Boost Your Sales Volume with MortgagePlannerCRM


Mike Gulitz presents features and functionality used by top loan officers who leverage the MortgagePlannerCRM as their primary customer relationship management and business intelligence engine.

Boost Your Sales Volume with MortgagePlannerCRM from MPC on Vimeo.

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 Leverage LinkedIn


LinkedIn is a great resource to develop and maintain business connections. The layout is more structured for business interaction and introductions are more closely protected. As opposed to Facebook where you can "add or invite a friend" to your network without knowing them, LinkedIn requires you to choose an association that you have to a contact that you want to add. Or, you can ask for an introduction from one of your existing connections similar to a BNI or LeTip Group. LinkedIn also offers a paid "premium" service that includes a limited number of open introductions each month allowing you to connect with other business professionals if they accept your invitation.

One of the best features of LinkedIn is that users are notified when one of his or her connections updates their contact information. The following are of online resources that are available to improve your LinkedIn experience, starting with my favorite written by Guy Kawasaki:

• 10 Ways to Use LinkedIn by Guy Kawasaki
• http://hubpages.com/hub/howtouselinkedin
• http://e-strategyblog.com/2009/05/linkedin-best-practices-for-business
• http://www.markpeterdavis.com/getventure/2008/05/linkedin-best-p.html




LinkedIn provides an excellent extension of your contact management strategy. Once you have your profile set up and get your LinkedIn community in full-growth mode, you can realize additional value by integrating the following best practices in combination with your existing CRM software.





CRM Tips:

1. Create an additional field on the contact page of your CRM near the Client's address, phone number and email address. Copy and paste your client' LinkedIn URL into the new field. It is the best source of pre-meeting intelligence to find out the latest on career, promotions or income changes.
2. Add a LinkedIn group in your CRM for your LinkedIn connections.
3. Add LinkedIn to list of lead sources in your CRM. Track the leads and inquiries that you receive from your LinkedIn connections.
4. Once each month, export all of your new clients and partners contact information (emails are all you need) into an excel spreadsheet and import using the LinkedIn' Invite Contacts Wizard
- Invite People to Connect (https://www.linkedin.com/secure/importAndInvite?trk=hb_add_ conn).

Find me on LinkedIn!


Stay Tuned for more tips on how to Build your Database for Free!

Leverage Networks, Groups and Fan Pages


Participate, add value and be active in your friend's page and "fan page" posts. To spotlight a product, service or business, consider creating a group or fan page. Add basic information to the group or fan page such as links to company site, newsletter subscription information and newsletter archives. Post upcoming events including webinars, conferences and other programs where you or someone from your company will be present. Update your group or fan page on a regular basis with helpful information and answers to questions.


Join network (http://www.facebook.com/help/ ?page=799), industry and alumni groups related to your business. Use search to find groups and fan pages related to your business by industry, location and career. If you plan to play games on FB, leave your business contacts off your game invites and posts. It is the equivalent of junk mail and good way to lose a client.

Facebook is now one of the hottest advertising resources on the web, and it's affordable. What's even more interesting, is that ads placed by Facebook users blend nicely into the landscape where they would look odd on Google or Yahoo. Research Facebook advertising (http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=409) and learn how to use FB to target your exact audience.


Stay Tuned for more tips on how to Build your Database for Free!

The Top Five Resources to Build your Database for Free

Tip #1 - Be Friendly on Facebook


Facebook has set the standard for online social media and the company is making impressive progress in its efforts to create ongoing advertising based revenue. If you have not set up a Facebook account, you should consider whether you would prefer to setup a business or a personal account. You can only have one, so choose carefully. You can read more about Facebook business accounts here.

Useful Tips for getting started with Facebook for business:

Familiarize yourself with Facebook's rules regarding business accounts. Provide a detailed profile to maximize exposure and earn trust. Check out Facebook Etiquette to avoid social media blunders. Establish a business account if you don't already have one. If you already have a personal account, creating another "business" account is not an option without violating Facebook rules. Add your unique Facebook URL to your website, blog, email signature and other marketing collateral (business cards, flyers, brochures, etc.) so prospects can learn more about your products and services.

Protect personal data on your profile using the Settings. Upload a professional profile photo. Use the multi-photo upload tool to for complete photo albums to share with Facebook friends. You may limit business contacts' access to "personal" photos. Review and install relevant applications to integrate feeds from a blog or other social media accounts into your Facebook profile. Create Facebook lists such as "Friends," "Colleagues" and "Private Access" to provide you greater control over who sees elements of your profile.

Have fun! Be Creative. Post videos. Add a link to subscribe to your newsletter and Archive old newsletters on your profile. Utilize http://www.tinyurl.com compressed hyperlinks in your posts to drive traffic from Facebook to your blog/website.


