Screw the banks? Today's hero is tomorrow's sitting duck.

There's an excellent article in today's New York Times, called "Home Equity Frenzy Was A Bank Ad Come True." (just go to http://www.nytimes.com and enter this headline in their search box)

There are three very important mortgage marketing lessons you should take away from this article:

One, more than half of your success is just getting out there and putting your message across. Like Woody Allen says, when it comes down to it, 80% of your success is just showing up. Easy step, yet most people are too scared to even go there, so they die a slow death on the vine, before harvest season's even begun.

Two, there's a huge benefit to creating proprietary names and processes for yourself. Like the article says, anyone can get a "second mort.gage," but having "equity access" is a privilege reserved for the few people lucky enough to get involved with the lender sponsoring this program.

I don't think I've ever created any kind of a marketing campaign yet, that isn't using at least one form of proprietary marketing. This is one of the easiest ways to differentiate yourself and yet, few people sit down and try to think this through. Instead, they rush to copy what the next guy is doing.

Look, if you want great results, you have to go to great lengths to get them. Conventional wisdom and "doing what the other guy is doing" only takes you so far, if it even takes you anywhere at all. (Conventional wisdom May get you conventional results, if you're lucky.)

And lastly, no matter how much of a hero you may look like today, at some point you're going to face stark criticism for something you've done. And believe me, you don't have to create an economic crisis to be the target of abject criticism -- when you're successful you're the target "just because."

But the good news is, if you're being criticized you know you're having an impact, and most of the people criticizing you are watching you in frustration, not criticizing you constructively. So ignoring them is easy as long as you're aware of this.

There are other good lessons in the Times article as well, and I encourage you to read it.

*** Loan Officers: Need More Cash? There are less than 30 days until the kickoff of our ARMs Marketing Program. Join us at http://www.loturnaround.com/arms and read all about it at http://www.loturnaround.com/armsprogram ***

Now go close some deals, Craig Garber & Mike Miget

P.S. Loan Officers: Need More Cash? There are less than 30 days until the kickoff of our ARMs Marketing Program. Join us at http://www.loturnaround.com/arms and read all about it at http://www.loturnaround.com/armsprogram

Comments? Leave them here on our blog -- we want to know what you're thinking:

Mortgage Marketing Q & A: What to do when you have no time and no money.

We've received a load of questions like this one, "Craig, I want to get involved with the ARMs Marketing System you and Mike are putting together, but I don't have the time and money for it right now. What do you suggest?"

Now before I answer this question, let me tell you a couple of stories. See, I believe if you think about the answer to the main character's problem in each of these stories, it will lead you to your own conclusion about what the correct answer to today's question is for you.

First one, woman... 28 years old. Great looking gal with legs that go on forever. Lives with 5 other roommates in a crowded small 3 bedroom apartment downtown in the West Village, just a few blocks from her favorite store, Dick Blick Art Materials over on Bond Street.

She's an artist with the energy of a lion, but she's never been able to make any money at it. It's not that she isn't talented, she just knows absolutely nothing about sales and marketing. Because of this, even when someone wants to buy one of her pieces, she usually undervalues her efforts and sells it for just enough money to pay her rent that month and keep her in full supply of paint, brushes, and canvas.

She loves what she does, but she's not in denial about the fact that she's getting older and simply can't go on living this way much longer. At 28, she's never even had her own bedroom since she left her parents home to go away to college.

But she's about to catch a lucky break. One of her roommate's father owns one of the most prestigious art galleries out on the west coast. He's very familiar with her artwork and he's got a few fabulously wealthy buyers who are coming into town next week. He knows he can sell several dozen of her paintings for literally well over one-hundred thousand dollars combined -- more money than she's ever made in her entire career.

She'll be able to finally get her own apartment and open up a small shop of her own with this money. All she has to do is fly out from New York to Los Angeles and arrange for the transportation of all her artwork.

Sadly, she can't do it. She has no money to pay for her flight or to ship the artwork out to L.A.

She'll never get a shot at something like this again...

Another story.

Stereotypical New Yorker, talks fast, walks fast, makes a whopping load of cash all the time. Started as a broker on Wall Street, showed some good hustle, was the only one in his team willing to do even more than his employer asked.

Shows up at 5:30 a.m. in the office every morning, long before anyone else, works well into the evening, and devours every daily business newspaper and monthly trade journal he can get his hands on. The way he's going, he's expected to fast-track and become the youngest executive vice president ever in the firm's history, and he's also the first one who's done this that hasn't come from old money.

In fact, the kid grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. He was raised by a single mom, working two jobs, raising three kids on her own, her alcoholic ex-husband long gone.

