All posts by Coach Victoria

Oct 03
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How to Tell When It’s Time to Hire a Coach

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VictoriaFifieldHeadshot2019Not everyone is ready or in the right frame of mind to truly benefit from engaging with a partner whose whole purpose, drive, expertise and mission in life is to help you achieve exactly what you really, really want!

Seems odd to think that someone might not be ready or willing to receive everything that they really, really want, right? However, to get those things that we set our sights on, that seem challenging at the least and impossible at the worst, we have to be willing to change and possibly, change a whole lot!

Obviously, there is something keeping us from getting what we want and if nothing needed to change, well…we’d already be living the life we envision or in possession of the things we covet, right?

Change is the most difficult experience to embrace and enact. Hence the reason why there are a million different varieties of coaching: business coaching, life coaching, executive coaching, relationship coaching, creativity coaching, wellness coaching and the niches go on and on…

But at the very core of each coaching discipline, you find one person or persons helping another person or persons to change in some capacity.

Here are four questions to ask yourself prior to reaching out to a Coach:

  1. Do you know what you want to change?
  2. Are you passionate about what you want to change?
  3. Are you willing to do things differently in order to bring about change?
  4. Is the change you seek, something worth failing to achieve at, over and over again until the change happens?

If you can answer Yes to all four questions, then you’re ready to investigate coaching.

If you answered No to any of the questions, then the return on investment you hope to gain from a coaching relationship will likely take A LOT LONGER to achieve as you and your Coach whittle away at deeper issues that may be better suited to discuss with a licensed therapist or clinical psychiatrist skilled at deeper-rooted challenges.

If this is something you suspect you might need, it’s important to ask the Coaches you interview if they have those credentials.

Please don’t misinterpret what I’m saying here, just because you don’t get everything done on your to-do list in a day and you feel fear at the thought of calling on prospects sometimes or speaking in front of a group, or you get down in the dumps because the industry can be challenging, does not mean you need a shrink necessarily.

My point is simply that there’s a difference between everyday challenges vs. chronic stalemates and there are the right professionals for each situation so just make sure you align yourself with the proper expert for your situation.

Every Coach has their own unique methods to assisting their clients to achieve MORE from their business and/or personal lives.

In my particular mortgage-specific, business coaching platform, I help my clients to…

  1. turn wishes into goals and goals into calendar-driven action plans
  2. consider alternate perspectives/stretch out of one’s comfort zones
  3. embrace already-proven business growth strategies that fit your personality type
  4. hone-in on your strong points as a sales person and leverage those strong points
  5. incorporate your passions/interests into your business
  6. balance competing priorities between home and work
  7. remain focused on high pay-off activities
  8. determine business growth strategies that fit your current capacity
  9. use solution-based thinking as you approach challenges and make decisions.
  10. identify and eliminate “time-sucking & energy-draining” activities, tasks, people and mindsets from your daily experiences.

To aid you in uncovering the best Coach match for YOU, please download my Coach Interview Questionnaire Knowing the right questions to ask will save you time, money and oodles of frustration and disappointment.

Sep 23
0

How to Close the Gap and Hit Your Goals

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pedaltometalThe final quarter of the year is just around the corner and there’s no better time than the present to engage in a goal or business plan review to determine how you need to pivot, then put the pedal to the metal and make the most out of this year.

It has been a crazy year thus far for most.  We’re busy, tired, or have other things to do BUT it is highly important to carve out time to review your goals and engage in some course-correction, if need be, before “the fat lady sings” as the old saying goes.

The purpose of a business plan review is to determine the following:

  1. What sales activities/projects did I engage in that have proven a R.O.I.?
  2. What sales activities/projects did I avoid or disengage in all together that should be reignited?
  3. Where did my business come from and by what percentage?
  4. Which individuals were my top referrers?
  5. Which of my top referring individuals from last year, disappeared or waned this year?
  6. By what percentage have I overshot or undershot my income goal?
  7. If I’m currently not on pace to hit my income goal, what 1 or 2 activities that have been proven opportunity-generators am I willing to dedicate myself to and double-up my efforts around for the remainder of the year to close the gap?

Unearthing the answers to these questions as part of your business plan review will help you to craft a leaner, laser-focused end of year plan to close the gap and hit your goals.

