In our past few articles, we have been discussing the one sentence that will generate more clients for you. Here’s the sentence: People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions and help them throw rocks at their enemies.
As promised we are going to dissect this sentence and I will show you how to use it in your marketing. While Sue and I deal with reverse mortgages exclusively, the tactics I share will help you with any product you offer.
So far we spoke about encouraging their dreams and justifying their failures, now let’s turn our attention to "allay their fears."
Seniors tend to be suspicious by nature. I guess all of the experiences they have had over the years has made them so. The correct way to proceed on this one is to think of what their fears might be and what we can do to address them upfront.
Among the things seniors fear are:
• Outliving their retirement funds.
• Not having enough money for food and prescriptions or other basic needs.
• Becoming ill and not being able to stay in their home.
• Losing their jobs.
• Needing to pay rising property taxes and not having the money.
• Needing to make costly repairs to their homes.
• Becoming a burden to their children.
• Losing their credit ratings they worked so hard to keep A+ for decades.
• Needing to move into a facility.
There are, of course, many other fears but this list is a good start. I know I may sound like a broken record but here I go, “you cannot sell a reverse mortgage.” Truthfully, you cannot sell any mortgage. You are selling the outcome of having that loan, the problem or desire it solves.
So when we speak to clients we must try to find out what their fears are. It’s not about your product, your program or your rates. It’s all about the issue you are going to solve for them.
Once you know the real issue, start focusing on how your program or product solves that issue. It should go without saying, that if the reverse mortgage doesn’t solve their issues tell them so. Often times the clients we have turned away become our best referral sources because of our honesty and integrity.
Now go ahead and think about what your customers’ real issues are (you’ve heard us talk before about identifying your average reverse mortgage client) and start addressing them in your marketing and conversations with them. You will notice an immediate improvement in your closed loans.
Next time we’ll focus on confirm their suspicions.
Brian Sacks and Sue Haviland are the co-founders of Reverse Mortgage Success. They have been in the industry for over 25 years and have closed over 5,000 transactions. Sue and Brian originate reverse mortgages each and every day and share their real world experiences with you at
