Step 3. Send them regular information targeted to those needs to keep building both ability trust and personal trust, with occasional sales messages to make it clear you are there to help them when they are ready.

Here we want to take our time delivering the content we have created which is, as always, specific to their situation so they are more likely to be interested in it. This is for a few reasons. Firstly, for many of our prospective clients we don’t know when they will want their next loan, but we don’t want them to forget about us between now and then.

A long sequence of messages buys us time and maximizes the period we are in contact with them and therefore the potential for us to be top-of-mind with them when they do want a loan. Secondly, we know that building real trust takes time and is less likely with a single communication no matter how impactful. Thirdly, we don’t want to overwhelm them with irrelevant information that they will delete and then turn away from us.

Ideally, at some future point, they will have need of a loan and will have come to the conclusion that you actually do know what you are talking about, are up to date and on the ball. The logical course is to hand their lending over to you and have you take care of it, safe in the knowledge they are in good hands.

For example, if you identify the people you have just met as potential first home buyers, give them something of educational value that is relevant to their needs of buying their first home. This may be a book or information pack, the more substantial the better, but it must be specific to first home buyers.

Then you must have follow-up information that you can drip-feed to them, which again, must be specific to their situation of being a potential first home buyer. Helpful guides to saving a deposit, how to apply for a First Home Buyers Grant (with a note that you will do that for them so they don’t have to
worry, but you are showing them how to do it anyway), tips to help them deal with real estate agents — anything that helps them get closer to their goal. The message they get is that you are helping them and that you know your stuff. They also get the message that there is a lot more they need to know than they may have initially considered, all of which adds up to them asking you, their expert, to take care of it all for them.

You aren’t trying to win them over on the spot — that would be pushing for a sale — instead you are accepting that human nature requires multiple contacts over time for people to get to know each other. By drawing it out over time you are not overwhelming them with information, you are giving them as much time as they need to get to know you. And you are accepting they may not need a home loan right now and there is not much you can do to change that, but what you can do is keep hanging around until they are ready.

Once in a while the information you send them is a bit more pointed, just to remind them that you are ready and waiting should they want to discuss anything you’ve sent them and are happy to help them buy their first home — but if you are always pushing for their loan you will quickly fall back into the category of salesperson in their minds.