Remember, defeat is only a foregone conclusion for those who throw in the towel early.

Jun 21
0

Top 10 Things Ultra Producers Do No Matter What the Market Does

By | Mortgage Business Tips, mortgage coaching | No Comments

Top 10 StrategiesAsk any Realtor or Loan Originator and they will tell you, 2022 has had its slew of challenges. Most will say their sales are down and so too are their spirits. However, there is a massive difference in HOW individual professionals tackle a challenging sales environment and either continue to thrive or wane under the weight of a market upheaval. 

Want to come out on top even when you feel the chips are down? Step into the shoes of today’s ultra producers and leap into the top 10 things they do, no matter what the market does…

1. They call on their stable of connections (e.g. referral partners, past customers, peers, networking acquaintances, vendors and service providers they utilize, friends & family members).

2. They add to their stable of connections by showing up (e.g. business networking events, industry-specific events, educational events, Community outreach/volunteer activities, sales rallies/sales seminars, social gatherings.)

3. They set time aside daily to prospect.

4. They act on opportunities now, rather than later and are always, first, to follow up!

5. They plan to succeed by having goals that are written down and/or a business plan that is revisited frequently.

6. They track their numbers and adjust accordingly (e.g. lead to close conversion ratio, units & volume, marketing expenses and R.O.I, other business expenses, time spent on high-value activities).

7. They combat negative messaging with positive messaging of their own via conversations, social media engagement, email, text, and video.

8. They share ideas with their peers, and they ask for ideas from their peers.

9. They choose to feel determined rather than desperate.

10. They invest in themselves by way of education, coaches/trainers/mentors and technology.

Mar 30
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Achieving the “Know-Like-Trust” Factor with Your Prospects

By | Mortgage Business Tips, mortgage coaching | No Comments

knowliketrustfactorNobody will refute that a lot of blood, sweat and tears goes into gaining leads from Realtors, past customers, your website, Zillow and other lead-generating sites.

At first, each lead is treated like a sudden jackpot and you pour plenty of excited energy into each one and this produces results. Then you get busy. Then you get choosy. Then you even get a little bit annoyed at those, “not-so-hot” leads…the ones with overly complicated financial scenarios, the ones you called once or twice and never heard back from, the ones you pre-qual who go totally M.I.A. These leads just hurt your brain and so you conveniently leave their contact info and some scribbled notes in a drawer or folder some place and they never hear or see your name again.

The key nowadays to converting more leads is to stay connected and to stay social. And, even if that lead never becomes ready to buy or refinance for whatever reasons, drawing these leads closer to you out of the gates will gain their referrals to their very-ready friends, family and co-workers and why will they do that?… because they will feel like they know, like and trust you.

P.S. you cannot achieve the, “know, like and trust you factor” just with an email drip campaign.

Here are three tools to easily stay connected and social (And, RELEVANT, by the way) with every lead you gain:

Let’s say all you’ve got is a cell number and a name, you can always take that info and upload it to SlyBroadcast.com, which is a great time savings tool, and then send out pre-recorded messages to that entire group of long lost leads so they can hear your voice. A quick tip about leaving messages and using SlyBroadcast type messaging-Always keep your messages brief, very upbeat and speak like you’re already well-acquainted. Again, you want to bridge that, “know, like and trust factor.”

Always immediately look for your leads on LinkedIn and Facebook and connect there so you become familiar to them on a regular basis through your own postings. Again, this draws them closer to you on a more personal and social level, helps to build-up the trust factor and creates no extra work for you.

Lastly, rather than emailing, try mass texting tools like Mighty Text for Androids (there are apps for iPhone, too!) where you can send one general message out to an entire group from your smartphone. The message will look like an individual, personal text to your receivers. Texting is an immediate communication avenue, much more so than email and absolutely will gain more response.

Voice broadcast tools like, SlyBroadcast.com, connecting via social media avenues and utilizing mass texting services are all superior time-savings tools to bringing the leads you’ve worked so hard to get, closer to you (with much less effort/time) and will absolutely increase referrals, as well as your lead to close conversion ratio.

Feb 15
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Grateful-Humbled-More Excited Than Ever…

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Of course, nobody succeeds alone and I have to thank all of my faithful, dedicated and goal-focused clients, both past and present who put their careers in my hands to help them visualize, plan and execute business growth initiatives that have taken them to the next level.