Invite your existing connections to join FB and "add" new FB friends. Upload your contacts from Outlook to add more connections or create a FB Group and Export your contacts from your CRM to increase your connections. Use Find Friends for suggestions of other people you may know to expand your network even further. Invite your LinkedIn, Twitter and other Social Media connections to FB.

Here's a CRM Tip - Create an additional field on the contact page of your CRM near the Client's address, phone number and email address. Copy and paste your client' Facebook URL into the new field. It is the best source of pre-meeting intelligence to find out the latest on career, family and vacations.

Look for mutual contacts on your contacts' "FB friends" lists. Create a unique Facebook URL (ex. www.facebook.com/mikegulitz) to make it easier to search for you, but also to maintain continuity in your marketing materials. Daily & consistently post value-added business updates on your FB wall. Tip: Focus on business activities, such as "Lunch and Learn workshop for Keller Williams South Bay."

Position yourself as an expert and valuable resource in your industry. This is the best way to establish trust with strangers prior to the lead phase of your marketing process. Share links on your wall to relevant news articles, blogs, videos and additional resources that may be of interest to your target audience/prospects, to establish credibility.

Leverage FB with other social media tools like Twitter and LinkedIn. For example, when a person asks question on Twitter (Tweets), respond using a blog post, but link to it from Facebook, to drive traffic from Twitter to your FB page. If they want to find out more, they can navigate to your blog or website directly from FB. When you travel, search FB friend locations so you can invite them to meet you for coffee or drinks while you are on the road.

Research information about your prospects on FB before your meetings. Search for non-competitive experts in your industry. Friend them. Invite them as a guest blogger on your page or speaker at your event. Market your products by posting discounts and package deals. Share survey or research data to gain credibility. Use Facebook Connect to add social networking features to your web site. Recommend a FB Friend to clients and colleagues. Ivan Misner of Business Networking International says that if you want to receive referrals you have to maintain a "Givers Gain" philosophy.

• CRM Tip - Add an FB group in your CRM for your Facebook Friends.

• CRM Tip - Add Facebook to list of lead sources in your CRM. Track the leads and inquiries that you receive from FB.

Stay Tuned for more tips on how to Build your Database for Free!

December has always been the time that motivates me to pause and reflect on the previous twelve months. Did I accomplish everything that I set out to do this year? What were the major achievements of the year? What were the big surprises?

Looking ahead to 2010, what are your plans for the next 12 months and more importantly, where are you planning to be physically, financially and mentally in the second full decade of the new millennium. Think that is too big a planning range? Where were you on December 31st, 1999? That's how fast 10 years passes into the memories.
Let's take a quick inventory of 2009*:

1.    How many units/transactions did you close?
2.    How much revenue did you produce?
3.    What percentage of your 2009 goal did you achieve?
4.    How many new leads did you receive?
5.    What were your Top 3 Lead Sources?
6.    How many referrals did you receive?
7.    Who was your top referring client?
8.    Who was your top referring partner?
9.    What is the itemized summary of your marketing investments?
10.    What marketing program produced the greatest ROI?
11.    What percentage of your overall revenue did you spend on marketing?
                 *If you are using FasTrak CRM or Mortgage Planner CRM this will be easy.

After analyzing this information, how did you do?


2010 Goal setting checklist:

1.    How many units/transactions will you close?
2.    How much revenue will you produce?
3.    How many new leads will you receive?
4.    How many referrals will you receive?
5.    How many new referral partners will you have?
6.    What marketing programs are you dropping?
7.    What marketing programs will you be using again and for the first time?
8.    What percentage of your overall revenue will you spend on marketing?


Now that you have some momentum, consider adding a series of questions for both years related to your personal life. Write down all of your goals for 2010 in the present tense ("I AM closing 15 loans each month" or "I AM Listing 5 new properties each month") on flash cards. Writing this down is absolutely essential. It is not the same if you just think about it. Place the flash cards on your desk, so that you can see them and read them aloud each morning before you turn on your computer! This is a powerful exercise that I have repeated each year since starting MPC. The results have been nothing short of astounding.

I encourage you to commit to this daily practice and let me know how it goes for you in 2010. I look forward to hearing about your success.

Happy New Year and Seasons Greetings!

Mike Gulitz

I want to Change....Now!

What?! You don't like the way things are?

Well then why don't you just get up and do something about it? Go ahead, change everything you know is not working, and do it quick. If you know that you want change, and you know what needs to be changed, then why not do it?

Let's consider some things that wouldn't exist if change were easy:

·         Business Books
·         Motivational Speakers
·         Psychologists, Councilors, or Psychiatrists
·         A 5 Billion Dollar Diet Industry


People would just wake up everyday and begin the assessment of their plans, life, job, relationships, and mood - then make the correct changes based upon their self-evaluation.

