Few would dispute that the Harley eagle and logo are part of the most effective brands ever created. If you doubt that claim, just name another logo that many people routinely tattoo on their body. Just think how many people have voluntarily become walking billboards for the Harley Davidson motorcycles? So how did this company create such dedication? Effective brand management, proper positioning within a market, and selling to the market’s most basic needs. What can we learn from Harley Davidson’s promotion approach? The answer to the question is everything.

Your brand embodies the fundamental essence of your company. It is your logo and brand that people are going to recognize. Your logo should represent how your company is perceived, and it is the continual promotion of this symbol that creates awareness in your client’s mind space. Therefore, continually ensure your logo properly represents your organization, and always include your logo on your correspondence, and promotion collateral.

Branding you logo is a fundamental step in securing your market. Branding requires that you repetitively present your specific market with your logo while associating the image with the wares that you provide.

The objective is to assist your customer in establishing a mental association with the image so that they know exactly what the logo represents whenever they see it. The mental relationship can be a product such as the RedX Real Estate Data Exchange or an image and lifestyle such as Nike and Harley Davidson. Regardless of the service or product that you offer, your brand needs to create a strong mental connection to your target customer.

You ought to constantly promote your brand and logo, and should always stay away from significantly modifying it. Establishing brand awareness is a massive task, and each time you logo is updated, the process must be started over. Promote your logo on all of your products, on all of your correspondence, and most of all, on all of your marketing material. Make you know, and use all accessible means to brand yourself to your clients and prospects. The approach is expensive, but when you are branded, your company is the first one to enter a prospects mind when they think of your product.

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In order to make the selling process a success, the first step of sales lead generation, obtaining prospect information, must be carried out in the right manner. Sometimes, even after obtaining the sales lead information, convincing a sales prospect is a cumbersome process and, when the right technique is not followed, the whole effort becomes a waste.

Sales leads can be categorized as follows ” prospects that need the product and will purchase it immediately; prospects who will buy later; prospects who are in-decisive. Each lead type has to be handled differently in order to convert them into customers.

Make sure the leads are always updated on all latest developments or advancements relating to existing products, new product lines, offers, discounts, sale days etc. And importantly, ensure this information is circulated through news letters, website blogs, trade shows or through emails.

Make sure the updated company information of the marketing organization is always available with the lead. If the customer is a business concern, keep their updated company information in your database. This way, the selling team can reach out to the right decision making contact. Company information of the sales prospects can also be obtained through business directories, where information on email lists, mailing address, contact person etc., will be available.

Offers can be used as opening points for the sales talk. Since, by now, you will know the prospects need for the product, always project the offer first. Sometimes, offers may be for group purchases, referrals or even for being a loyal customer till now.

While making the sales talk, be equipped with financing options, especially if it is for personal use. Because, most of the time, the price factor demotivates prospects from taking up the offer.

Follow up is a vital part of sales lead generation and, ensure to leave your contact number or address for them to get back. These above points can help to make your sales talk a convincing and interesting one; and aid in driving bottom line sales for your organization.

Owner financing often produces a winning situation for both the homeowner who is selling the property and for the buyer who is purchasing the property. Owner financing may be defined as the situation when a seller is willing to help finance a real estate transaction by creating a loan for the entire purchase if they own the home outright or by creating a loan for part of the purchase price when there is already an existing loan on the property.

There are numerous benefits when an owner financed transaction is used. For one, the transaction can proceed more quickly and easily than when conventional financing is used because there are fewer steps involved. For another, the seller is more apt to receive a higher sales price, and the seller will receive payments and interest over a long period of time. There are tax savings realized by selling under this installment plan. Additionally, the buyer will realize savings by avoiding loan fees and lender charges, and the negotiated interest rate will generally be lower than the available interest rates from a commercial lender. Also when you factor in that 20% of home buyers cannot qualify for a traditional funding; this type of financing offers home ownership to a group of buyers that may not have the chance otherwise.

There are a few disadvantages to owner financing to consider. For one, if the buyer defaults on the loan the seller will have to initiate foreclosure proceedings. This can be costly. Of course, after the foreclosure the property can be sold again, an advantage for some owners and a disadvantage for other owners. Also, the interest income generated by the loan will be subject to taxes, which could be a disadvantage to a seller who is in a higher tax bracket. Additionally, the seller does not receive cash for their equity immediately, but rather will receive their equity in installment payments over time. This can be a problem if the seller needed funds to purchase another home.

TIPS: For the seller and the buyer to consider when negotiating an owner financed transaction. The seller should research the buyer’s creditworthiness and ask numerous questions to become confident that the buyer can fulfill their obligation. The buyer should provide a written explanation of any problems that appear on their credit report, as well as give a list or personal references. The buyer should research the local housing market and get a home inspection done to identify any major problems. Also, a proof of payment provision should be included in the sales contract so the seller can verify that the new owner is making all insurance and property tax payments.

Owner financing home sales can be a winning situation for both sellers and buyers. It is important however, that both parties do their due diligence in order to reduce possible risks.