Working With Intention!

Welcome to the final countdown of 2019! We have less than 20 days until 2020 and even fewer work days to deal with. My clients and I talk about this and accept the fact that when we clearly define what is work and what isn’t, it makes life easier to be both productive and allow us the time and freedom to celebrate with our friends, family, co-workers, and all of our relationships.

When you face the facts that not everyone will have the same approach or schedule surrounding this time of year, you need to be very proactive and create your schedule of times and places; tasks and obligations, that work for you best this time of year!

My call is to understand that the personal side of things tends to be pretty obvious and are often a result of our traditions and culture, but our work side is much more jumbled. So here are a few tips:

• Schedule your work time effectively.
• Work with intention and focus.
• Personal contact wins.
• Understand the other guy’s schedule.
• Know where you are taking each conversation.
• Schedule the next personal conversation.
• Share your stories and listen to theirs.
• Have a message.

When you have limited time and resources, you need to make the most of it. If you are going to work, do so with attention and focus. Have a message to share and follow-up with.

For all parties, what is the winter strategy?

• Realtors – Expired Listings, First time sellers, Rent to own?
• Financial Planners & Accountants – Annual review, conversion of loan program or terms?
• Insurance professionals – Renters policies to owner’s policies?
• Small banks and Credit Unions – Sharing is caring, what do they offer and what can you help them with?
• Past clients – Thank You
• 2019 Pre approvals that haven’t closed with you!

All of these things are simple and obvious. However, those are the things we often miss. So take a minute and really plan out the rest of your work days of 2019 and get very clear on time, place, people, and message! Just a little planning and execution can keep your momentum rolling into 2020!

Questions or comments: Mike@IMTcoaching.com

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Work Still To Be Done!

Welcome to December! What a glorious time of the year! The year is coming to a close, holidays to prepare for and enjoy, and many friends and family to spend time with. That said there is still work to be done in December!

We all must remember that the mortgage industry is a momentum and flow business. Just because the months and years change, nothing really ends. We will all look into 2020 with relationships, pre-approvals, applications, databases, and active files that will cross over into 2020; nobody really goes to zero but the scoreboard!

Completing the year requires quickly completing and clearing all files left to be closed this year and be certain all the supporting players are on task and schedule with your timeline! Make sure everyone is working on your plan; one misunderstanding can cause huge issues! Every file should be CTC no later than 12/20 with a clear understanding of closing dates and times for all parties!

Preparing your list of other professionals to connect with who are engaging their customer base as the year ends is also important! Opportunities are significant with low rates, refinances, trade up or down, program and guideline changes, rent to own, first time seller and expired listings are just a few conversations we need to be having!

All the parties are a great distraction and certainly fun; but don’t forget the rules!

• Be certain to attend the events you need to attend
• Work each room and speak with everyone
• One drink maximum
• Keep it fun but behave properly
• You can destroy a relationship or put yourself out of business by breaking any of these rules!

Big shout out to those who worked hard through Thanksgiving weekend and found themselves with significant opportunities to show for it! Black Friday Sales went great, contracts were written and loans came in. We also saw new referrals for loans to close this year from people who never referred us before, just because the loans could close by the end of the year!

Agents who made offers, offers that were accepted, all based on the fact that the deal could get done by the end of the year! In fact, some of you are still accepting transactions through this weekend and stand-alone in your markets! GREAT JOB!

There is still work to be done! Opportunities to generate and convert! Do the work and get the reward of being the one still standing!

Questions or comments: Mike@IMTcoaching.com

 

Winning The Race Against Time!

Every day the next few weeks we have lenders who can no longer accept loan applications that need to close this year. Each and every day another lender has to say no to a buyer, a seller, a listing agent, and a buyer’s agent. As we move into December, you need to seize the opportunity by getting yourself and your market prepared for what is possible as we all deal with the race against time to close transactions before this year is over!

I have talked before about looking at the calendar and understanding your clients and your market; your company and your support providers as to what is the real timeline to get deals done in your world, because the race against time is very real to those who need to buy, sell, close, and earn by the end of 2019!

The process is simple; here are a few questions you have to deal with:

• What is your company timeline look like against the calendar and when are your people available?
• Are your outside support people, title, closers, insurance, appraisers, inspectors, attorneys, HR people, and others going to be working the same days as you?
• Once you have a clear understanding of the availability, what can you do? Are you closing loans on 12/31, and if so, how many?

Once you have these clear in your own mind, you need to connect with:

• All of your current pre-approvals and share the possibilities.
• All of your current referral partners
• Message the managers of all the real estate offices, small banks, and credit unions about your ability to get loans closed and by when.
• Connect with your database and share the story because you don’t know who they might know!
• Social media and YouTube videos will help you count down the days to get these deals done!

Many of you have the ability to work through the end of the year and serve the people who may need your help the most if you just get out and look. I understand that for many, the focus is about the holiday parties and time off. I also have seen other coaches telling their clients that they have had a great year and they deserve to take some time off and enjoy the holidays! Well, I hope those clients listen to those coaches and take the time off. Coasting the last six weeks of the year will give my clients the opportunity to close more loans, serve more people, and open new doors to relationships they might not have had a chance to explore!

The last six weeks of the year is NOT the time to coast, it’s a time to serve and to build! There will be plenty of opportunities to have fun and party. Once you close out your pipeline for the year you can take a vacation in January or February, but now is the time to push hard right to the end of the year and take advantage of a market that needs your help!

Questions or comments: Mike@IMTcoaching.com

One Weekend Left

Most of us only have one weekend left to secure new business to close in 2018. Some of you may be able to stretch it out a bit further, but realistically we are looking at the last weekend this weekend. With that in mind, what are you plans? A few simple steps might help:

• Record a video about this being the last weekend to bring in files to close in 2018.
• Share the video on YouTube®, Facebook®, Twitter®, LinkedIn®, and with every real estate office and referral partner you have.
• Target every small bank and credit union either with the video or just a flier brought to each office on Friday.
• Locate every Open House this weekend and share the same information via video and flier with each agent and prospective buyer.
• Call every pre-approval you have currently, and go back and look at every pre-approval you lost touch with and share this information!

It won’t take that much energy and the rewards can be enormous. Besides, what else do you have to do? Even if you don’t find a loan, you will get practice at doing a video, sharing important information, and contacting people who need to hear from you because they might NEED you!

The next things I need to talk about this week are holiday parties. Holiday parties can make or maybe break your career. Holiday celebrations are important. Just be sure you do a good job of making good choices! Attend the ones important to you and your business, but avoid too much holiday cheer; and by that I mean don’t drink! Nothing can ruin you faster that a DUI or being drunk at a party. In fact, you might consider being the designated driver for those who drink too much and don’t have Uber yet!

On the success story side of things, some of you worked the “Black Friday Sale” and made a few people’s holiday by helping them into their first home. Others found new business by using the “Pie Giveaway”. Others remained committed to working Open Houses and found people in need of your help. And last but not least, we had one group already put together eight transactions to close this year for a builder’s inventory homes. All of this is very cool and I am sure there are a few new success stories still to come this holiday season!

Questions or comments: Mike@IMTcoaching.com