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The 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.

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.

It 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

The struggle is REAL for most American consumers-Work furloughs, job loss, struggles with anxiety and depression paired with a sense of isolation and uncertainty can leave your consumers feeling edgy and a bit more ornery and impatient to deal with when trying to earn their business. So how do we break through all of this negativity, separate ourselves from the competition and earn new business and maintain the business that we’ve got?

We’ve got to lead with the heart in our sales scripts and our marketing and I’ve got 5 great tips to help you do just that!.

Establish a good foundation of communication. Never assume, always ask your new prospects how they prefer to be communicated with, it shows them you care. You may be a phone guy or an email gal, BUT 9 out of 10 consumers prefer texting, which luckily gives you the ability to over-communicate at point of sale, during the process and after delivery, which leads me to my next tip…

Embrace technology so you can still be face to face and set your consumers’ minds at ease. Zoom or other video technology can be utilized at point of sale so people can see you in action and connect with you. Once you are in process with the service or product they’ve agreed to buy from you, you can then switch to video touch-points via email or text. Again this gives your consumers a sense of the person you are and that you are going the extra mile to win their trust. Especially during these challenging times, email communications can lend to too many misunderstandings and misinterpretations, so don’t take that chance, UNLESS that is the only mode of communication your customer prefers and in that case, you will have to take extra precaution not to accidentally ruffle any feathers so watch your P’s & Q’s

Don’t be afraid to use touchy-feely language in your marketing. It’s ok to share well-crafted personal stories, pictures of your pets, activities, hobbies and uplifting quotes you enjoy, alongside your informational or educational marketing messages, so bring your softer side to every aspect of your sales approach and processes.  Humor is also ok, but always make it G-rated. When people feel down, they will naturally gravitate to people who represent and showcase a positive outlook, who appear calm and happy. Be THAT type of sales person and you will win the business!

Set real expectations up front. The old sales phrase, “Under Promise and Over Deliver” should be top of mind with every sale. Because your consumer’s patience level is at an all-time low, communicating processing and delivery times of your services or products that takes ALL the unforeseeable hiccups into consideration, (which seem to be many these days) will help you earn trust and keep your customers from switching to your competitor. PLUS, remember, most folks don’t know how long your product or service delivery should take, be up front, pad the time expectation a hair and then WOW them when all goes accordingly to plan and you can deliver ahead of time! Same goes for bad news, the faster and more heart-felt you deliver bad news to your customers regarding errors, mistakes, delays or other unforeseen hiccups, the more likely you will be able to retain the sale. Blasting through the bad news and then never mentioning it again will NOT gain you the trust and respect necessary to capture their repeat business.PLUS, any bad news, should be followed-up with a heart-felt note card and possibly a little gift from the heart to show that you are empathetic to the situation and/or mix-up.

Don’t avoid your past customers in times of crisis! As everyone knows, maintaining past customers to create referrals and repeat business is ALWAYS more cost effective than marketing for new customers, soooooooo, even though times are tough and the stories you may hear might break your heart, remember to CALL your past customers just to check in, not to share industry news, not to tell them about a new product or service or to ask for referral, but simply to see how they are feeling and doing and if their family is A-ok. People need connection and a place to vent more than ever before, having a heart and giving your customers a chance to share with you, elevates you from a mere service or product provider to a FRIEND and we all want to buy from and support people who we KNOW, LIKE & TRUST.

Ok, for all you thick-skinned producing mortgage managers struggling to juggle it all and feeling like you’re the only one who can’t seem to handle the competing work load in front of you, such as:

• Originating loans
• Recruiting
• Managing
• Networking
• Marketing
• Trouble shooting
• Training
• Corporate meetings
• Sales meetings
• PNLs, Expense Reports, Tracking overhead and all other Corporate-related documentation, surveys and reports you are required to submit…

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Reality is that when you opted to have your cake and eat it too, you knowingly or unknowingly accepted the fact that being an A+ Sales Professional and an A+ Manager at the same time, would be a near impossible feat to achieve.

