Taking it to the streets

By Todd Duncan Prospecting is a core part of the sales professional's business, however many salespeople experience call reluctance. If you experience reluctance when it comes to trying to convince people whom you have never met to do business with you, you are not alone. The good news is that a unique value proposition can help you overcome reluctance and gain the business you desire.
Remember, your unique value proposition helps you differentiate yourself from your competition. It is the tool that gets prospects who aren’t using your services to use your services. The more unique your unique value propositions are, the more likely you are to get appointments with the prospects you really want to convert to long-term clients.
As you've learned over the last few weeks, you can be as creative as you want when you are developing your unique value propositions. What you want to offer and how you want to offer your unique value proposition is up to you.
As you take your unique value proposition to the streets, especially in today’s market, you must follow these five steps:
1. Consistently identify the prospects whom you want to pursue.
2. Develop a letter of introduction.
Your letter should include three items:

• The name of the referrer (i.e. the person who referred you)
• Your unique value proposition, described briefly in the second or third paragraph of your letter.
• A commitment that you will follow-up within a specified time frame. Include this commitment in the last paragraph of your letter. As the Law of Response says, “If you don’t follow-up with them, they won’t follow through with you.”

3. Develop a unique delivery tool.
Todd recommends using overnight delivery by either UPS or FedEx. Think of it this way: If you have clients-for-life who will deliver tens of thousands of dollars in commissions to you over time, spending $15 to deliver something in a manner that will cause them to open your package immediately is a worthwhile investment.
4. Mail your letters at a pace of one person per day for five-days-a-week.
Your goal is to get your prospects to commit to having a business discussion with you. If you send one letter a day for five-days-a-week, you will send twenty letters a month or sixty letters over a 90-day period. If one-third of these prospects convert, you will have twenty meetings and potentially twenty deals in the next three months.
Remember: These letters are a relationship-based business building tool, not a transactional-based business building tool.
5. Follow-up with your prospects within 48 hours to secure a business development appointment.
The Law of the Dress Rehearsal From Todd's bestselling book High Trust Selling, states "Practicing your lines elevates your performance."
In closing, If you follow the five-step action plan described this week, you will no longer be afraid of prospecting. The skills you will learn will give you the confidence to take action with passion, belief, and excitement.Taking Your Unique Value Proposition to the Streets

House Hunting Tip #4

Tip #4: House Hunting       Knowing how much house you can afford is just a starting place for your search. You also need to answer the following questions to narrow down your options to those that are most relevant to you: Searching for a home can be overwhelming, but here are a few tips to make it a bit easier: Take a notepad and map with you. Save each home’s fact sheet. Limit the homes you look at in one session to three, so you can focus on the details. Take a picture of the homes that appeal to you so you can remember their features. Draw floor plans to help you compare homes. Ask questions about any problems in the home before you make an offer.   I hope this information should help you find the home of your dreams!   I look forward to assisting you with financing…and please keep me in mind if you know anyone who could benefit from my services.   Sincerely,

Setting Your Financial Goals

Setting Your Financial Goals

by Bill Bronchick

I bet you wrote down your goals in January 1st this year. Is that all? Did you re-think them this month and write it down again? If you don't know what your goals are, how are you going to measure whether you've reached them? And, I would bet that if you didn't write them down at all, you are in the same financial position as you were on January 1st.... Ouch!

Is it time for a change of strategy? Maybe so, read on...

Take the most accurate archer, the best in the world. I guarantee that I can do a better job of shooting than he can...IF...you first blindfold him and turn him around a few times. You might think, why that is ridiculous. How is he supposed to hit a target he cannot see? Here's a better question: How are YOU supposed to hit a target you don't even HAVE?

When investing in real estate, in order to succeed, you need to set financial goals.

Here's how to go about it:

#1) Make sure your goal is something you really want, not something that just sounds good.

People say they would like a yacht. But do they really? Many yacht owners joke that a yacht is a hole down which you pour tons of money.

#2) Be specific.

Wrong: "I want lots of money." Right: "I want to be earning $5,000/month by one year from now."

