Written By: Karen Deis
I have known Harry Beckwith for several years. His top selling business books, Selling the Invisible and What Clients Love are mandatory reading for anyone in the “service business”—which means you.
Since the publication of those books, Harry married Christine Clifford, who was a former senior executive vice president of SPAR Marketing Group, a retail services company and marketing expert in her own right.
They have collaborated (combining their sales and marketing experiences) in a new book called You, Inc. The Art of Selling Yourself!
I loved the book (and you will, too) and have asked Harry and Christine how to take some of the ideas in the book and apply them to the mortgage business.
Read this insightful interview on how they look at the mortgage business thru the eyes of the consumer and how you can become the whale in the sea of blowfish.
Karen: You mention in your book that one of the key ingredients in the art of selling yourself is branding. How does a loan officer or mortgage company go about doing that?
Harry: I was fortunate enough to work on the Harley-Davidson account and helped to create the brand that you associate with them today. It’s all about telling your story—that’s what Harley did.
Another example is Haagen Das Ice Cream. The company’s headquarters where actually in New Jersey, but they built a brand based upon the illusion that it was special and exotic. Then Ben & Jerry’s came along with their story of all natural ingredients, social consciousness and giving back to the community.
The moral of the story is that when you create your “story” it has to be authentic. What can you say about yourself and your company that will make a difference in the lives of your clients?
Karen: Could you explain more?
Harry: Let’s say that you have 4 journalists, from different news organizations, covering the same story. However, each one will write about something different. The journalist who can personalize the story is the one most likely to win the Pulitzer Prize.
Karen: How does a loan officer do this?
Harry: Advertising does not build a brand. Wells Fargo’s brand is the “next stage” with the visual of the stagecoach. I would recommend that loan officers turn it into an advantage. Their story could be that bigger is not always better and you provide personal attention—and then tell the story of how you do this! Then you must create the experience.