Does this Utopia exist? No, it is very clear that it does not. All we have to do is look at our own lives to see how change doesn't take hold or happen easily.

The quote, "the only constant is change," leaves the impression that there is so much change in the world, we may as well suck it up now and endure. The truth is, the world is ever changing but it is our internal selves that help us adapt. At a very early age, we are taught to handle change based on who we are, what we learn from the world around us and from the people who influence us.

Each of us carries around a set list of guidelines for change, and we stick to them like glue. For some, the belief is to ignore it and it will go away.  For others, they embrace it, ride it along like a rollercoaster, leaving behind a wake of confusion. However, we can not afford to avoid or to be reactionary to external change.


Ask yourself how you react when:
·       The markets drop
·       The weather turns severe
·       A family member becomes ill
·       Your job is eliminated

 
These are uncomfortable situations - they are change. How you deal with them will make the difference in not only your business, but your relationships and, ultimately, your life.
 
Change causes stress.
By learning to handle change in a healthy and proactive way, you will:
        - reduce this stress
        - increase your satisfaction
        - lead a healthier, more fulfilling life

How do we get there?
Recognizing how you handle change, and then figuring out what to do about it is the first step.


In my next blog article I will discuss the four types of change personalities. Make sure you read through them and find which one you are!


For more questions or to discuss your change personality with Stephanie, e-mail her at Stephanie@mpc-co.com

Stephanie York
(888) 771-7672 ext. 4
 

Great article from Darren Hardy on Virtual Assistants: projects to delegate, how to find quality virtual assistants and more!
Love it!

Click Here to read the full article

Motivation is a Myth, How to Motivate Yourself from the Inside Out!

A giant room filled with eager fans, waiting for the speaker to come out, the music builds, boom....Boom....BOOM. Then they step out onto the stage and everyone jumps up. Wow, feel that...everyone is smiling, happy, pumped up. The light show, the message everything is engaging you and it feels amazing, you get it. So clear, the message comes across, you can change, the only one holding you back is yourself. What are you waiting for????? Go out and get it! It is all within your reach!!!! Now! Here! Today!!! One hour and 45 minutes of ON time. The team is there and everyone is on board. The show winds down, you have your notes, the idea is so easy, just go out and do it, you even have the how, these simple steps. No WAY you can not make this happen, make that change, grow your business, be successful and live the life of your dreams!!!!!

Lights are up, everyone is happy, excited this has been a great event, just what we all needed. As you leave the room you know this is going to make a difference. How can it not!?! Let's skip ahead after the dinners, celebration, promises to start right away. Let's go beyond the drive or flight home. Past the kids, family, home that welcomes you back. Let's get right to where the rubber meets the road...your first day back to the office. You have your list, the notes and the booklets and folders with you. You are the A-Train of change, get a ticket or get out of the way. The first meeting starts with the new ideas. These are great. Let's make all the changes we know we have to make, get it in place now, fast.

Ok, now let's jump to week three, week four. Now what is happening? You and the rest of the people in the office are back, doing business as usual. What has changed?
Who has changed? You?
Have the changes taken place?
What has happened to all the motivation you felt?
Why have things not changed?

The biggest thing to know, not even just understand but know is that change can not come from an external force. That is hard to accept but it's a fact. You want it to, you will it to. What about your own belief system? Have you started to magically believe you are someone different? No, no one is capable of becoming someone else over night. This is a really tough thing to think about. The fact that you want to be different is not enough to become someone different. You MUST put in the time.

We all come with a set of beliefs and concepts about ourselves. You may go to an event and want to be more than you are. You hope and dream and that is why it feels good for one hour, two hours, three days and then you are right back where you were. You are the same person just with a question of why you can not achieve what you just saw was possible.

This is not to say you can not change. You can, but the truth is it will take some fine tuning from you and a clear idea of where you want to go to do it. You must know why you want to change and then you will have to see yourself being the new person and grow into it.

The beginning of change is reshaping your thinking. How do you talk to yourself? What do you believe yourself to be? The things we say to ourselves, in our thoughts are the things that shape us. Ultimately we all decide, every single day, whether we are going to be successful. Are your thoughts successful ones or are they self doubting? You must reprogram yourself and start to think of yourself as a successful person. This can start with I am statements.

Here is your homework: Write out statements that say I am.... It can be; I am a great mother/father, I am successful, I am happy, I am a top professional. Own them and start to repeat these to yourself. Only as you start to change the internal dialogue can you start to affect change. This must happen every day, every morning, all day long. Break down the old ideas of who you are and rebuild the ideas of who you want to be.

For a free copy of the basic I am statements to help you start to create a better internal dialogue e-mail me at Stephanie@mpc-coaching.com. It is not a quick fix but you will start to see change over time. The landscape to become who you want to be is available. It is up to you to do the work.

