Mortgage Marketing & Lead Generation Blog

By JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM

This Microsoft Word tip is for those of you who have to type long, difficult to spell words. Some examples include: long unwieldy urls, hard to spell names, names with a list of titles or credentials.

Microsoft® Word’s Autocorrect feature allows you to create a nickname or shortcut for long text.

The great part about this is, once you set up an Autocorrect option, it works with most Microsoft Office applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc.).

Here is how it works.

Click on the Insert menu, click Autotext, and Autotext again. When the dialog box pops up, select the Autocorrect tab.

Under the Replace box, enter your nickname or short cut (ex., mva). Under the With box, type the long text (ex.,Jackie, Mortgage Virtual Assistant, TheMortgageVA.com).

Click OK.

Here’s an example of a shortcut that I created.

Whenever I type “mva,” “Jackie, Mortgage Virtual Assistant, TheMortgageVA.com” is automatically inserted.

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JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM . Through http://www.close-more-loans.com/, JC leads a team providing top notch administrative, internet marketing, and technology services to mortgage professionals. Mortgage professionals are encouraged to visit the website and sign up for the More Closings email newsletter to receive the report 6 Steps to More Referrals.

By JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM

Remember the game, “Show and Tell?” Well, in the mortgage business, it’s a good idea to “Show and Sell!”

Just as bakeries provide samples and hair stylists have portfolios, finding a way to show your services is an excellent way to quickly move someone from prospect to client.

Granted, it is easier for other types of businesses to show their work. There are imaginative ways, however, for mortgage professionals to show and sell.

Here are two ways to “Show and Sell”:

1. Show your expertise.
   A borrower instinctively knows she will get the best terms by working with an originator who has integrity and experience. Convince your prospects you are the expert by providing workshops, giving talks, sending print or email newsletters, or creating a blog.

2. Show your results.
   Once your prospect starts to see himself sitting across from you at the closing table, your sales job is done. Use case studies, testimonials, and pictures to show your results.

By JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM

While helping a couple of clients get their offices organized a couple of years ago, I noticed something I’d like to share with you.

Have you made enough space for success?

What are your production goals?

Let’s say your goal is to close 10 loans a month. Ask yourself these questions to determine if you’ve made enough space for success.

• Do you have enough file folders and labels?

• Do you have enough prequalification forms?
• Do you have enough space in your filing cabinet for your pending and denied files?
• Do you have enough filing cabinet space for your closed files?

  As you organize your office, make sure you’ve made enough space for success.
  

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  JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM . Through http://www.close-more-loans.com/, JC leads a team providing top notch administrative, internet marketing, and technology services to mortgage professionals. Mortgage professionals are encouraged to visit the website and sign up for the More Closings email newsletter to receive the report 6 Steps to More Referrals.

By JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM

Learning the keyboard shortcuts for functions you use often is a great way to save tons of time.

Those of you migrating from Office 2003 to 2007 will find it especially helpful to know keyboard shortcuts. Office 2007 comes with a completely different interface (screen), which some people may find difficult to figure out. Luckily, the keyboard shortcuts still work.

To view the keyboard shortcuts for most Microsoft Office products, please click here.

By JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM

Picture this. It’s April 10 and someone is desperately digging through boxes, looking for old credit card statements, telephone bills, check stubs, [ANYTHING!] in a last-ditch attempt to find every single scrap of deductible paper before tomorrow’s visit to her tax preparer. Sound familiar? If so, you are not alone.

This simple, practical system will help you organize your receipts so that next year’s taxtime will be a breeze.

What you need

• Last year’s tax returns.

• A box of hanging file folders.
• A box of manilla file folders.
• A set of labels.
• A marker or label maker.

The Steps

Step 1 – Label a hanging file folder for each revenue or expense item on your tax returns.
For example, if you hired someone to create your marketing materials last year, there’s a good chance you were able to deduct that expense. If this is the case, create a “Marketing” or “Advertising” folder.

Step 2 – Label a manilla file folder for each month or quarter (your choice) and place it in each hanging folder.

Step 3 – File your receipts in the appropriate folder. In this case, all your receipts for ads, marketing materials, etc., would go in the “Advertising” folder for the appropriate month or quarter.

