Women's Wisdom Network (974)
First, let me say that I appreciate all the kind words and messages about the series we just completed on mentoring and the mentoring mindset. It’s always nice to put in the work and be rewarded with a great outcome; so I thank you all for your support! Following that thought process, isn’t it interesting to see all the excuses as to why more houses aren’t selling or that we aren’t doing more loans? It really is something, here are some of my favorites:
Interest rates are too high and nobody can buy a house now! Well, average rates for 30-year fixed rate loans have averaged 8.76% since the 1970’s, plenty of homes were sold with rates much higher than they are now! Inventory is low because people won’t sell and give up their 2.5% mortgage! Some may not, but 35% of all mortgages in place now are…
Plantation shutters are a classic and timeless window treatment that can add value to any home. They not only provide excellent light control and privacy but also enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of a room. However, choosing the right style and color of plantation shutters can be a daunting task, especially if you are trying to match them with your home decor. In this article, we will discuss how to style your plantation shutters to complement your home decor, whether your style is modern, traditional, or somewhere in between. Modern Style: Choosing the Right Color When it comes to modern decor, the key is to keep things simple and minimalistic. For a clean and contemporary look, choose plantation shutters in neutral colors such as white, gray, or black. These colors will create a crisp and clean backdrop, allowing other elements in the room to stand out. If you have a…
Connect Social, An Amazing Merchant Ecosystem and User Social Platform Scheduled to Launch Fall 2023
Connect Social was born at a meeting of like-minded entrepreneurs in a coffee shop in the spring of 2019. Tired of the ever-growing dominance of Amazon in the retail sector and seeking to find a way to better utilize social media for enterprise purposes, the idea behind Connect was formed. A revolutionary new, free of charge, social network ecosystem where users would be paid for their data. Merchants would, in turn, have Connect Social consumers shopping with them, and be provided with a low cost trackable and result-driven advertising method, with which they could market directly to the exact consumer they want. Consumers and merchants will transact in a brand new, never been done before, a centralized economy driven by a freely distributed and exchanged currency (a loyalty token) – truly revolutionary! So, in the fall of 2019 Connect Social started testing in a single city with merchants and consumers, offering…
Great ideas do not always come from the top down. As a matter of fact, some of the most transformative ideas that have gone on to change the world have been from a lower- to mid-level employee. From the iPod at Apple to the Happy Meal at McDonald’s—both digital and physical innovations in all industries have often stemmed from collaborative creativity at all levels. As a low- to mid-level employee, your ideas are likely important to you, but will they be perceived as great ideas to the CEO, CFO, board of directors, or other integral decision makers at your organization? Most likely, at first the answer will be no, but you can change that! By mastering the concept of selling up your ideas, your intrapreneurial spirit will shine brightly, giving you the chance to take the organization you work for to stratospheric levels. And as a C-suite executive or a…
Welcome to the final part of this series, “The Mentoring Mindset”, today I want to conclude with what I consider to be the most often overlooked part of the business, and that is keeping connected to those we have served. We go through all the trouble of and closing the opportunities we have generated, then many do a terrible job of staying connected to those we had a great experience with. The numbers really do bear it out. While most of the people who said they had a great experience or would recommend someone shortly after closing, can’t even remember the name of the person they worked with less than two years later! How can they refer you or even use you again if they can’t remember your name? Staying connected to those important people only requires a simple plan. It’s not really all that complicated, it just requires a…
In a recent blog I wrote from my Opportunity Hour interview with Brad Peterson, CTO/CIO of NASDAQ, we spent time diagnosing what exponential growth means for businesses and organizations. Not only that, but we also discussed the many ways to unlock exponential growth, or the nonlinear process it takes to obtain that level of accelerated advancement in your industry. It is safe to assume that most business leaders and C-suite executives want to be positive in their outlook on exponential growth and how to attain it. They look at the opportunities in front of them as always being possible, especially if they are Anticipatory Leaders at Anticipatory Organizations. They assess Hard Trend future certainties providing them a roadmap to those opportunities and an ability to see potential issues. However, what is more infrequently explored is the reality of the obstacles and constraints that leaders face when reaching for the world of exponential growth. On paper,…
The Mentoring Mindset requires the commitment of providing and exceptional experience to those you serve. All of us know what a perfect transaction looks like, at least we should, but can and do we deliver this experience time after time? Consistency is challenging, but it is the foundation of your process to be seen as the exceptional provider in your market. In order to be that exceptional provider, you must be committed to that process. Once we have our own exceptional experience defined and delivered, you need to share the message that it is your commitment to deliver that exceptional experience and that falling short of such, will be deemed a failure! Your clients and referral partners need to be aware of that commitment! You have to explain it, and expect if anyone feels you are falling short, they need to contact you immediately and share with you what needs…
The future is uncertain and no one is able to predict it . . . right? Then how do some businesses find significance in their industries, succeed, and adapt to a changing and disruptive world? Moreover, why do some others fall completely flat in this task and nearly lose everything? How do you as a business leader ensure that your company is one that prospers and grows? Over the decades that I have researched industry and worldwide disruptions caused by digital technology and other transformations, I have found something notable. There are key principles that those aforementioned successful and significant businesses employ to ensure they are charging ahead of their competition in the ever-changing landscape in front of them.
