100 Things You Can Do Right Now
by Joan Trice

1. Get a logo designed by a professional graphic designer.

2. Develop stationary, business cards with your new logo

3. Develop a company brochure

4. Create a database of companies to target

5. Try direct mail

6. Always follow up with a phone call

7. Don't forget to ask for the business

8. Scan the Internet, ads in local papers, ads on TV to determine who is lending in your market

9. Broaden your search to include credit unions. Try www.creditunionsonline.com

10. Broaden your search to include law firms- divorce, estate, bankruptcy. Try www.martindale.com

11. Consider tax appeal work. The beauty of tax appeal work is that you can work on contingency!!!

12. Broaden your search to do relocation appraising. (If you live in a rural area this isn't likely an option). Go to www.erc.org.

13. Don't forget about REO ( Real Estate Owned). There are REO Departments at most major lenders. Fannie Mae has an REO Dept in Dallas , 972-773-HOME. There are appraisal management companies who specialize in REO.

14. Work on your 30 second commercial. Practice it. Be able to succinctly introduce yourself, why you are calling and why they should use your services.

15. You think you are selling a product. They think you are providing a service. Make sure your marketing efforts focus on that.

16. Use Act , Goldmine or some other sales system to make notes and set a callback schedule

17. Most business is no longer local so don't look for just bricks and mortar lenders. Don't forget about the E-Loans and the Lending Trees. Pay attention to your TV for who these big boys are.

18. Thomson Media sells info on who is lending where, www.thomsonmedia.com

19. If they aren't local call them and determine who is the appropriate contact

20. If they are local call on them with your new business card and brochure

21. Call on local real estate offices and get an appointment to make a presentation at their next sales meetings.

22. Call on local mortgage companies and ask to make a presentation at their next sales meeting

23. Research and place ads in Internet appraiser directories. If you find free ones place yourself in each of them.

24. Join your local mortgage bankers or mortgage brokers association

25. Join your local Chamber of Commerce

26. Buy your own domain name

27. Use your domain name for your email, not your ISP address

28. Create a signature for your email with your logo and contact information

29. Do not make your domain too long. AppalachianMountainAppraisalServicesInc.com is way too long

30. Create a website

31. Do not have a website that looks exactly like everyone else's

32. Develop your own web site content tailored around you and your company

33. If you need copywriting services, hire one. Don't use canned generic content that thousands of others use

34. Use your new logo on your website

35. Make sure you appear in search engines

36. Research Google ads and determine if that is the right path for you and your budget.

37. Differentiate yourself from your competition. What do you do differently? Is your service the same, prices the same, qualifications the same?

38. Make yourself more saleable.

39. If you are licensed, get certified.

40. Take specialized education such as a manufacturing housing, relocation, litigation

41. Become an expert in a given niche

42. Diversify

43. Expand your skill set

44. Increase your knowledge

45. Use technology to make you more efficient and more valuable

46. Join a reputable appraisal organization. I get calls all the time for being in the Appraisal Institute Directory.

47. Network, network, network

48. Write Press Releases and target your small community paper

49. Attend conferences and trade shows

50. Interview your existing customers and find out why they use your services- is it price, quality or service?

51. Write articles. Get published. Become a recognized expert

52. Monitor your volume and touch base with your good customers so you don't lose them. If volume dips with a customer call to find out if there is a problem.

53. Be proactive. Not reactive.

54. Get invited to speak on a local radio show

55. If you are a sole proprietor consider a partner or partners with different talents. One of you should be strong with operations the other with marketing skills.

56. Develop strong telephone skills. Often that is the first impression

57. Business etiquette- start with a firm handshake, and look the person you are meeting in the eye. Men, stand up when a woman enters the room. Women order lunch first. If this seems foreign to you get a book on business etiquette.

58. Make marketing a habit. Schedule it. Don't wait until business is slow because everyone else will be marketing too.

59. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. Diversify your client list.

60. Forge formalized referral relationships with a real estate agent, a home inspector, a title agent, and anyone else along the food change

61. Use car magnets. Make you and your staff moving billboards, That logo you developed is getting some mileage now.

62. Public relations. Keep yourself and your staff in the news. Every time someone in your office sneezes get it in the newspaper. This is much easier in small suburban newspapers.