Being witness to the enormous changes my clients experience on the road to becoming the best versions of themselves in their business and personal lives continues to drive me every day to sharpen my own coaching methods and skills, stay abreast of marketing and sales trends, new technologies and track what Loan Officers are implementing in their businesses that is gaining a return on investment and what is not!

As a Coach you learn some extremely important skills, such as: the art of listening, knowing when to push and how to push, applying accountability tools and tactics that elicit positive action, asking questions that help your clients uncover their own solutions, how to create wins, leverage opportunities and how to encourage people to move past fear, anxiety and perfectionism.

Here is what my clients have proven to me time and time again about becoming successful…

  1. Nobody succeeds alone. What most business professionals lack the most is a trusted advisor, someone invested in their success, who unwaveringly stands in a place of hope and possibility for them when they feel like tapping out.
  2. ACTION secures results. Trying to predict the outcomes, over-analyzing and getting stuck in assumptions stymies the growth process. The old quote still stands 100% true, “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”- Henry David Thoreau
  3. Discipline defines success. Sticking to a plan of action, embracing time management principles, doing what we set out to do even when we rather be in bed reading a good book ALL boils down to self-discipline. You either choose to be disciplined or you choose not to be disciplined. It’s the biggest choice to how your life will play-out.
  4. Never count yourself out. Whatever errors, mishaps, misfortunes, missed opportunities, failures, embarrassments, etc., have befallen you, DO NOT define you! The human spirit is unimaginably powerful. Our ability to change and grow stays with us forever. I have been witness to people who have lost everything, who have suffered from various health conditions, have been challenged by legal issues, who have left this industry, come back, left again and re-entered, struggled with lack of confidence, lack of experience and then watched as they changed and dug their way out of the mess and confusion to become some of the most successful individuals in this industry.

16 years of coaching mortgage professionals as a full-time career has gifted me with the unwavering faith that success and happiness and fulfillment are always achievable no matter where you start from!

THANK YOU for these 16 years and the many more to come.

Jan 25
1

Train Your Brain to WIN!

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brainpicIt always intrigues me when I ask a new client during their first couple of coaching sessions, “So, what were your biggest wins this past week?” and the response, nine times out of ten, is, “I don’t know, I can’t remember.”

Where did forty or fifty or more hours of experiences go? What invisible memory vortex is sucking away all of our victories, accomplishments and triumphs?

Think about your days unfolding like a sinuous sine wave.  As our day is ticking by, as we take action, make choices, impact others, even as we sit and think, we are experiencing highs and lows.  We are always either peaking or descending. Just as it’s impossible not to have lows, problems or challenges in our lives, it’s also impossible not to have highs, wins and victories.

These events may seem like they occur sporadically or that you have no control over how frequently they spotlight your life, but the truth is that we are always riding that sine wave, every moment of every day.

So, here’s the GREAT news…it really IS possible to win every single week, you just need to train your brain.

Neuroscience has uncovered that the simple act of thinking is an act of creation. And, if you’re not up on your neuroscience reading, then perhaps you are familiar with those principles found in such books as, The Secret, Think and Grow Rich, As a Man Thinketh, The Power of Positive Thinking, and the list goes on and on.  Either way, the point is, in order to know and feel that we have won every week, we must first become conscious of our daily actions and thoughts, and focus our attention on every victory, no matter how small they might seem.

By taking notice of these gems on a daily basis and shining them up with our thoughts, rather than scoffing at them or ignoring them entirely, we train our brains to create more victories and gain more production and growth from our weeks.

To help with your efforts to re-train your brain and win MORE in 2021, here are some immediate actions you can take that will give you a, “brain cleanse” so to speak and get you on a fast track. You may want to write these out and put them on your computer or better yet, as a background picture on your cell phone.

  • Significantly reduce the amount of news I watch or read
  • Remove all, “Friends” from FB who have a tendency to spout negativity
  • Move my body into action for at least 30min. every day
  • Verbalize my thanks and compliment others as often as possible
  • Cut down on my cuss words
  • Share my joys not my fears with others

 

 

Nov 17
0

2021-What’s Your Vision of How your Business Thrives?