These principles can be applied to every industry and every business model as a way to transform an organization and chart its path to future significance. Today, I want to explore some…
We have covered the “Rules” as well as the “Tools” of the game in parts one and two. Now, we get into the mechanics behind how we go out and WIN the game! We all must start out looking into what is a win. For everyone it can be different, but here are a few items that should be considered: What is my income target? Do I have a priority between units & dollar volume? What is my time commitment to this effort? Do I have a team or am I going solo? Where do I want my business to come from? Who is my customer? Without clearly understanding what winning looks like, it is impossible to make a plan on achieving that outcome. The next part of this is breaking down the actual math behind the effort/outcome equation. Results are not often instantaneous; they are likely a result…
In an era of budget, time, and labor constraints, is it possible to sell your ideas and concepts (which often require money, time, and labor to implement) to the CEO, CFO, board of directors, or whoever is in charge of the final decision? The answer is yes! You can sell your ideas up; it simply depends on how you frame the opportunity. First things first: When you’re selling your ideas up, don’t talk about the idea itself. While that may sound strange, it’s the primary sales rule that most people break. Yes, you love your ideas and think they’re great, but not everyone loves the same things as you. And when you’re selling your ideas to others, you can’t focus on your preferences. Rather, you have to focus on the other person. Here’s how you do that.
Tune into the Pain of the Person You’re Talking To Forget about yourself…
I get asked all the time about the “best tools” an originator can have, or what works “best” for doing certain tasks, and to be honest, I can only quote a famous line: “everything works, and nothing doesn’t!” Simply put, while its nice to have all the latest and greatest technology, it’s likely that technology isn’t the issue, it’s the assumption that the technology is the driver of the result, and NOTHING could be further from the truth! A treadmill that sits in the corner of the bedroom covered in clothes doesn’t help you stay in shape. In fact, it likely has the reverse impact, you start to feel guilty about spending the money and not doing the work, so you create stress in your life which will never produce the desired result. Tools don’t work by themselves! If they did, nobody would need loan originators and if we did,…
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Step one of this five-part Mentoring Series is called “Rules of the Game”. The reason is pretty straight forward, if you don’t know the rules of the game you are playing, you are likely to be outplayed by someone who does. This business can be challenging enough all by itself, don’t help your competition by not fully understanding the rules; DOMINATE them by MASTERING THEM! Like any sport, there are rules, hard and fast, the very parameters by which the game can be played, and by failure to exploit them, lose a key advantage. Most mortgage professionals fall prey to only knowing what they were shown, but never go beyond that to see what is possible. When exposed to all the things that are possible, they can learn to master a system and a series of “plays” (processes), that will help them far outpace their competition. The key is to…
What does the term “culture” mean? For many, it is possible that they envision the word representing a race, ethnicity, or religion. The reality is that culture is actually much more complex than most realize, especially when it pertains to a business or organization, and what defines culture at a business or organization is how they serve customers and significantly improve the world. In this month’s Opportunity Hour: Conversations with the Masters, I had the privilege to meet with a longtime friend of mine and esteemed colleague Scott McCain. Scott is a customer experience and sales expert who prepares companies and individual contributors to create distinction from the inside out and achieve iconic status—something we want to explore thoroughly in today’s blog. Both Scott McCain and I have a similar goal: help clients create more compelling connections, provide ultimate customer experiences, and stand out personally and professionally in lasting ways. To do this,…
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