The following is a guest post from Jeff Bernheisel at www.titlerep.info . I am excited to have him posting some of his great ideas and tips! Yes, the picture to the left is a flawless representation of him…

If you’ve ever attended any of the big mortgage success seminars, you’ve probably heard a hundred ways to run a successful mortgage business. After a few days of looking back on my time in the mortgage world and thinking about it, here are what I consider to be the most important steps. The main difference is these are what worked for me, and I’m not trying to sell you a bunch of junk for the low price of $1,500.

Here are some basic tips to help get started. Whether you’re a brand new loan officer looking for some guidance, or a seasoned veteran looking to update your marketing plan, hopefully these ideas will get the wheels turning. Today only, I have been authorized to pass the savings on to you…

Organize your client data – Invest in some sort of CRM solution and the training on how to use it. Input new clients and referral sources as you go, or update previous info as you upload it into the system. This is also a great excuse for getting back in touch with long lost clients.

Record communication preferences – Email? Phone? Text? Whatever they prefer, you need to know the best way of reaching these people if you plan to stay in front of them. Put it in your CRM system.

Create a follow up system – Track your email newsletters, phone calls, handwritten letters, etc. and when each client last received each “touch”. Consistency is the key here.

I like to rotate through each “touch type” every third month. That way, each quarter my clients heard from me at least once, if not two or three times (depending on their communication preferences).

Manage your time – You can waste a lot of time these days “messing around” on social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn. Don’t get me wrong, these sites can all be used to get business, but try to set limits that keep you focused. Set goals on the number of people you want to connect with through each site per week.

Find balance in your life – The mortgage business (or any business really) can be stressful at times. Clients and referral sources can hear it in your voice. It makes them uneasy. Find a release. Something you enjoy doing. Spend time with family, friends or even alone. When you operate at a lower stress level, everything seems to go a little easier.

But wait, there’s more…

Of course there are hundreds or thousands of tips that we’ve all heard over the years. The secret is finding what works best for you and your style/personality. The final piece of advice I can give to help run a successful mortgage business is to keep coming back here for more tips and best practice methods of some of the nation’s true top producers.

Good luck out there!

What’s your greatest success tip?