Nov/Dec 2021 RMM

Sales Tips From Pros WHEN IT COMES TO IMPROVING your closing rates and generating more business, various tools can lead to better success. Here is a look at how several companies and loan officers approach sales. Scott Harmes, CRMP, national manager of C2 Reverse, a division of C2 Financial Corp., San Diego, CA. Harmes uses videos that are pre-recorded and sent to clients and other stakeholders for viewing. The videos—vir- tual client interactions—can include PowerPoint presenta- tions or other visuals to explain complex terms and processes. In fact, Harmes gave his presentation for NRMLA’s Virtual Summer Meeting through a pre-recorded video using Loom, which demonstrated how informa- tion can be conveyed efficiently. Videos can be personalized for clients, as well. Clients then can go back and view videos numerous times to clarify points or verify information, which cuts down on the need for follow-up questions. These so-called asynchronous videos—meaning that they are not live like a Zoom call and can be accessed at any time that is convenient for the viewer—can be forwarded to family members and trusted financial advisers, which also increases efficiency in the communication process. “The children are seeing the exact same information as what the parents have seen,” Harmes says. One goal is to build familiarity and trust, so it is important to appear approachable. When clients meet him, they feel like they already know him. “Speak like you’re talking to a friend,” he says. Surveys of people who have used these tools show that they are highly effective, with 68 percent saying that they increased lead conversion, Harmes says. Virtual client interac- tion can happen anytime an email is sent, from the initial education and analysis through counseling. He also creates “evergreen videos” for common questions, such as how clients should best stage their home for an appraisal. His advice is to just get started, with it becoming easier after the first two or three videos. Smile, wave and put the camera at eye level, he also says. He recommends two platforms, BombBomb at bombomb.com and Loom at loom.com. He also suggests reading the book Rehumanize Your Business: How Personal Videos Accelerate Sales and Improve Customer Experience by Ethan Beute and Stephen Pacinelli, top executives at BombBomb. “By the time you are done reading that book, I think you will find that virtual client interaction is indispensable in this post pandemic business era,” Harmes says. Chris Downey, president, Harbor Mortgage Solutions, Braintree, MA. Downey says his company, which works in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, uses a hybrid approach when interacting with clients. While face-to-face meet- ings still are important, tech- nology applications ramped up during the pandemic and people have become much more comfortable using technol- ogy. “I don’t see us going back to where we were,” he says. Technologies also have enabled Harbor Mortgage to work with more people and to do so more efficiently. To generate business, his company doesn’t use advertisements and primarily works with profession- als in the financial services industry, such as registered investment advisers, financial planners, banks, credit unions and law firms. “A referral from some trusted adviser is usually a much stronger lead than a contact from some sort of advertising,” Downey says. The com- pany spends about the same amount of time maintain- ing existing relationships as it does finding new ones. Social media, which is handled by an outside mar- keting company, is important, too. “It is conspicuous Scott Harmes Chris Downey Sales Tips continued on page 30