By | Mortgage Business Tips, mortgage coaching | No Comments

bizvision2021Nothing is more critical to your success than having a vision in mind of what that success looks like and feels like. Without a vision, you will find yourself looped in reactive behaviors, projects that start and stop, and frequent feelings of being unmotivated and disconnected. Incorporating a vision statement with your business plan or goal list that you revisit and read on a monthly basis will give you the fuel you need when challenges or set-backs arise. PLUS, it is always a thrill at the end of the year, to see just how much of your vision statement came to life. I love to hear the astonishment in my clients’ voices when they share the victories that sprang from the pages of their annual vision statements.

Paint a picture for yourself. Put yourself in the future, at the end of 2021 and visualize that you are celebrating all that you have accomplished. Describe what it’s like to be in your shoes today. Use present tense as if you have already achieved the goals and are living “the vision.”

Answer the questions below by starting with those to which you have an immediate, positive reaction. Go back and string your answers together and develop a cohesive story line.

  1. Where and how did I give my customers that unforgettable “power moment?” Meaning, what did I do during or after the transaction that I know made me even more memorable?
  2. What changed about my own processes and habits that gave me more time & space in which to focus on increasing my business?
  3. How did I regularly reward myself for a job well done?
  4. What tools, systems and/or habits did I successfully implement to expand my Marketing?
  5. In the next three years, what would excite me about my career in mortgages? What do I feel I still have yet to achieve, become or do?
  6. What tasks, both professionally and personally, did I finally give up that were weighing me down?
  7. What steps did I take to ensure my financial security for the future? What did I learn about financial security in terms of how to make it a constant in my life?
  8. What were the three best gifts I gave myself in 2021?
  9. What do my post mortgage years look like? What might I be doing when I’m not in Mortgages any longer? Do I have any secret desires to learn more about something? Do I have a hobby that I’ve always wanted to delve into? Are there any challenges I’d like to face and overcome before the next phase of my life?
  10. What will I tell my children/grandbabies/close friends about what it takes to succeed in life?
Oct 31
0

Consumer Habits Have Changed So Too Must your Business Plan

By | Mortgage Business Tips, mortgage coaching | No Comments

Business is good, right? The phones are ringing, people are buying homes. You’ve got more refinances than you can shake a stick at and things don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. But like any great run, at some point, the sprint will turn into a jog and the jog will turn into a slow walk and the last thing you want to have happen is to allow your business to suddenly stall and cramp-up!

While Mortgage Professionals have been enjoying the influx of business, things have changed overnight that will affect HOW they go about earning new business from referral partners and direct consumers in the immediate future.

Here’s what’s changed:

  1. The number of people engaging in new technologies has sky-rocketed due to the simple fact that they were FORCED to in order to earn a living, remain healthy, learn and be educated and maintain relationships with loved ones.
  1. Consumer sensitivity and sensibility can be likened to a hairpin trigger and because of this, marketing, advertising, scripting, messaging is being scrutinized & scrubbed of any language and imagery that may offend.
  1. The amount of time people are spending on social media has doubled, if not tripled during the Pandemic, creating more opportunity than ever before to expand one’s brand and marketing footprint exponentially.

What was once a “go-to” business earner for you may now be null and void. Where you’ve been marketing yourself may no longer have as many visitors and viewers. What was once deemed, “an offer of value” to your consumers may now appear trite or worse yet, offensive.

 

“People shop and learn in a whole new way compared to just a few years ago, so marketers need to adapt or risk extinction.”

–Brian Halligan, founder & CEO of HubSpot

What does this all mean? OPPORTUNITY!

Keeping  these changes in consumer attitudes and habits in mind while developing your 2021 Business Plan, will put you well ahead of the curve, create huge separation between you and your competition and ensure you keep your pipelines percolating with new business throughout the new year.

First, I highly recommend reading the following article which is rich with statistics regarding social media, digital and Internet trends and can greatly aid you in determining how and where to market. Global Social Media Research Summary July 2020

Next, here’s a great list of various business growth methods & modes, as well as, marketing items you may want to revisit, revamp/re-tune, or re-imagine when building your 2021 Business Plan:

Learn to enjoy the discomfort of CHANGE!

Remember, your business is always changing, so being flexible, accepting change and tapping into your creative genius is simply part of being a successful entrepreneur. You’ve done it before and you can do it again!

“To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.”-George Santayana