One weekend after a vigorous run through Central Park, the guy feels much more out of breath than normal. As the evening wears on, he's still feeling short of breath and has increasing chest pains that just aren't normal.

Checks himself into Mount Sinai that evening just in time -- at around 10pm that night, he experiences a massive heart attack.

Doctors tell him if he wants to live, he's simply GOT to change his lifestyle. Unless he gets 8 or 9 hours of sleep every night, minimizes his stress to almost zero, and takes up hobbies and reads books that relax him, he's going to die in less than 30 days.

There's no "if" about this, he is going... to die.

What should this guy do?

After all, he has no time to be healthy.

See, in life, we all have time, money, attention span, strength, and compassion, for those things we want to have them for.

I grew up in a housing project and everyone in these apartments had more televisions than you can imagine, and drove much nicer cars than I drive today.

Telling yourself, and then having the gumption to ask me, what should you do if you have no time and money, means you've either given up, you're not serious, you're too cheap, or you're scared of being successful or have some other kinds of self-sabotaging issues related to money.

And while there's nothing wrong with any of these things -- Lord knows I'm far from perfect -- I'm not about to give you a handout to fix any of them.

You fix these things by paying the same thing we all pay in life, to move ahead. It's called "tuition."

And if you can't of if you aren't willing to pay the tuition, then I suggest you go and get a nice cushy government job, where the toughest thing you're ever going to have to do is sit and figure out how many days left do you have to work, to start collecting your pension.

I wish you well.

Tough love and harsh reality, yes. Good food for thought though, isn't it?

Now go close some deals, Craig Garber & Mike Miget

P.S. If you like hard-nosed slabs or reality like this, then make sure you test-drive Craig's Seductive Selling Newsletter, and get your 15 free bonus gifts at http://www.kingofcopy.com/ssnl

Oh, and there are less than 30 days until the kickoff of our ARMS Marketing Program. Join us at http://www.loturnaround.com/arms

If you enjoyed this, pass it on to a few of your friends and business associates, and if you have any comments about this message, PLEASE -- leave them here on our blog -- we want to know what you're thinking:

An open letter to every loan officer who wants more cash:

Let me get right to the point: If you are a loan officer or a mortgage broker and you're interested in earning more cash, then listen, and listen good.

I recently posted some timely information you probably want
to get your hands on, and in addition, the information itself is a great example of the kinds of display ads or tearsheet formats you should be regularly using in your marketing, anyway.

So, here's what you need to do. Ask yourself these three questions and if your answer to any of them is yes, then go and get your hands on this memo right now at http://www.loturnaround.com/memo

Here are those questions:

Are you sick and tired of getting beaten up and bashed around by homeowners shopping you for the lowest rates?

Have you had it “up to here” listening to the media telling you, like Chicken Little, “The sky is falling?”

And are you simply starving for even one ray of enthusiasm and sunshine to enter your business life?

Again, if you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, then head on over to http://www.loturnaround.com/memo -- in fact, you can even download the ad and keep it for your own swipe file.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. If you have any questions about this, make sure you
contact my office. I'll be out of town down by the beach
during the next few days, but someone will get a hold of
you early next week.

Mortgage Marketing Q & A: What are the best niche markets to invest setting up lead generating systems in today?

Well, that depends. This morning I was reading USA Today and they said the economy is looking up.

Last week, however, they said we're in the shitter.

So if you're basing whatever you're going to do on what someone else is telling you, you'll be like the squirrel running around from tree to tree in Springtime, trying to find where he's stored all his nuts before winter set in.

That's not much of a system and it's not very predictable or reliable, is it?

No, of course it's not.

So before we talk about markets, let's take a look at communication and marketing systems. The best way to communicate and attract prospects in any niche, is using a two-step lead-generation system with sequential follow-up contacts.

As we discussed in a number of teleseminars -- which you can listen to at http://www.loturnaround.com/replay -- this system gives you tremendous leverage, including:

• Differentiating yourself from everyone else.
• Being able to attract instead of chase down homeowners to work with you.
• Making your prospects pre-qualify before they get to you.
  
• This way you don't wind up wasting your time with looky-loos and tire-kickers who are just shopping.
• Letting your system do all the selling for you. By the time they get to you, they WANT what you're selling. It's like getting a haircut -- when you go and get your hair cut, they don't convince you that you need a haircut when you walk into the shop, right? Well, an effective two-step lead-generation system does the same thing -- it does all the "convincing" and selling for you.
• It lets your prospects know the entire process so you don't have to waste your time, telling them.
• It positions you as a trusted advisor instead of a "loan guy (or woman)"
• You are staying in touch with your prospect so they don't forget about you when they are ready to pull the trigger.
  

This is literally the only system I would ever consider using in a situation like this. It's what clients pay Craig a small fortune to create for them, and it's what we're using in our LOTurnaround ARMS group.

