Patricia Sherlock

Today, I would like to continue our discussion on the importance of having a positive culture in a sales organization. While the research is clear that companies with a positive culture outperform those without one, the real question is how does a manager instill a positive culture within his or her group? A positive culture […]

During my visits to mortgage lenders last month, it was evident pretty quickly which firms had a strong culture and which ones did not. Why does having a strong positive culture matter in today’s marketplace? When everyone offers essentially the same products with about the same prices, what really differentiates a company from the competition

Last week, while visiting clients in Dallas, I shared national information regarding the performance of originators in our industry. The data shows that the top 10 percent of producers at any mortgage company originate a whopping 39 percent of the volume. (See attached slide). The remaining 90 percent originate the rest of the volume. In

This week, I wanted to continue our discussion on how companies should evaluate assessment vendors. I have provided a link below that outlines key legal issues and requirements associated with using pre-hire assessment testing. In these litigious times, when potential sales candidates can easily file a lawsuit, proper screening of assessment vendors is mandatory. Click

In my recent visits to lenders, the question of what makes a good sales assessment has come up. The issue is a hot topic because more management teams regard the quality of originators as an essential factor for success in mortgage banking. Hiring the right people who can sell is critical for companies that have

In many sales organizations, the question of how to improve sales talent is now on the front burner for management teams. Certainly, having a specific set of personality traits is critical for success in mortgage origination (as our research has shown). But even when sales professionals have the required personality characteristics, not every top producer

Recently, I was speaking to sales teams on the West Coast about the new consultative selling rules. One common concern that I heard: Many in sales leadership positions feel they do not have the right direct managers in place to handle the market changes that will inevitably occur when rates finally increase and originators must

In my recent travels to mortgage lenders across the country, I’ve been hearing a common refrain: Sales professionals continue to struggle with prospecting in the current purchase-money marketplace. There is no doubt that superior prospecting skills are more critical than ever for success in the “new” world of mortgage origination. Producers are under the gun

One of the latest cultural trends is the pursuit of games that can make an individual smarter. Many companies including Nintendo are coming out with games that supposedly increase cognitive performance. It seems that organizations of all types — from schools to the military — have embraced the concept that intelligence is a trainable quality.

Did you ever wonder why managers and salespeople always seem to be caught up with the here-and-now demands of today (the current hot topics QM and QRM come to mind) and rarely spend enough time thinking about issues critical to future success like how to create demand in prospects who have to be sold that