It’s that time of the year again. Do you have a Business Plan to INCREASE your Production, Efficiency and Market Share through Model-Matching your business in 2012? If not you should.

This past year Hammerhouse has pushed the mortgage industry forward through innovation in the Model-Match process in which top talent in production and leadership objectively evaluate their business and long term career objectives.

Our Objective Consultation has helped the individuals, teams and leaders we have placed maintain a 12 month rolling retention rate of 91%. Equally important is that our clients companies saw increased average production per loan officer team from previous years. Model-Matching is the key to our success and the success of our clients—but it is not easy. Do you wish to have the best possible opportunity to achieve your goals in 2012?

The thing that really hit us this year is that most individuals and leaders lack a business plan that starts with Model-Matching their business to the company with which they are currently working. Everyone in our industry seems to ‘business plan’ for everything from marketing to time management and from production to income goals. But when it comes to evaluating the organization you are already with, and whether or not it is the right fit for your business and long term business objectives…nothing, nada, zilch.  Do you want to know where to begin? The first step is realizing that there are trusted advisors and talent agents out there who can help you effectively and objectively go through a Model-Match evaluation process.

Here are some simple things to have in place for your plan and some resources that can help:

• Establish your goals – Define what you want—from your business, for your long term objectives, your current lender, your career, etc. Understand how and what it takes to achieve your goals, as well as, what tools and resources can tangibly enhance your ability to accomplish them.

• Understand HOW to MODEL-MATCH your business — every individual and team in the mortgage industry creates their own ‘franchise’ and business through relationships, elbow grease and execution. Each has its own DNA that makes it unique. Yet there are ways to Model-Match attributes of your business to the organization you work with or others that you are evaluating as a potential new option. Here is an article from the Scotsman Guide that breaks down the areas of comparison most important to evaluate and understand.

• Take the Hammerhouse Model-Match Assessment — We want to improve the mortgage industry as a whole, the lives and business for the candidates and clients we represent.  Consequently, we have developed a simple yet effective Model-Match Assessment Tool that is available for free, public use. If you want to leverage our assessment tool to help you understand your current level of Model-Match with your existing organization, click on the link above. Your confidential responses will be scored to illuminate the degree of match that you currently have.

• Objective Consultation — If your Hammerhouse Model-Match Assessment score indicates a less than ideal match, or indicates that your needs are not being met in other ways, it’s time for an Objective Consultation. Leverage our expertise. If you are TOP TALENT in this industry, we can be the TRUSTED ADVISOR that you need. In some cases, we will help you understand that you are already in the best possible model-match for your business and objectives. In other cases, we will share what we see in the market place to help you determine whether or not a better Model-Match exists.

As in previous years, there are major changes and challenges in our business. Among the more prominent are: financial stability of companies, shift to purchase-loan orientation, continued regulatory pressure and changes, operational challenges, legacy contingent liability and an overall capital shortage for investment  in and creation of a superior lending infrastructure. These factors make the self-sourced originator with a transferrable book of business highly in demand. That can put you in a great position to execute on the ultimate goal of positively IMPACTing your 2012 Business Plan.

Whether or not Hammerhouse becomes a Trusted Advisor of yours in 2012, recognize that working with an outside advisor can expose you to options and people you might not otherwise meet.

Let me know how this topic impacts your business. Hammerhouse — a leading strategic and development growth partner — will continue to strive to create value by reporting on the trends and best business practices in our industry. If you want to find out more, give us a call. If someone has forwarded this IMPACT to you and you would like to start receiving these personally, please visit our website www.teamhammerhouse.com and click the Sign Up button on our home page.