Now as to marketplaces, it seems like this list can be endless, and you can make niches even within these niches (for example, you can go for people in a certain area only, couples with children, women only, professionals, doctors, people living on a lake or water -- whatever you want). But there seems to be a few niches that are getting lots of attention lately, and deservedly so:

1. ARMS that are getting ready to reset or expire soon. This is the market we've chosen to work in and build our system around. (There is still time to participate in this -- the launch meeting is on September 4th and 5th -- see http://www.loturnaround.com/arms for more info.) We're also going to set up another program that will generate even more income for our LOs, along these same lines (I guess this would be a sub-niche like I just mentioned), once this program is up and running.

2. Reverse Mortgages. As baby boomers are aging, this is the next big wave for the banks to make money with. It's my opinion that you will see lots of research and development here as far as creative financial products go, so the banks can accommodate as many of these folks as possible.

3. Lastly, once the bubble settles down, there's going to be lots of purchases of inexpensive property, and again, I believe the banks will be getting creative to make as much financing available as possible.

Remember, banks make money by lending money, not by keeping money, so you've got that on your side. There are also a number of other economic issues that make going after the ARMS market, very favorable and easy. See if you can figure them out and how to apply them in your marketing -- we'll be using it in ours, for sure.

O.K., now click the link below, and see if you can answer these three 3 questions.

http://www.loturnaround.com/abcsurvey

Now go close some deals, Craig Garber & Mike Miget

P.S. If you like hard-driving strategies like this, make sure you test-drive Craig's Seductive Selling Newsletter, and get your 15 free bonus gifts at http://www.kingofcopy.com/ssnl

If you enjoyed this, pass it on to a few of your friends and business associates, and if you have any comments about this message, PLEASE -- leave them here on our blog -- we want to know what you're thinking:

Avoid the biggest mistake 99.9% of all LOs are making:

Today I'm going to give you some more information about marketing to seniors if you are in the reverse mortgage marketplace, because this seems to be a pretty hot topic, so hold on to your hat.

Reality is, this is getting to be a crowded space, and it's very likely your mailing piece isn't the first one your prospect has received. In fact, it's probably not even one of the first dozen they've received this month.

Remember, banks are on this now just like everyone else, and they pour literally millions into their mailings, every month.

And this is exactly what you need to keep in mind when you're creating your marketing pieces. See, most LOs are focusing on convincing the prospect why they need a reverse mortgage. But if you've been with me for a while, you've no doubt heard me say that being in "the convincing business, sucks."

The truth is, you are far better off finding those folks who already have expressed an interest in what you have to offer, and then simply show them why they should be working with you instead of everyone else.

Focus on differentiating yourself from everyone else, not on convincing someone why they need to buy something.

What's different about you?

Is is how you do things... why you do them... the speed with which you do them... your ability to get the job done in some sort of different way?

Figure out what that reason is, and you've nailed your differential. Nail your differential and you've nailed your formula for success in any one given area.

Make sense?

O.K., now click the link below, and see if you can answer these three 3 questions in this curious survey.

http://www.loturnaround.com/abcsurvey

Now go close some deals, Craig Garber & Mike Miget

P.S. Oh, and by the way, you've only got a couple of days left to get your hands on this month's Seductive Selling Newsletter AND your 15 free bonus gifts at http://www.kingofcopy.com/ssnl

If you enjoyed this, pass it on to a few of your friends and business associates, and if you have any comments about this message, PLEASE -- leave them here on our blog -- we want to know what you're thinking:

How to use direct mail to speak to seniors

About a week or so ago, I published a tip about reverse mortgages and seniors. At the end of the tip I said, "next week I'll tell you how to reach seniors who want reverse mortgages, using direct mail -- a MUCH smarter alternative."

I completely forgot about this, however, lots of LOs didn't -- including Francisco Duarte, from Plano, Texas -- and they wanted me to publish this follow-up, so today I'll deliver.

(Francisco's actually one of the members of our ARMS Marketing System -- check out the details at http://www.loturnaround.com/replay )

Keep in mind, covering everything about this is like covering everything about how to grow corn -- you'd need a few books, not one daily tip, so I'll go over a few basics in the next couple of weeks.

Here is the most important thing I'd keep in mind when using direct mail to market to seniors:

Don't humiliate them. For example, one of the biggest flaws with pre-foreclosure marketing is that it humiliates the homeowner. Telling people if they don't work with you, they're going to be screwed because they'll be kicked out of their home, isn't a way to endear yourself to anyone, let alone a complete stranger.

After all, who wants to be held hostage at gunpoint and be forced into doing anything -- and by a vendor, no less?

