As I head to Baltimore today, it’s hard not to appreciate the WARM reception I received down in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida just a few days ago! Not only was the temperature a welcome relief from the Michigan snow - I had the pleasure of being invited by the Broward Chapter of the FAMB to speak at the beautiful “Hard Rock Casino & Resort”, where I presented “Stepping Out Above The Crowd”. 

This session is really powerful, because it deals DIRECTLY with publicity strategies, and used recent examples (only days old) to illustrate how to position yourself as an expert in your market.   Here I am with the FAMB leadership “gang”:   

One of the first things you need to do to get ready to build a strong business foundation for 2008 - is to build a solid marketing foundation.  That starts with YOU!

People (customers and prospects) want to deal with EXPERTS.  They want to know that you are recognized as an authority in your industry and marketplace, and that they can trust you for expert advice.  It has taken me several YEARS to get to the point of being featured on national broadcasts such as Fox News, but you can start small - and have incredibly effective results.

There are dozens of opportunities in your own backyard EVERY DAY to communicate

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As the hectic pace of our everyday lives slows down this week, I ask you to take a few minutes to think about the real joys and blessings you have in your lives.

I am healthy, my family is healthy and happy, and I have been majorly blessed with friends, associates and clients such as you from all over the world.  I have traveled the world, speaking in many countries for the first time (including Kenya!), and had the opportunity to touch the lives of more than 87,000 people in live settings, and untold thousands more through Internet radio, television, conference calls and webinars.

I receive emails from people every day telling me how I have touched their lives in some small way.  You will never know how much that means to me - far more than what money can buy!

Now I want you to think about all the people who have touched you, and the people you have touched throughout the last year.  That is why you do what you do.  If you aren’t content with the number or manner in which you touched the lives of others in 2007, then now is the time to reflect on how you can make 2008 a better year.

I will be rolling out a new personal and professional marketing plan for 2008 - and hopefully you’ll be able to join me and take your success to the next level.  In the menatime, I wish to express my sincere thanks and heartfelt gratitude to all of you, and wish nothing less than a safe/happy holiday season - and all your dreams to come true in 2008!

As they say, practice makes perfect!  Well ok, maybe not perfect, but we’re getting better at this!

Earlier this week, I appeared on the national FOX News show “Fox & Friends”, where I was once again interviewed about the current housing and real estate finance market.  THIS time, I took some of my own advice (see previous column last week), and made sure I got more marketing mileage out of the appearance…  See the difference for yourself:

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Now, I still have some specific things to work on, but the message is getting clearer, and personal branding is becoming stronger - exactly what you should be after!

This time, we got a plug in for the new book, a graphic of it (which I let the producer suggest!), and inserted some key points within the interview.  They must be working, as I have been receiving lots of calls, and FOX wants me back next week!  I also did 4 radio interviews this week as well.

Remember, the more credibility you can exude, the faster price/terms and other objections from your client start to fade.  If someone hires as attorney like Robert Shapiro (remember OJ?)  to represent them, the last question they ask is “What’s your fee?”.  You can generate the same perception in your business - it just takes a little time and practice!

I’ll keep practicing with Fox News, and let you know how it goes!  Have a great weekend -

-Chip

While the housing market has been trashed lately, with housing values down another 4.5%, and existing homes sales down again as well, a big question in everyones mind was, what effect will this have on conforming limits?  Well now we have a little bright spot….

As housing prices continue to slip across the country, the government has stepped in to do something to ease the pain.  At the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the decision was announced today that conforming loan limits will remain at $417,000.  This is important in that it affects several other markets, including FHA limits.

“While the house price survey data used in determining the conforming loan limit show a decline over the past year… the level will remain at $417,000 for the third straight year,” James Lockhart, the OFHEO director said in a statement.

This comes in the face of an S&P report that indicated that 20-out-of-20 metropolitan markets saw a decline in the housing market – the first time such a decline of this magnitude has been recorded since they started keeping track almost 20 years ago!

This is good from a marketing perspective, as it demostrates confidence in the markets, and and allows certain consumers to take advantage of the situation.  And THAT’s what you should be marketing - the advantages.  Don’t wait to see what everyone else does, react to the news immediately, and get your point out there.  That’s what landed me THREE national media spots in the last week. (and if YOUR customer came to my office, and I had just been on the 6:00 news - who do you think would get the loan?)  Exactly.

As some of you know, I am getting ready to go on a major media blitz to support the release of my new book - coming out on Dec 28th - “Mortgage Myths - 77 Insider Secrets to Saving Thousands on Home Financing”.  As part of my media plan, I am shooting for 400 interviews in 2008.  The fireworks has started early, as I was called last Tuesday for a Wednesday interview - LIVE on Fox for a nationwide broadcast.  The clip is below:

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Now, as I get into the media push over the next several weeks, I’ll be sharing the strategies and results with you here on this site - and you can see exactly how it’s done.

WHY?  Simple - if you want to beat your competition, you HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT IN YOUR MARKET.  Notice I didn’t say the best - just a recognized expert.  Dealing with the media is simple - if you know what they are looking for.  Publicity is something that can be extremely valuable, IF you know how to manage it.

Now, on this video, which is my first national news broadcast experience, there are a few things I did wrong.  First, my “Chyron” did not get placed on the screen.  That is the line below your name which lists credentials, company, etc.  It is NOT because I did not provide it - I did, but I didn’t follow up just before the broadcast to be sure that it was in place.  By the way, I do NOT use my company name on the chyron, I use a website address.  Why?  Simple - THAT is where I want to direct people who are viewing the interview!

I also did not check timing.  You will notice that there are several “bullet points” that FOX puts on the screen. Those were supplied by ME!  I thought the host was going to come back to me to go over the bullet points, but he never jumped into them.  I should have!  Going back, I should have continued during the second segment into each of those bullets.  Oh, well, there’s always next time…

Here’s your tip for today… Media is valuable, and you can get it, and you can control it (to a certain extent).  I look forward to the next year - it’s going to be a humdinger!

Let me know what you think about the video…..

-Chip