Simply Junior

ATTENTION: Real Estate Brokers, Mortgage Brokers, Financial Planners, Insurance Brokers (and other small business operators)

Would you invest $15.28 to secure $10,000?

If you answered ‘Yes’ read on. If you said ‘no’ then read on to discover why you are washing tens of thousands down the toilet.

In real estate, mortgage lending, insurance underwriting and even financial planning, there is an extended period between when a sale begins and ends. During this period there is much tension and stress for most parties involved.

It has always been my view to ‘over communicate’ during this period to ensure a satisfactory outcome is achieved for all parties; mine in particular.

This is why I developed and use the “Reed 5 Step Customer Care Programme”.

Communicating with a transaction’s parties is easy to do and in the same vein, easy not to do. At the end of each week I send an email to all concerned giving them a status update on the progress of the deal. People like to be informed.

While this is ok and essential, I go one step further to provide some ‘outrageous’ communication. I want to ensure my name is on the mind of all parties involved and to ensure the process concludes in a favorable result.

Outlined below is my 5 step process based around my own business of selling real estate in Queensland, Australia. Obviously you’ll need to adapt this approach for your business which may include adding some steps or increasing the time line.

Step 1

Once a purchaser has signed a contract to purchase a property, a card is sent congratulating them on their purchase. The card should arrive in 2 -3 days. The heading inside the personalised card reads:

Congratulations!
You Have Already Won

The card then briefly outlines what the process is from here. I then conclude the card with:

Thank You
We Appreciate You Choosing Us

Step 2

In the first 5 business days the purchaser has the option of opting out of the contract. This is referred to as the ‘cooling off’ period. It is also during this time that they normally have the property inspected by a build and pest inspector. Once again this can be a tense time for all parties, so Card 2 is sent on day 5. I use a few different headlines here:

Your House Has Passed With Flying Colours

14 Grange Crescent Says ‘Thanks’ For Believing In Me

Step 3

In Queensland most properties are sold subject to finance which is usually required to be satisfied within 14 days of the contract date. This is probably the most stressful period for both the buyer and the seller; not to mention the real estate agent, finance broker and lawyer. My 3rd card reads:

Sit back, relax and have a latte on us

Congratulations on your finance approval. You’re now half way (assuming a 30 day settlement) to owning your new home at 14 Grange Crescent, Ascot. Why not sit back, take a breather and enjoy a coffee on us… etc etc.

I include a Starbucks gift card with the greeting card. I would also send a card and coffee voucher to the seller as well.

Step 4

With settlement of the property occurring in 30 days of the contract date, I’d send my fourth card in this series with the headline:

Welcome Home

I also include a little gift for the purchaser; usually something for the home. If the purchaser is an investor, I might include a book on real estate investing or something similar.

I also send a card to the seller and include a gift basket in appreciation for their choice of selecting my agency.

Step 5

Within 2-3 days of the card and gift packs arriving to both the purchaser and seller I send my final card asking each party for a testimonial letter. I usually help each party by providing a few questions they can answer about our service during the transaction process.

Once again I normally enclose another Starbucks card to thank them for sending a few words to us.

Not everybody does it but we usually get over 50%. These testimonial letters are gold and help us secure more business.

Naturally during the sale process we are talking to all parties as well as providing email updates. We also send the lawyers and finance brokers involved some Starbucks gift cards as well during the process. Lawyers and finance brokers are great referral sources for our business.

Now, in reading the above you can see this ‘outrageous’ process secures us a lot of ‘$10,000 sales’ (average commission for our area but of course this can be much higher. $15,000, $20,000 or even $50,000) for a token outlay of around $15 – $20 plus gift baskets. We have very few contracts fall over. Communicating with all parties lowers their stress levels and increases our chances of the sale concluding favorably.

The biggest investment in the process is time and effort.

But we’ve come across a service that simplifies this for us. We are able to choose from over 10,000 quality, physical cards, upload a message in our own hand writing, include a photograph; all for under $1. We simply click ‘send’ on our computer and the company prints the card, puts a stamp on it and posts it for us. We don’t leave our office. The service is global with printing facilities in the US and Australia.

We can even select gifts with this company and they’ll send them for us. We can choose from gift cards, books and magazines, personal development, car care, gifts for him, gifts for her, home, office and many more. Yes Starbucks cards are included!

The process can be automated so that cards and gifts can be sent at future dates. It’s easy.

Adopt the above 5 step process and secure more business. Enjoy!