Now of course everyone’s definition of what it means to be A+ at something is going to vary and at the end of the day what really matters is that you go home from work feeling accomplished, satisfied with your efforts, up for tackling tomorrow’s challenges and fully expecting victories.

But what do you do if you don’t feel that way much of the time and after some introspection and a thorough review of your business numbers you find that you’re not setting the world on fire in your origination and your team seems to be sucking wind, too?

First, read through the following most common mistakes of struggling, producing mortgage managers and jot down everything that you can honestly admit that you are guilty of and willing to change.

Next, set a goal to focus on 3 of the items for the remainder of the year and certainly feel free to reach out to me for a complimentary session as the solutions to each of these issues are abundant and I’m happy to share my insights on what would work best for YOU and your particular set of circumstances.

Top 3 Most Common Mistakes of Struggling, Producing Mortgage Managers:

1. Poor hiring practices: Does not cast a big enough net to locate candidates-Lacks a standard interviewing process-Does little to no background investigation of ability to produce/sell-Hires based on personality vs. sales abilities-Hires friends/family members- Hiring out of desperation to fill seats, rather than waiting for the, “right” team players to fill roles.
2. Poor management style: Acts as a crutch, a motherly/fatherly figure rather than empowering team players and teaching them how to find their own solutions-No set on-boarding & training schedule for new hires-No set scheduled time for employee concerns, questions, suggestions, loan challenges, etc.-Brings personal issues/shares personal issues at work-Leans towards wanting to be liked more than wanting to lead- Blames Corporate for challenges-Passes the buck-No accountability measures-No formal progress reviews-Does not walk their talk-No communication regarding goals & vision, expectations & boundaries.
3. Poor planning/poor time-management: Does not engage in daily planning-Does not review and reset goals on a weekly basis-Does not review business numbers consistently-Lacks a Business Plan-Lacks a proper project management system-Does not fully utilize/embrace tools & technology-Does not properly delegate-No set work hours-Allows too many personal/family interruptions.

The worst mistake anyone can make in business during times of economic uncertainty is to hide away from our referral partners’, customers’ and future customers’ concerns, questions, fears & anxieties. We might not have ALL of the answers but we are experts in our prospective fields and we should share and over-communicate and do so by various communication channels.

Though you no longer can meet face to face, host a publicly attended seminar, teach a publicly attended C.E. class, tag along on caravan with your Realtors or help them host an open house, TECHNOLOGY is available to replace ALL OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES and now is the perfect time to embrace these alternative approaches.

Embrace video conferencing, video marketing, Face Time client meetings, live webinars, FB Live, voice broadcasting, voice recorded email communications and voice text communication.

Tools like Zoom, Go To Meeting, Bomb Bomb, Facebook Live, Soapbox, Jing, as well as, the tools that already reside in your smart phones and laptops make it possible for you to remain Real, Live, In Touch, Empathetic, Accessible and RELEVANT.

Be in front of the challenge. Utilize technology. Over-communicate. Be the message of hope. Be Real. Embrace change.

“For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.”-John F. Kennedy

Over the last several years, I have had many Loan Officers ask me to help them with their goal of delving into the world of video marketing.

Now, this particular goal is nothing to sneeze at especially as it seems to tap into a lot of people’s personal vulnerabilities and insecurities.

Coming up with creative topics, writing scripts, reviewing video footage, and providing constructive feedback is routine for me as a Business Coach in helping my clients to implement this particular goal.

Not as routine, but quite frequently, I’m presented with the challenge of helping my clients to tackle certain mindsets that hamper their ability to take certain risks, stretch out of their comfort zones, or do things they’ve never done before. Everyone’s level of fear and anxiety is different, but we all experience these challenging feelings from time to time in our careers.

So, how does anybody ever go from wanting to do something that they feel fearful and anxious about to actually doing the thing they feel fearful and anxious about? The solutions, you’ll be glad to know, are simple and applicable to most professionals feeling stumped or at a mental stand-still in the face of their desired goals.

First of all, you’ll need to separate whether the particular goal that is causing you angst is actually of real interest to you or just a “should” that is unnecessarily eating up your brain-space.

To clarify this point, let’s use video marketing as the example goal.

