Borrowers from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that purchase foreclosed homes owned by these two lenders will soon receive special incentives on the part of these companies that will help homebuyers to cover closing costs. These two companies, both of which buy mortgages in bulk from lenders, will offer these incentives at a time when many potential homebuyers are struggling.
Freddie Mac’s SmartBuy program began and July and gives homebuyers until October 30 to apply to take advantage of the offer, which allows the buyer to use up to 3.5 percent of the home’s sale price to cover closing costs. To qualify, …read more

Remember S&H Green Stamps? It was one of the first loyalty programs that I remember taking part in. When you bought items at the store, you got stamps. Save up enough, and you could redeem them for a reward. I couldn’t tell you any of the items we got from saving the stamps, but I bet my mom could.
There was another one that I remember as well. Del Monte had a promotion to get some cute little stuffed animals if you saved enough points from their product labels. I helped my mom collect and save because I really wanted those …read more

New customer incentives are important to many businesses. Attracting new clients is key to your growth. So many companies offer specials to attract new blood, especially companies that offer monthly recurring services like cable and mobile phones. And that six months of free or reduced service can be quite attractive.
But what happens when your current customers see the offer? Many people see the “new subscriber” exclusion and just move on. Why should they? Don’t loyal customers deserve a “thank you”? Why do companies work so hard to gain new clients while they ignore the established ones?
If you currently exclude your …read more

What do you say to your customers when you’re asking for a referral? For instance, if you’re a writer, do you ask clients to pass along your name when they hear someone is looking for a writer? Or do you ask them to mention you during the following situations: a friend is having trouble getting the right content on their company’s home page or sales landing page; a colleague needs a sales brochure, letter, business or marketing plan, or press release; or a family member needs a resume.
John Jantsch at Duct Tape Marketing recommends that you develop a list of …read more