Steve Beecham is an author, speaker, and business owner. He owns ⁠Home Town Mortgage⁠. He discusses his business experience, referral marketing strategies, and speaking career to provide insights for entrepreneurs.

Key Takeaways

- Referral-based businesses thrive on deep relationships; join multiple organizations to expand your network

- Provide value and "wow" experiences to generate reciprocity and increase referrals

- Speaking careers require consistent effort in marketing and building an audience

- Diversifying business interests can lead to new opportunities and growth

Topics

Steve Beecham's Business Background

- 30+ years in the mortgage industry

- Owns boutique mortgage company with son and small team

- Survived the 2008 financial crisis by pivoting to writing and speaking

- Published 4 books on becoming a community's "go-to" person

Referral Marketing Strategies

- Focus on making people aware of your business existence

- Paint vivid pictures of what you're looking for when asking for referrals

- Join multiple organizations (e.g., Rotary, Chamber of Commerce) to build deep relationships

- Aim for one new deal per month from each organization joined

- Leverage social media: "kidnap" friends on Facebook to expand network

Creating "Wow" Experiences

- Go beyond good service to create memorable experiences

- Explore clients' personal interests/needs beyond your service

- "Wow" experiences double referral rates from 10% to 20-25%

- Example: Helping a client's son find a job in an unrelated field

Speaking Career Development

- Wrote his first book during the 2008 financial crisis, leading to speaking opportunities

- Started with free 20-minute speeches at local Rotary clubs

- Expanded to paid speaking engagements through connections (e.g., Edward Jones)

- Treat speaking as a business: market yourself, build an audience

- Leverage social media and existing network for speaking opportunities

Business Diversification

- Invested in painting and HVAC businesses using marketing expertise

- Exploring hard money loans for house flippers

- Advice: Buy and hold properties for long-term wealth-building