Every day we walk through hundreds of doors without even thinking about it. How would you like to be able to make people stop and take note of your mortgage marketing message?

The answer is “Door Hooks” or, if you prefer, “Door Knob Hooks”.

If you’re like me, you’d probably love closing a mortgage with a low-cost origination idea. Door hangers definitely fit into that category and are a great original tool.

Here are some of the advantages of using door hangers:

1. They are cheap,

2. They are easy to generate,

3. The response is almost immediate,

4. They help you establish a cultivation area,

5. They can be targeted to a specific market,

6. Someone is going to exercise a lot.

As noted above… There are many very good reasons why you would want to incorporate the door hanger idea into your marketing plan. But, here is the most important reason of all: You will receive an immediate response using door hangers. If you’re new to the mortgage business…this is exactly what you want…you want prospects now…not next week, not next month, and certainly not next year.

If you’re a mortgage expert but experiencing a bit of a hiatus in your business…this gives you a quick boost to finding new prospects.

And remember… this is the low-cost mortgage origination you can do right away. If you need business…and you don’t incorporate this idea…I really can’t help you…you have other issues that need to be addressed immediately.

I’m sure you realize that door hangers are meant to be used as a one-time effort to win prospects. There is no tracking because there is no contact information. Only when your mortgage prospect calls you is the beginning of any type of two-way communication. Door hangers are meant to get your message across quickly, efficiently, cheaply, and in large numbers.

So… your door hangers are delivered. What’s next and what can you expect?

First of all, hopefully you will receive immediate calls. In fact, unless you are prepared to collect information while delivering; you may need to turn off the phone for an hour until it is convenient for you to return the call.

Second, you may meet people who are willing to have a conversation with you right then and there. Just be ready for it.

Third, the shelf life of your door hanger is short, typically three or four days at most. This is a quick turnaround idea with no long-term residual value.

Fourth, your response numbers will approximate the direct mail response rate without the associated costs. Expect a one to two percent response.

Fifth, you will receive complaints. Do not worry about it; just be aware that you will get them. He will discover that they fall into two categories, both of which revolve around that little sign posted at the entrance to the complex where he placed the door signs. He says, “Don’t apply,” or something similar.

You may get a call from a resident who is actually applying. Apologize profusely and move on. His response is, “Sorry, no offense intended…I have done many refinances in the community and everyone is very pleased…I provide a valuable service to your community.”

If you’ve just raided a rental community… you’ll get a call from a not-so-happy property manager. If you don’t get that call; they are not doing their job. So, wait for the call and get ready.

They will call you and threaten to contact the Sheriff or the local Police. This is his response: “I’m sorry…I didn’t realize…it won’t happen again, I assure you.” Be humble and apologize and diffuse the situation.

Just so you know… I am not aware of anyone in the mortgage industry serving jail time for violating that little posted sign. This is not an offense that lands you in foreclosure jail, trust me.

In the case of a rental community, I usually wait a year and then do it again. You can always blame your staff (even if you don’t have one). next time… but, most likely there will be a new property manager to yell at you instead. They rotate at roughly the same rate as rental units.

Ok, back to basics… Let’s pick a goal for the door hangers. It can be a rental community, a residential area of ​​single-family homes, condominiums, or townhouses. Obviously, if your door signs are rental-oriented, your theme may be “Rent is Dangerous to Your Wealth,” or something similar.

For residences, a refinancing brochure with a free report is always a good option. Either way, give them a reason to call you now…give them something that’s free if they answer.

Personally, I prefer to deliver my door signs in rental communities, townhomes, and condominiums rather than neighborhoods with single-family homes. Why? Because I can deliver a large number of flyers in a very short period of time.

I also like to deliver them on Saturday morning. You can count this as your exercise time or hire a couple of kids to post on the doors of a particular neighborhood. If you hire children… get parental permission and monitor door signs.

You can buy blank door hangers that are already perforated and print them yourself. Here are some sources you can check out or use Google search if you prefer. You will have many options.

paper.com/index.html: Use your search box and type in “door hangers.” Your 3-in-1 Door Hanger in 8.5″ X 11″ comes in a pack of 250 sheets (750 door hangers) for $33.08 plus shipping and handling.

pcform.com/doorhanger.asp – Your 3-up in a pack of 250 sheets (750 doorhangers) is
priced at $45.00, 1500 door hangers for $72.00, etc.

kwiktickets.com/updh_3up1.html – Your 3-up pack is 333 sheets per pack. 1 pack equals 1,000 door hangers for $28.00. Available in white, green, blue or yellow.

You can also make your own using a full-page, letter-sized flyer.

First…design a nice flyer on yellow letter size paper. Use the whole page. If you’re heading to a residential neighborhood…use a refinance theme like “Don’t miss the boat, rates have never been lower.” If it is a rental community…”Rent is dangerous for your wealth” is a good option.

Second… let’s take that full page flyer and turn it into a door hanger.

Fold the flyer as if you were going to put it in an envelope…in thirds. The secret here is to fold your flyer with the print on the outside so that even when folded… the first third is visible and legible.

Third…while it’s folded…punch a single hole centered on one end and thread a rubber band through it to hang it. Ready… so simple… so fast… and so cheap. Now… Let’s have them delivered.

Keep this little gem of origin in the back of your mind…there are a lot of doorknobs out there that need door hangers.