With the economy in a slump (Ok, let’s call it a recession) and inflation on the rise seniors and baby boomers are looking for alternative sources to fund their retirement. New retirement income strategies may be the answer. If you are a senior citizen, it goes without saying that you are probably concerned with your retirement income. Whether it’s having enough retirement income, or with finding additional retirement income strategies. If you are about to retire, you’re probably doing the math, consulting with financial planners, as well as shedding a few tears over the loss that your 401K took with the recent stock market plummet. If you are retired already, you’re watching your budget, saving and planning, and focusing on that almighty budget. Perhaps you are living on Social Security alone, in which case you may be really pinching pennies. Well, in any case, we have want you to know about some new retirement income strategies that will make a difference in your income AND in your lifestyle.

There’s something you may have heard of in recent years; it’s called the reverse mortgage. It’s very similar to a home equity loan, but the key is, you DO NOT PAY THE LOAN back, not in your lifetime anyway. Various rules apply and there is interest involved with the loan, as well as an origination fee, but it’s considered by many financial planners and industry experts one of the best retirement income strategies available. The reverse mortgage is not right for everyone, or in every situation, but you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to at least inquire about the details.

Below you will find some facts and guidelines regarding the reverse mortgage and it’s implication on your finances. We want to stress again that this strategy may not be right for you, but you should at least be aware of it as a retirement income option. The reverse mortgage is a unique loan product, sponsored and insured by the US Government (created by HUD and insured by the FHA.) Reverse mortgages are a safe, viable means of achieving additional retirement income. Highlights of the reverse mortgage income opportunity are listed below.

Reverse Mortgage Retirement Income Benefits
The money you receive is tax free income No payments as long as you live in the home No credit or income requirements Reverse mortgages are supported by Senior Organizations Reverse mortgages are insured by the FHA You retain ownership of your homeReverse Mortgages Retirement Income Requirements Borrowers must be Age 62 years or older Own their home and have enough equity in to qualify Occupy the home as primary residence Receive counseling by an approved HUD/FHA counselor The home must be in reasonably good repair Reverse Mortgage Retirement Income Payment Options Lump sum disbursement Monthly payments Line of credit A combination of the Above Reverse Mortgages should be considered among your retirement income strategies. They provides safe, tax free retirement income, that DOES NOT HAVE TO BE REPAID, in your lifetime, or as long as you live in the home. This retirement income program was specifically created to afford seniors more retirement income, and new strategies for planning their retirement. Let’s face it, if you did not plan effectively for your retirement income, then you definitely need new sources for retirement income.

Certainly there are additional retirement income strategies, other sources of retirement income. We just wanted to shed a little light in the reverse mortgage and the positive impact that it might have for you.

Remember though, that it’s not right for everyone. We recommend seeking counseling and looking into other option. Feel free to contact us regarding Senior Reverse Mortgages for additional details, or to locate a reverse mortgage provider.

Small business forums are a great place for networking business professionals and entrepreneurs, even wannabe entrepreneurs, to get free business advice, tips, and tricks. It is an easy way for people with business questions to seek advice from the online business community. And, people are always willing to help and answer any questions that you may have. I’ve been using online business forums for a while now, not only to seek business advice but also just to browse and read through interesting topics. Scroll to the bottom of this article for a link to the best internet business forum.

Here are some of the most popular topics being discussed in online business:

Joining a Board of Trade or Chamber of Commerce – Most cities have a Board of Trade or Chamber of Commerce and there are good discussions about how a small business owner can use it to promote their businesses, to network with other entrepreneurs, and learn about local trade laws/zoning/issues. A Board of Trade can be utilized by many business professionals, including real estate brokers, insurance brokers, office equipment salespeople, lawyers, accountants, architects, engineers, financial planners, website designers, customs brokers, sales consultants, and general contractors.

New Business Ideas – Small business forums are a great way to bounce your new business ideas off of fellow entrepreneurs. Sometimes this is a great place to start to see if your idea will fly before investing time and money into a new venture or startup. Browsing through current topics in the forums I see new business idea topics such as vending businesses, Chinese exporting, online businesses, tourism industry, lottery & gambling businesses, landscaping businesses, carpet cleaning businesses, nursing agency businesses, and health supplement businesses.

Sales & Marketing – Sales and marketing is the lifeblood of any small business. Business forums are a great way to learn the sales techniques and tricks of other small business owners. Use it to learn what has worked for other entrepreneurs and use that knowledge to replicate that success. Discussion topics could include internet advertising (including SEO, PPC, and CPM), email advertising, public speaking, business networking, niche markets, elevator pitches, publicity, sponsorships, promotions, product displays, and cold calling.

Most business forums categorize by topic. You can normally find the right topic to interest you, including, insurance, law, venture capital, accounting, taxes, sales, operations, business planning, and even a place for business small talk.