As you continue to read you will note specific reference to the mortgage industry. Do not let this deter you. The point of this article is to give you direction, and provide a tangible philosophy that can be applied to any sales arena.
1. Become the "pied-piper." Success breeds and feeds success! Become someone who is worthy to be followed. As you go, so goes your team. Everything you do and/or don't do has an effect on your team. By being a great leader, you will attract other people who will follow you because they also want to become successful. Your referral sources will also be attracted to do business with you.
How do you become the "pied-piper?"
First, list all of the reasons another person would want to work with you. Then list all of the reasons another person would want to follow you. Then list all of the skill-sets necessary to become a great leader such as sales skills, communication skills, people skills, and analytical skills. These are the skill-sets and strengths you must possess in order to proceed in helping others succeed. How do you improve on these skill-sets? Listen to tapes, go to seminars, read books, and most important... practice, practice, practice! According to trainer Brian Tracey, if you read one business-related book per week, after three years, you will be in the top five percent of knowledge in your field. The reason for this is that the average American only reads one business-related book per year.
Another way to assist you in becoming the "pied-piper" is to treat your sales force with dignity and respect. Treat them as if they were already successful. Treat them as they will be, not as they are. By doing this, they will gravitate toward your belief in them. In addition, show them how, instead of telling them how. Talk with them instead of talking at them. Talking with them is a joint proposition. Talking at them tends to be one sided....your side. Let them accompany you when you visit with clients. Let them see the master at work. If you show them, they'll get it. If you tell them, you won't know what you're getting.
2. Serve your way to the top. Nationwide, no single lender has more than a six-percent market share, which means no one institution can claim brand dominance because of marketing prowess, size, or price. This statistic leads us to believe that the public selects lenders because of networking and word of mouth. These might include, but is not limited to, which lenders are the best at real estate agent and builder referrals, which entity has the greatest number of home loan broker relationships, and which bank can entice its checking and savings account customers to take out a mortgage. Your ability to serve your clients remains to be the number one reason for your level of success in originating mortgage loans. (Even if you are working the Internet or doing a direct mail program, you still have to give outstanding service when the customer responds.)
My parents always taught me that the higher up you go in job level and responsibility, the more of a servant you become. Like the waiter, the flight attendant, the insurance agent, and the real estate agent, mortgage loan originators are in the service business. This is not just a reality, but a way of thinking about and viewing our jobs. Successful people from all businesses have a very special way of viewing their jobs.
I once asked a very successful insurance agent how he became so successful in his field. His response was, "Because I'm not an insurance agent. I'm a man who provides income for people, when their income isn't there!" I said to myself, "no wonder this guy is making several hundred thousand per year in income."
As mortgage originators, we need to tell our clients that we want to be with them through the life of their mortgage and/or mortgages. We must also show that we want to be with them by keeping in touch and showing them service throughout the life of their mortgage. You can do this by sending Christmas, birthday, and other holiday cards, providing a newsletter, or information on changes in the market, rates, and recommendations. The bottom-line: stay connected!
3. Plant a tree! A book called On Teams by Ron Archer, (Irwin Professional Publishing, 1996), has a chapter called, "Lessons from the Chinese Bamboo Tree." In part, the passage reads, "Making teams work is a lot like trying to grow the most difficult tree in the world, the Chinese bamboo tree." A farmer takes a seed, plants it, and tends it every day, for a year. Then the farmer looks at the soil and still sees nothing: "no sprouts, no signs of life." After four years, the farmer still has nothing to show for his labor. Says Archer's parable: "To the untrained eye he seems to be a fool, but the farmer knows that he will have to get to the third month of the fifth year when this seemingly dormant seed grows into a tree that is 90 feet tall. Four years nothing, three months 90 feet!" Understand that building a successful team takes time. It requires hard work and patience.
To summarize, become a student of the game. Become the "pied-piper." The best way to receive attention from new and experienced loan originators is to cause the success yourself. Success is usually visible. People want to be around people who can make things happen and get results. Then serve your way to the top. Nothing replaces serving the client. Exceeding clients' expectations is a great way to serve them. It will also give you a great feeling of success and confidence that you can literally build your business on.
And finally, plant a tree. Plant seeds and do the things necessary for long term success. Always be recruiting. Always be looking for talent. Always be investing in your future. All of your hard work will pay off eventually. That's a proven fact. It may not happen in six months, it may not happen in a year, but rest assured, if you're doing what is necessary to be successful, it will happen! When it does, it will be big! Make it happen! You can do it!
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