Success Stories & Recommendation Letters

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1 Success Stories & Recommendation Letters Is it really possible to get recommendation letters from your clients % of the time? While many might say "no," I say Absolutely YES! The real reason most don t think this is possible is because most loan officers don t have a system in place to follow up and ensure that we at least ask for one and that s just the beginning! The difference between a Success Story and a Recommendation Letter is the author. As part of my process I request a recommendation letter from each of my clients; and on a quarterly basis my team and I sit down to review all of our closed loans to determine which of them can be made into a success story that we then share with our referral partners. Note: I typically but not always share success stories with realtors and referral partners in the early stages of our relationship either from a recommendation letter a client wrote or from our own story line. With clients, I share excerpts from other clients recommendation letters in quoted format (see below) Step 1 is to create a consistent process to determine when and how you will ask for letters of recommendation from your clients. Step 2 is to establish an account with Zillow so that clients can write the recommendation letters on the website. To be clear this is not like LinkedIn where you are endorsed by clicking a box; this is a detailed typed commentary and here is the link to show you exactly where you will be sending your clients on your site Zillow Review Page. Additionally, below I have taken a screen shot so you can just how easy it is to direct your client to your Zillow review page.

2 Step 3 is to prepare the to make the request from the client. Below are sample signatures I current utilize in my practice. asking for Recommendation letter/testimonial: Subject Line: Can I get your Help? Hello XXXXX, Hope you are enjoying (summer, holiday s, your home, etc.) I wanted to see if I could possibly get your help? As you know, my mortgage practice is based 100% on referrals from great clients like you. However, sometimes new clients still need to be assured that they are working with the best possible person for their mortgage needs. If possible, would you be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me? It would go a long way to helping new clients feel more comfortable with me and my team; and it would be really great to have one from you in particular. Thank you in advance for anything you can do to help. Of course, please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you as well I have a great network of professionals for your home, health, and financial well-being. Thank you in advance and hope to hear from you soon! Best regards,

3 asking for Recommendation letter/testimonial using Zillow: Subject Line: Can I get your Help? Hello XXXXX, Thank you again for choosing me for your purchase/refinance. Please keep in touch and contact me anytime with any questions! I wanted to see if I could possibly get your help? As you know, my mortgage practice is based 100% on referrals from great clients like you. However, sometimes new clients still need to be assured that they are working with the best possible person for their mortgage needs. If possible, would you be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me? It would go a long way to helping new clients feel more comfortable with me and my team; and it would be really great to have one from you in particular. Just follow this link to Zillow.com to fill out a review and comment for us. These reviews help us grow our business and allow potential clients to read all about our team first hand. Thank you in advance for anything you can do to help. Of course, please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you as well. Hope to hear from you soon! Best regards, Remember to not guide your client on what to say. If they want to say GREAT! in 70 font or write a long essay it doesn t matter to you! No forms, grading system or rankings just your client s words about you! As for the success stories, below is an example of one that I m currently using to send to my new realtor and referral partner relationships along with a response I received from an estate planner after sending this very same success story: Bobby, Thank you again for a great session last week. Can t wait to continue to refer my clients to you! I m looking forward to a collaborative relationship. Let s plan to meet soon to strategize. I just wanted to steal your attention for two minutes and send you the attached document. It s a recent compilation of quotes from Recommendation Letters some of our past clients sent to us.

4 If you wouldn t mind taking a look at what they ve said about working with me and my team; it would mean so much to me. I hope this helps you understand more about what I do and why our team is so unique! If you know of someone who is looking for more than a traditional loan officer and someone who will give them the personal attention that I provide, I d love to help them. So when you come across these people, just give me a call or text me with their name and number and I ll be happy to follow up and take care of them for you! Regards, Below is what I attached to the I sent above. "We had a wonderful experience working with your team." -Daniel and Kelly Frank; Clients Your service and professionalism far surpassed my expectations. I don t see how you could have improved your service. I am extremely pleased with everything you have done for me. -Tammy S. Purchase Client; First Time Homebuyer Your service was excellent, without the usual expected grief. We are very satisfied. Looking forward to future transactions. -John & Mary E. Purchase Clients "Thank you Jennifer~ I wouldn t work with another group promise!!!! You and Brian are great people!" -John F. Refinance Client You guys are the best! -Blake & Liz A. Refinance Clients

5 Following is a sample of a success story Hello XXXX, I wanted to share a recent story with you to help with your understanding more about my mortgage practice. My hope is that this story will prompt you to think of someone in a similar situation who you might consider referring so that I can help them as well. **************************************** Daniel and his wife, Melissa, were first time homebuyers and an older couple. We had been working with them for nearly 2 years fixing credit issues. Honestly, if we hadn't helped them over thos 2 years it probably would havegotten a lot worse - they could have lost a job because of their credit issues. We had meetings with them at their house, multiple hour-plus phone conversations and too many s to mention. We were around so long that they ended up getting married and having their first child. So, after all the hard work on both ends, we finally were able to get their credit to a level which allowed them to purchase their first home. Talk about a boost to their confidence! They eneded up finding a house in the neighborhood they had wanted to move into since their wedding. It was a great house with lots of space for them and the new baby. Closing lasted nearly 2 hours because we just had such a grwat relationship that we all just laughed about the whole 2-year trip! **************************************** I look forward to getting more opportunities to work with you soon! Regards, The key to asking and sharing success stories, recommendation letters and excerpts from letters is to have a system of collecting and disbursing. Best of Luck! Need Additional Help? Contact me at jen@kineticsparkconsulting.com