At taxtime, take the files to your tax preparer. To lower your tax preparation fees, subtotal the amounts in each category.

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JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM . Through http://www.close-more-loans.com/, JC leads a team providing top notch administrative, internet marketing, and technology services to mortgage professionals. Mortgage professionals are encouraged to visit the website and sign up for the More Closings email newsletter to receive the report 6 Steps to More Referrals.

The Greatest Freebie of All (This is a test)

By JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM

What is one of the greatest freebies of all time?

Here are a few clues. This freebie allows you to:

• travel to places far and near,

• hob-nob with people from all walks of life,
• learn other languages, and
• be mentored by masters in just about any field.

I look forward to reading your responses, and will post the answer over the weekend.

Updated: The answer to this question is (drum roll please) your public library. Through your library, you can read biographies, how to books and the like that allow you to hob nob with all kinds of people. Your public library has language tapes that enable you to become multi-lingual. Your public library has these wonderful things called books where leaders in just about any field will share the secrets of their succes. Last, but not least, your public library offers free access to the Internet!

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JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM .

By JC Kadii, Mortgage Email Marketing | MortgageEzines.com

ConstantContact is one of the most popular email marketing programs in the world. Easy to use, it doesn’t require an IT degree in order to get started.

ConstantContact comes with a wide variety of templates. Sometimes, when creating email newsletters for clients, I’ve had to change a template’s color scheme in order to match my client’s branding.

Here’s how you do it.

Make a list of the html codes for the colors you want to use in your email newsletter.

This website has a color chart.

Select the ConstantContact template.

Click on the edit email link

Scroll towards the bottom of the page, and click on the global colors and fonts button.

This shows you the colors and fonts used in your email newsletter template.

Change the colors by using the html codes on your list.

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JC Kadii, Mortgage Email Marketing^SM MortgageEzines.com

By JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM

I’ve had the privilege of working with a friend, Connie, on many community projects over years. Connie is statuesque (she used to be a dancer and model), unflappable, and extremely gracious. Some of you who’ve done community work know that sometimes keeping your cool can be difficult. Connie also has a way of diffusing the most volatile situation.

So, one day I complimented her, and asked for her secret. She told me what she always tells her children, “People are watching.”

I was reminded of Connie recently while speaking with a prospect. The entire conversation was one of the smoothest ones I have ever had.

Towards the end of the conversation, I found out why. The prospect (who I will call Maria) mentioned that she’d read my active rain blog, and knew that she and I would work well together. She even mentioned several comments I’d made on other people’s blogs – Yikes! – some were comments I had already forgotten!

So, I guess the purpose of this post is a reminder that “people are watching” on AR and are making decisions based on what they read.

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JC Kadii, Mortgage Virtual Assistant^SM . Through http://www.close-more-loans.com/, JC leads a team providing top notch administrative, internet marketing, and technology services to mortgage professionals. Mortgage professionals are encouraged to visit the website and sign up for the More Closings email newsletter to receive the report 6 Steps to More Referrals.

Translating information into action – the AR conundrum

While taking my mid-afternoon break, I turned the telly to the Oprah show and heard Dr. Oz talking about “translating information into action.” He was speaking of health-related information, of course, but I immediately thought of Active Rain.

AR is a veritable treasure trove of great information – how do you translate the information you learn on AR into action? Do you have some sort of system?

Looking forward to your responses . . .

Dying on the Treadmill.

Jackie, Mortgage Virtual Assistant, close-more-loans.com

I recently watched Tavis Smiley interview Will Smith on his weeknight PBS show. Will Smith is one of the few entertainers of any race to enjoy success in television, movies, and music. Will is also one of only three actors to have seven consecutive US $100 million blockbusters. (source: wikipedia.org)

Tavis asked Will one of those “secret to your success” questions. Essentially, Tavis asked Will what made him unique, what made him break through the ceiling.

Will’s answer was astonishing: “I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill.”

He went on to explain that the competition may be more talented, better looking, whatever, but that he would outwork the competition or die in the attempt.

What do you think? Do you have that level of commitment?

The transcript of the interview can be found here.