Due to the explosion of YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the like, there are hundreds of webinars, eBooks, and on-line classes, all geared toward teaching business owners how to successfully use video marketing across these social platforms as the best way to grow a business, gain market share, and remain relevant with today’s consumers.

Now, I happen to agree with them, BUT if deep down inside you simply don’t have a case of the “Gotta-Do-Its” about releasing your own videos for the world to view, critique, and share, AND you can honestly say that if you never did one single video in your lifetime, you wouldn’t suffer from regrets, then you’ve got your answer…Video isn’t a goal for you. Stop beating your head against the same brick wall and focus your attention on a goal that actually excites you.

However, for those of you not of the camp described above, who still feel deep envy every time you see yet another Mortgage Professional taking the plunge and putting out their own videos across social media, the following three creative approaches can absolutely propel you past your fears so that you can realize your goals once and for all, not just regarding video, but ANY goal!

Go Public – There’s a lot of power in stating your goals publicly, and it’s a super-charged way of holding yourself accountable to sticking with your most challenging tasks. A great approach is to begin a weekly post series on Facebook or LinkedIn regarding your specific goal and the fears you are tackling.

Your connections have a lot more empathy than you think and will surprise you with their positive comments, tips, and encouragement. This is a way to “grease the wheels” so to speak, as making a public proclamation will stir an overwhelming urge in you to get moving fast so you can celebrate each victory in a new post. Plus, sharing a chronicle of your journey not only helps you, but could help others facing similar obstacles.

If social exposure of this magnitude isn’t in your comfort zone, then scale it down to a more private core group of trusted colleagues. You could make your goal known to 5-10 peers whom you admire, or if you have a team, share your intentions, hopes, and reservations with them.

Whoever you decide to “go public” with, just make certain that it goes well beyond your family and friends. Though your friends and family are well-meaning and will likely be very supportive of you, these types of relationships aren’t generally as effective in terms of driving a sense of accountability when it comes to daunting business goals.

Flood your Senses – There’s a form of behavioral therapy called “Flooding,” which is sometimes used by trained psychologists to treat phobias and anxiety disorders. The basic principle is that by exposing the individual to the subject of their anxiety/fear for repetitive and/or prolonged periods of time, eventually the high adrenaline and fear wanes.

I’m not suggesting that you hire a psychologist in order to achieve your goals, but what I am encouraging you to try is to immerse yourself in everything that has to do with the goal itself.

For instance, if your goal is to host a series of Home Buyer Seminars, but you have a fear of public speaking, then “flood” your senses by reading a book on how to put on great seminars, join Toastmasters.org to work on your fear of public speaking, go on Meetup.com and look for someone else’s Home Buyer Seminar that you can attend, interview a peer Loan Officer who is already hosting seminars, or visit Youtube.com and watch Home Buyer webinars. Start practicing your presentation in front of a mirror, your cats, your significant other, and eventually in front of two or three people and so on.

Set yourself up for a three-week “flooding” where every day you commit to immersing yourself in one of the activities above.

Hire an Expert – We humans tend to feel all alone in our day-to-day strife. We believe our particular set of circumstances and fears are somehow unique. However, the real truth is that no matter the goal, no matter the fears, someone else has already been there, done that!

The great news is that there are plenty of excellent people who are willing to work with you one- on-one in a consultative or coaching partnership and share all of their success secrets, tips, tools, and resources to help you move past the fear and accomplish your goals easier and faster than you ever would have achieved on your own.

Whether you are trying to recruit a winning sales team, increase the production levels of your current team, brand yourself, gain control of your time management, write a book, become a great speaker, host a radio show, home buyer seminar, or video series, hiring an expert who can demonstrate their success in helping others to achieve the same goal and move past perceived road-blocks is the fastest mode to achieving your goals with the least amount of pitfalls, setbacks, and wasted time.

Jump on-line and start investigating and interviewing the people promoting themselves as experts in your area who have the knowledge you need and the ability to help you see your goals through to the finish line.

Regardless of which of the three approaches you decide to embrace, just remember that the focus, time, and money you invest in your own growth always yields the greatest return.