63. Start your own radio program with a real estate agent, a mortgage broker and a home inspector.

64. Sponsor a local team such as little league. Supply the Tshirts with that new logo.

65. Order golf shirts, dress shirts with your logo. Again keep that new brand out there

66. Develop a Homeowners Brochure to leave with each homeowner

67. Call on your existing customers to see if there is more business to gain from your existing client base. Maybe you are doing their first mortgage business and can get a referral for their home equity business

68. Learn all about AVMs and other emerging trends. Speak to your clients and find out if there is an opportunity to offer a “gap” product

69. Call on AMCs(Appraisal Management Companies). Doing work for AMCs is a great way to diversify. There will be a discovery phase as to which ones are good to work for.

70. Some customers should be fired.

71. Create a newsletter and mail it to your current customers as well as prospects. Make it quarterly if time is an issue.

72. Spend time developing a trustworthy firm. Integrity and loyalty are just as important as your knowledge base and skill sets

73. Be tenacious. I called on the same customer for 5 years and finally they called me. It was a beautiful thing

74. Run a smart business. Have a good lawyer and a good accountant behind you.

75. Stay informed. Read everything and take every course available to you. Find your passion. Become the “ go to” expert.

76. Offer free courses to real estate agents and mortgage companies

77. Forge a relationship with real estate agents to measure their listings. Successful agents can afford to pay you. Then get the agent to refer the new buyer to you. Offer a discount to the new buyer since you have already measured the house

78. If you are already in business I do not recommend writing a complete business plan. That runs counter to conventional wisdom. But I do suggest outlining your marketing plan. But be willing to change the plan as you go. If something isn't working be prepared for Plan B.

79. Set goals. Seems obvious but most of us don't do this. We just have some nebulous expectation that our efforts will increase business.

80. Be willing to try something new and different. Just because you don't see any other appraiser run ads in newspapers or place an ad on a billboard doesn't mean it won't work.

81. You don't need marketing gimmicks. Focus on providing solutions for your customers

82. Be sure to ask any new business how they found you. It is vital that you discover which of your marketing efforts are the most effective.

83. If you have staff appraisers , have a weekly meeting. Put incentives in place for your staff to attract new business.

84. I have professionally printed note cards. I write hand written thank you notes to my customers. They are surprised and they love it.

85. Instead of sending the usual gifts at the holidays try sending something at other times of the year. If you could get your customers' birthdays, try sending them a gift card to a restaurant on their birthday.

86. Join your local Home Builders Association.www.nahb.org

87. Take an existing customer to lunch once a month. Find out what you are doing right and keep doing it. Ask if there is one thing they would change about your company, what would it be.

88. I can't stress the branding enough. I've seen too many homegrown websites, business cards and brochures with free clipart that are embarrassingly poor. If you are a good appraiser but have a poor corporate identity it is hard to get past it.

89. Offer service guarantees. The number one complaint from lenders is that appraisers are too slow. Put your money where your mouth is.

90. If your sales pitch is that you are the low cost provider then you deserve what you get. The implication is that you offer inferior service and quality.

91. Train your staff when they take an order from a new customer to find out how they heard about you.

92. Create your own newsletter to send to your customers and prospects. Send them info about changes in regulations, USPAP issues that are relevant to them, and other relevant news. You can personalize it with a profile of a staff member each issue.

93. Don't attempt to attract new customers by bashing your competition. It won't work. Instead focus on what you do best.

94. Send marketing materials with each appraisal you deliver.

95. Deliver donuts or bagels to your local customers. Develop some labels with your logo and slap them on the donut box. You don't want only the person accepting the food to be the only one who knows you are responsible.

96. Delivering your files electronically is awesome but don't forget to connect with your clients on a personal level.

97. Join the local chapter of REIA, Real Estate Investors Association. Offer a free seminar on “investment value”.

98. Accept credit cards for COD orders. It will impress your B & C customers and will save you loads of headaches.

99. Get a toll free number and a toll free fax number.

100. Join your local CPA or Financial Planner in developing a seminar for consumers.

Article Reprinted with Author Permission.
Original Source Appraisal Buzz