You always want to empathize with your prospects first, before anything else. Showing them compassion and that you understand what's bothering them, makes you an ally and a valued and trusted advisor, and THIS is the way to start a relationship.

We'll talk about this some more next week, for sure.

O.K., now click the link below, and see if you can answer these three questions. You'll also get added to an advanced pre-notification list for an exciting new product we'll be releasing soon, called The ABC's of Loan Officer and Mortgage Marketing:

http://www.loturnaround.com/abcsurvey

Now go close some deals, Craig Garber & Mike Miget

P.S. Oh, and if you want more information on how to use empathy and any other emotion in your marketing and in your sales copy, then check out Craig's Seductive Selling System at http://www.kingofcopy.com/seductive

If you enjoyed this, pass it on to a few of your friends and business associates, and if you have any comments about this message, PLEASE -- leave them here on our blog -- we want to know what you're thinking:

It's certainly not my good looks, that's for sure.

Last week LO Robert Kleiner sent in this question: "Hey guys what is the one biggest thing that makes you successful?"

This is a trick question.

Not that the fellow who sent it in is trying to trick us, it's just that this is a myth, like Bigfoot or the Loch-ness monster.

It's a myth that's been perpetrated by years and years of gurus telling you they have the one secret and if you want it, you can buy it for a small fortune.

So let me give you the real deal here: First, wipe the slate clean and clear your mind of any pre-conceived notions of success you may have, and accept what I'm about to tell you at face value. I'm a guy who came from nothing -- Mr. Nobody from nowhere -- and I now have far more than I ever expected, and I'm running at a speed few people can ever catch.

Ready?

O.K., her goes: Becoming successful, like becoming fit, or winning a bike race, or even being good looking (Which I'm definitely not, and I guess Mike probably is.), is the result of many different ongoing efforts that take a ton of persistence and discipline.

Read that last part again, because it's incredibly important: "the result of many different ongoing efforts that take a ton of persistence and discipline."

Sometimes it's easier to understand something conceptually, when you're looking outside whatever it is you are personally looking to do. So for instance, let's talk about getting fit, since I've recently finally found my own very stubborn formula for doing this, after literally over 20 years trying to master it, and I've taken off 18 pounds. Here's what this involved:

* Exercise - consistently working at higher and higher levels of performance, usually doing different exercises
* Building muscle - using a variety of different techniques, reps, sets, resting periods
* Cardiovascular work - again, using a variety of different techniques and working at a variety of different intensities and even over different time frames and a different times during the day
* Caloric consumption - monitoring it VERY closely for some people (like myself), including even the details not only of your total calories, but even the breakdown of them
* Constantly doing this every day, rain or shine over a long period of time
* Constant study of what's important or what are the newest breakthroughs

Now mind you, I'd been doing "almost" all of these things for the last 20 years, but I just got turned on to one of the important ones, and it made all the difference. Yet, if I gave up all the others, I'd still be nowhere.

See where I'm going with this?

Success in any endeavor isn't the by-product of one thing, it's usually the by-product of many many things -- including the things you tried that didn't work -- and having the discipline and "stick-tuitiveness" to keep at it over time.

As an entrepreneur, LO, or marketer, this includes:

* Speaking to the right people in the first place -- who are qualified to buy what you are selling and who can afford your services.
* Using 2-step lead generation techniques to attract these people in the first place
* Constantly staying in touch with them, in a positive and non-threatening way.
* Making them irresistible offers
* Using conversational and engaging copy in your communication
* CONSTANTLY putting new people into your prospecting funnel using direct-mail, space or display ads, online ads and referral systems
* Doing a good job!
* Treating your clients like gold so they give you referrals and buy from you again
* Constantly studying your craft and your business development and learning from others, extensively
* Differentiating yourself from your competition
* Usually out-working your competition as well -- successful people are willing to do those things others aren't.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Inside each one of these items are dozens of other sub-sets and micro-steps you must do as well.

So next time someone tells you they have ONE secret to becoming successful -- head for the hills and hang on to your wallet.

Next time we speak, I'll tell you the biggest reason why most people -- even if they know all the things I just discussed here -- NEVER become successful.

O.K., now click the link below, to take our curious new LO survey and get added to an advanced pre-notification list for an exciting new product we'll be releasing soon, called The ABC's of Loan Officer and Mtg Marketing:

http://www.loturnaround.com/abcsurvey

Now go close some deals, Craig Garber & Mike Miget

P.S. Also, give us some feedback on the 3 questions in this survey. You'll find them thought-provoking and engaging. Here they are: http://www.loturnaround.com/abcsurvey

If you enjoyed this, pass it on to a few of your friends and business associates, and if you have any comments about this message, PLEASE -- leave them here on our blog -- we want to know what you're thinking: