Hot dope #3) It is much easier to "sell" a prospect once you get them to call or come in to your store. In 2-Step Marketing, step 1 is to get them interested; step 2 is having them speak to a representative to get all details – and get “closed” by that representative.

Your design must be eye catching and informative, but don’t try to close sale by explaining all of details in one piece of advertising. The details of a business transaction often take many more words to explain than main concept of what is being sold. For example, if your company offers great prices depending on quantity purchased, there is no need to list prices for every quantity that you sell. Simply give examples of two or three different quantities and state somewhere in advertisement that other discounts are available for other quantities. This will prompt them to call to get rest of details once you have gotten their interest.

Marketing can be as simple as 1-2-3 when you know basics. By no means have I given you all basics here, but by learning and implementing these 3 marketing fundamentals, you are already on your way to marketing success!

What Should Be On My Brand Recognition Pieces?

There are some basic rules for design of a brand recognition direct mail piece.

Rule #1: Keep color consistent.

Many times people fall into trap of changing look of their promo for seasons or for holidays. The thought is that people are thinking about Christmas or St. Patrick's Day so they will respond better to promo with those colors. The truth is exactly opposite. Their senses are so flooded by those images that they actually start to skip right over them. Pick a color for your company and stick with it. You will do much better in building recognition.

Rule #2: Make a logo and use it on every piece.

Having a clean, professional logo is best. It may be a little pricey to have designed but in end it is well worth money. Experienced designers can often charge up to $2000 for a corporate identity package including logo, letterhead and business cards. If you aren't looking to make that type of investment simply pick a type style for your company name and use it every time. Consistency is key because your logo is your main identification point.

Rule #3: Make it Informative.

Every piece should have something useful for your customers. Whether it is new information about mortgage industry or even possible investment properties in their area, it can even be completely unrelated to mortgage industry. A calendar or list of emergency numbers, even old recipe card trick still works pretty well. Anything that is likely to be kept around will help to build recognition in minds of your past customers.

The mortgage industry has experienced a huge amount of growth over past few years. Unfortunately this growth cannot last forever. At some point it is going slow down and only way to keep your income in range that you have become accustomed to is to ensure that you retain as many past customers as you possibly can.

A direct mail campaign is best way to do this, but remember, this type of program is a long term process. Don't get discouraged if you can't directly calculate amount of money that you bring in right off bat. What you are doing is burning your name into minds of your customers. Eventually it will work out to you seeing less attrition and far more referrals.