The most common selling mantras are based on the concept of “doing more.” Managers have forever emphasized that if originators simply work harder, knock on more doors or make more calls, sales success is guaranteed. While this sounds reasonable, it is not correct. It takes something else to succeed in origination. In selling, the “doing […]
Every crisis provides an opportunity for mortgage managers to put everything on the table and re-examine their LOs’ selling models as they determine the best path forward. One manager recently said to me, the pandemic has changed everything and “inmates are no longer running the asylum in mortgage banking.” Of course, this may not be […]
While lenders are super busy now, many in our industry are wondering what mortgage lending will look like after the pandemic is over. Will we return to “business as usual” or will the environment be completely different? I believe it will be the latter. For managers with 20 years or more left to work […]
Sales success is one of the most frequently written about topics in the business world. A quick Google search pulls up more than 1 billion results on the subject! Countless articles and books have addressed what it takes to achieve sales success. Over the last 10 years, I have contributed my fair share to this […]
A mortgage banking executive recently asked me what distinguishes more successful managers from their peers. This was easy to answer. In my experience, managers who get promoted to the highest levels surround themselves with their own personal “board of directors” who help them achieve their goals. Every manager has strengths and weaknesses. More successful managers […]
In my sales training programs, one of the most important exercises I use is “50 Reasons Why People Should Buy from You.” When I ask originators why prospects should do business with them, most students cannot come up with more than a handful of reasons — let alone 50. Once they move beyond the standard […]
Researchers estimate that 95% of consumers’ buying decisions are driven by emotions. While most people believe they are rational and make decisions weighing all the evidence, the reality is very different. Many salespeople recognize this but inevitably, there are producers who claim their customers are different and more price-sensitive than other consumers. If you take […]
Amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, where every day is unpredictable — coupled with extreme financial market fluctuations — it feels like being on a roller coaster without any guardrails. The best way to describe today’s financial marketplace is simply as an economic upheaval. This reminds me of the 1987 stock market crash when I […]
Why do sales groups and originators fail? While there are many reasons for poor results, one that I see frequently in my sales consulting practice is the “I am different” rationale for not making necessary changes and adapting to a new environment. Yes, every lender has a distinct customer base and marketplace. But, the […]
We are living in interesting times where fact is fiction and fiction is fact. Whether it is COVID-19 protocols or the idea that everything will go back to “normal” after this upheaval, there are a lot of assumptions and misconceptions that will impact our future course. The new reality for mortgage bankers and all businesses […]