).
Ask them to add their review to your Zillow or Homes.com listing, too. One Florida LO told us that he advertises nowhere, but instead, relies entirely on his Zillow reviews to bring him new business. What a coup!
Offer to bring pizzas on moving day if they will simply write their reviews and post them. After all, you're asking for their time right now when they're bound to be busy, so say thanks by providing help to them.
Once they've posted their reviews, then you can copy and paste them onto your Web site and on your social media pages. That way, you're getting lots of mileage out of a single review.
At my firm, one conscientious LO has compiled so many reviews that we took out a full-page ad in his local newspaper, pasting dozens of his reviews into the background of the ad.
More ideas
►Ask for Facebook “Likes” and referrals with your e-mail drip campaigns.
►Include suggestions in your messages such as, “ Should you refinance?" or "Are you thinking about purchasing a second home?” toward the end of the first year, or in subsequent years.
►Send thank you cards via regular mail that include incentives such as Subway coupons to feed the crew on moving day, or a coupon for free window-washing for a refinance customer.
Provide your sales team with tools at each stage of the funnel
It's obvious that the methods your team employs to work with a not-yet-prequalified borrower who has simply expressed an interest in getting a loan will be different than a prequalified borrower who is home shopping, as opposed to someone in the application stage versus docs and closing. And finally, how you maintain contact with a closed-loan borrower will be vastly different than any of the above.
As a coach for your sales team, you need to both ensure that your sales team understands each stage and has plenty of tools to help move the client along, regardless of the loan stage they are in. With your coaching, plus a marketing library full of materials built for each stage, your sales team will be ready for any stage of the sales funnel!
Jean LeBlanc is director of marketing for Guaranteed Home Mortgage Company. For more marketing tips, download the eBook, 13 Ways to Juice Up Your Marketing in 2013, by going to joinghmc.com and clicking on the eBook offer midway down the page.
She may be reached by phone at (914) 696-3400.
