Have you ever applied for a home loan? Maybe a line of credit? A mobile phone contract?
Every industry has its own set of hidden rules. Rules outsiders can fall foul of without even realising. Where
the consequences can be very negative for you.
One of the most insidious is “credit”.
We all need it. From credit cards, home and car loans to even your mobile phone contract, your credit worthiness defines your risk to those extending money.
But as mortgage broker Renato Cantalupo pointed out, even with excellent credit history, simple mistakes can cost you your next home loan.
In a short 10 minute talk, he surprised us with how easily you can shoot yourself in the foot.
Take applying for a home loan. Banks are constantly competing for your business. You’re not happy with the deal your bank is offering, so you apply to another couple.
Maybe you go down the mortgage broker path as well, playing the competition against each other.
But did you know (most of us didn’t) that every time you make a serious application, the institution runs a credit check with Veda Advantage? And here’s the kicker. Anything over 3 checks over a 6 month period and you’re automatically rejected?
And those checks could be from when you updated your mobile phone contract!
Ouch!
Renato went on to list a bunch of other gotchas, as well as how to successfully navigate the system. He had our full attention. I’ve not heard as many questions from the audience in a long time.
A professional with tremendous expertise. But a casual observer would never know it.
Renato introduces himself as a mortgage broker. They’re a dime a dozen. So how could he differentiate himself? Why would we refer prospects to him? And how could his own satisfied clients promote him more effectively?
Simple. Give away his knowledge freely.
Freely sharing your expertise does two things. It positions you as the expert or go to person. You come across as generous and sharing, recipients appreciate that and are more likely to reciprocate by doing business with you.
And if you’re wondering if they’ll take you knowledge and do it themselves, relax. 99% won’t. They’ll realise the complexity and rather give you the work so it’ll get done right.
In lead generation, leverage is the key.
Renato got leverage by speaking in front of a group. But he missed on another critical aspect. The “Referral Package”.
A referral package is marketing and sales material you can give away to prospects. It is educational and gently self qualifies prospects in or out.
The package follows our proven Why, What, How and What if outline and covers:
- The main problems you solve for your market
You may specialise in solving a particular set of issues. You want your target market to identify with these and go, “Yes, that’s me”, while rejecting everyone else. - Who specifically you solve them for.
A common trap is thinking “everyone” is your market. They’re not! The more specific you can be the more quality prospects you’ll attract. - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
List and answer all the normal questions your prospects and clients ask. The questions are in their heads. You need to pre-empt these and answer them. - Questions they should be asking – if only they knew what
This is another area you can share your expertise and experience. You need to warn them about traps for young players, questions they should ask competitors, hidden gotchas etc. Then provide them with the correct answers. - Case studies
A great way of showcasing expertise is through case studies. And not just the positive results you got for clients. Case studies that highlight what can go terribly wrong if you don’t understand the system are very effective. - Testimonials
Everyone wonders: “Are their claims true? Will it work? Will it work for me?”Testimonials provide a level of social proof. Of course they have to be authentic and created the right way to be effective. We all have our BS meters going. - Call to action
Okay, they’ve read, listened to or watched your material. Now what? You must succinctly tell them the next step. Whether it’s to request more material, signup for a newsletter or call for an appointment. - Have an automated follow up mechanism.
People move forward when they’re ready. Just leaving material in someone’s hands, hoping they’ll remember you when the time comes is akin to believing in fairies at the bottom of the garden.You must have a system for triggering follow up and regular contact with anyone who’s requested material from you. Our automated CRM system does just that. - And finally, you must know what to say to them when they do call. This is the “selling” component. Having a sales system is what separates the winners from the also rans.
Having a system like this in place will make your client acquisition infinitely easier. A referral kit positions you as the expert and acts as a third party endorsement, educating your market while positioning you as the expert.
It’s also a great piece of collateral your clients or referral partners can hand out on your behalf. In short it gives you massive leverage because you can:
- Send it out to prospective clients as an initial introduction.
- Hand it out at networking events. (Something Renato’s audience would have benefited from. He could request a business card in exchange – then put these people onto his follow up, keep in touch list. Who knows when they may want a mortgage or even refer someone on.)
- If you’re a speaker, offer it to attendees in return for their details (which you put into your follow up system).
- Give it to prospects who want a quote – so they understand the depth of what you can do for them.
- Give it to clients who can pass it on to suitable referrals.
- Give it to “connectors” – people who know lots of people in your target market and who are willing to pass it on.
If creating this package this seems like a lot of hard work, it is. But the benefits are truly worth it.
A package like this will immediately raise your credibility and position you as the go to person that will solve your prospects’ problems.
And if you need more convincing, according to A.C. Nielsen a referral is up to 4 times more likely to buy than someone who comes to you cold.
Don’t have time or the expertise to do it yourself?
Commission us to do it for you. We’ve created Referral/Credibility Packages in dozens of industries including professional services, health, manufacturing and construction.
Call us on (02) 9499-7958 for a confidential discussion as to your goals and let’s get started.
Rashid & Barbara.