Check out my next blog on how to make change happen and stick for you. As always call me if you have questions about what changes could help you be the person you want to be not just the person who you have been.(888) 771-7672 ext 4.

Stephanie York
Head Coach . MPC Coaching

Ok, let's face it, these have been some VERY tough times for everyone who is plugged into the world. You can not get away from the news and media blitz of the economic worries, from breakfast to bed it is constant: RECORD SELL OFF!!! NOT THIS BAD SINCE THE DEPRESSION!!!! WORLD WIDE FINANCIAL FAILURE!!

Even lunch or dinner with friends turns to the same worries and concerns. Everyone is talking about it. Here is the real problem though, how do you find the positive voice within you, the voice you need in order to go back out there everyday and keep making a living, forget about thriving? I believe this is as close to shell shocked and post traumatic as it gets for everyday people.  Let's step back from the facts and the media version of it all. There are always things to stress about and there always will be. It is how you find it within yourself to move back into a place of forward motion, not just getting up each day but actually building business and finding a clear path worth fighting for.  

Let's start with some basics. Some of you will really need this, some will and didn't know it and for the rest of you keep on doing what you're doing. Here is a simple formula for you to grab your emotional self and pull up those boot straps! Look at the following list of emotions. This is a simple list of what you can be feeling at any given time, granted it is very simple. That is the basis of this exercise, simple ways to feel better no matter what is going on. The top two are the ones we are always striving for. Now you do not need to be a cheerleader or even an over zealous believer to feel passion about life. Sometimes it is so far away though that we do not even remember what it looks like. Take a look further down that list, see anger? Fear? Anxiety? These are the ones that eat at us, hold us down and make a ruin of our lives, business and personal.  

   1. Joy/Knowledge/Empowerment/Freedom/Love/Appreciation
   2. Passion
   3. Enthusiasm/Eagerness/Happiness
   4. Positive Expectation/Belief
   5. Optimism
   6. Hopefulness
   7. Contentment
   8. Boredom
   9. Pessimism
  10. Frustration/Irritation/Impatience
  11. "Overwhelment"
  12. Disappointment
  13. Doubt/Worry
  14. Blame
  15. Discouragement
  16. Anger
  17. Revenge
  18. Hatred/Rage/Jealousy
  19. Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness
  20. Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessness

How about if I told you that you only need to find your feelings on that chart and pick the next one above it? This all came from a book called Ask and It is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks. The day I found this I thought I was cheating! Honest to goodness cheating because how could I be so full of anger and by moving to blame I was doing better? I thought it sounded like an excuse. During some very bleak times for me I used this scale to haul myself up out of a really deep hole, you know how? One feeling at a time! It got to be so easy to get in touch with my feelings after that that frequently when something comes into my life to cause me to drop to the bottom half I can just look at my list and find a feeling at the top part and laugh. It feels good to let go of those other feelings, to be able to find hopefulness when you are discouraged.  

Here is how you do it, print off a copy of this list or even cut this one out of the sheet, tape it to your work wall, refrigerator, bathroom mirror or anywhere. The best place is going to be where you spend a lot of time and where there is often adversity. Now, when you are feeling less than joyful or passionate look at this list, find your feeling on it, or as close to what your feeling as you can. Pick the next feeling up and work on feeling that one. Maybe you're full of fear/grief/powerlessness, more month left than there is money, broken heart, health problems, etc. Well, I have been there, more than I ever cared to be. I could look at the chart, filled with fear and despair and find a way to be just discouraged or filled with doubt, look how much I flew up that chart!!!! I went from 22 to 16 or even 13!

The lesson is if you really work on owning your feelings, figure out what the source of them is you may find that the fear and anger are really coming from Overwhelment. That was my favorite one, I was really overwhelmed by everything I was facing and that caused me to drop straight into fear/anxiety/tears. Now I realized that by being overwhelmed and finding myself up the ladder I had a choice to figure out solutions to all that was coming down on me.  

Please feel free to contact me and ask any questions you have about the feelings list, how to find yourself on it, ways to diagnose real problems from perceived ones as well as your good stories about the success you have had using this method. Good luck and remember, Don't Ever Stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stephanie York
MPC Coaching, Head Coach
stephanie@mpc-co.com

What's your Mindset? Survive or Thrive in 2009?
Featured Mentor: Brian McRae

Former "Best Buy" Manager becomes a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist generating over $36M in Loan Volume in 2008! Brian has an incredible story to share as he is enters his 8th year in the mortgage business. We discuss the power of mentorship and how this originator has emerged as the top producer for First National Bank of St. Louis. Brian shares his insights about profitable database management, developing partner relationships that drive referrals, along with his approach to client retention and referral generation. Brian will also give us some of the strategies that he is using in the current market that generated 152 loans and $36,000,000 during 2008 in his hometown of St. Louis, MO.