Patricia Sherlock

“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” — Peter Drucker In preparation for a panel I’m moderating at the MBA Reverse Mortgage Conference in San Diego, I’ve been talking to a number of top managers and producers in this market segment. What I’m hearing across the board is how this […]

“A manager is responsible for the application and performance of knowledge.” — Peter Drucker On the golf course, I’ve seen it happen a million times: You’re at the first tee. The pressure is on. Someone in the group chokes and ends up making a fool of himself (or herself). The reason? Otherwise solid golfers don’t

“Above all, management is responsible for producing results.” — Peter Drucker In a difficult market, managers in financial services may feel as if there is nothing they can do about lackluster sales results. Fortunately, there is one action that can make a difference: Hire better quality salespeople. The best commission salespeople are masters at consultative

“The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer.” — Peter Drucker While most sectors of the financial industry have been impacted by the economic downturn, one area has emerged as an important growth market: reverse mortgages. Reverse mortgages have been around for two decades but have become an increasingly attractive option for

“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.” — Peter Drucker It’s a common scenario in the financial sector that some of you have experienced firsthand: Your company hosts a one-hour high-energy training session to

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn\’t said.” — Peter Drucker During my recent travels, I’ve heard plenty of discussion about how an organization’s ability to change is critical for future success. While this is a dialogue that needs to take place, what I don’t hear people talking about is HOW meaningful

“Precisely because change is a constant, the foundations have to be extra strong.” — Peter Drucker Regardless of market conditions, long-term success in financial sales is dependent on whether producers possess the fundamental skill sets they need to excel. Right now is the perfect time to take a closer look at the skill level of

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Peter Drucker The past year has been a time of unprecedented change for the financial services industry. While there has certainly been turmoil, there is also great opportunity to make fundamental improvements in how we do business. In preparation for a panel that

“Making good decisions is a crucial skill at every level.” — Peter Drucker Now more than ever — from both a legal and a business standpoint — it is important for companies to hire the best quality sales candidates. Every hiring decision counts and organizations can no longer afford the costly ramifications of even a

“Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes.” — Peter Drucker One trend I have noticed in the financial sector is the disappearance of on-the-job training. Today, sales candidates are expected to hit the ground running with little or no support. There’s nothing wrong with expecting new hires to have a