#3) Be detailed.

When the subconscious mind has detailed instructions, miracles happen.

#4) Shoot for the moon, but at the same time; be realistic.

“I want to make $500,000 the first year". That will most likely take a miracle! Five figures (on the high end) is much more realistic.

#5) Make your goals measurable.

What gets measured gets done.

#6) Write your goals down.

This sets an unconscious process in motion to get your goals accomplished.

#7) Write your goals in positive, (not negative) terms.

Write down what you want, not what you don't want. Wrong: "I want to leave my present job." Right: "I want to replace my current income so I can work from home."

#8) Include a deadline for achieving your goals.

This prevents procrastination. It also separates your goals from your dreams.

#9) Have pictures of the things you will have and do with the money you make.

Use a scrap book with color pictures of cars, homes, vacations, etc. that you want.

#10) Your goals should be action-oriented.

What steps do you need to take to reach your goals?

#11) Break down your goals into manageable steps.

With each activity, ask yourself: Does this activity take me closer to my goal?

#12) Keep your goals to yourself.

Avoid any negative people around you who might sabotage your efforts. Some people cannot stand to see you succeed. And some spouses hate the idea of making a change, believe it or not.

#13) Play motivational tapes.

Motivational tapes, played in your car on the way to work, can help dramatically. The ones by Nightingale-Conant are especially good.

#14) Be prepared to review and restate your goals.

As you reach a certain level or your situation changes, be prepared to adjust your goals to fit your new situation.

The Top Five Reasons to work with Fairway

Top 5 Reasons to Work with Fairway

1. National Strength with Hometown Service
Fairway is a national lender with branches in 45 states, however, we meet with almost all our clients in person and attend almost every closing.
2. Underwriting Turn Times
With 46 underwriters on staff, turn times rarely exceed 48 hours.

3. Preliminary Documents & Table Funding
We are known for having our HUD approved and loans funded in record time. Usually 24 hours in advance of closing.

4. Programs & Rates
Fairway offers exceptionally competitive rates and exceptional programs too. We are typically one of the first to market with new programs.

5. Commitment to Building Business
We believe in the power of strategic business relationships. Give us the opportunity to show you the tools Fairway has in place to assist realtors with qualifying and capturing borrowers, joint marketing, and client retention.

Things to avoid when buying a home

Tip #3: Things to Avoid Before Buying a Home
	Here are some things to avoid during the home buying process to assure your transaction goes smoothly:   -Don’t Make an Expensive Purchase It’s best to avoid making major purchases like furniture, cars, appliances, electronic equipment, jewelry, or vacations until after the closing. Financing furniture with a credit card could jeopardize your credit worthiness during the time it means the most. Using cash to purchase big items can also create a problem because many banks take into consideration your cash reserve when approving your mortgage. -Don’t Get a New Job Lenders like to see a consistent job history. Generally, changing jobs will not affect your ability to qualify for a mortgage loan-especially if you are going to be making more money. But for some people, getting a new job during the loan approval process could raise some concern and affect your application. -Don’t Switch Banks or Move Money Around As your lender reviews your loan package, you will be asked to provide bank statements for the last two or three months on your checking accounts, savings accounts, money market funds and other liquid assets. To eliminate potential fraud, most loans require a thorough paper trail to document the source of all funds. Changing banks or transferring money to another account could make it difficult for the lender to document your funds. -Don’t Disregard Your Lenders Requirements You may have been pre-approved for the loan but your work with the lender is far from over. Your lender will need copies of your bank statements, W2s and other paperwork. It is up to you to get it to him or her as soon as possible. Failure to submit certain qualifying documents could cause you to lose your loan and the financing you need to buy your home. Sincerely,   Jerry Ashford, Loan Officer Certified Military Mortgage Specialist™ NMLS # 281437 | OK MLO04575 The Jerry Ashford Team Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp NMLS ID#2289 405.517.4959 (Direct) 800-393-5493  (Fax) www.TheJerryAshfordTeam.com jerrya@fairwaymc.com