Win an iPad. Participate in our 3^rd annual Mortgage industry survey for mortgage producers and leaders by clicking on this link. It contains 22 questions and takes less than 3 minutes. Your input will help validate what is important to the best of the best in the mortgage industry. Click Here

Effectively dealing with distraction is a lost art that many sales and business development professionals and leaders have not mastered or embraced. More often than not, during the execution of your well thought out plans obstacles develop that WILL hinder your ability to continue on your original course. From where we sit, we believe 80% or more of sales and business development include ‘Time Blocking’ or ‘Focus Hours’ as part of effective planning.  Invariably unplanned issues or events occur and create obstacles to the plan.  These obstacles are known as distractions. Distractions can surface at any point in your day, from the time you leave your home, to the time you finish your last task. Distractions can emerge and derail your focus until you are able to get back on course.  But instead of allowing the stress of distractions to sap your energy and reduce your effectiveness, learn to turn distractions into strengths and create more opportunity for yourself. Here are a few simple things to consider about distractions and how you can create Strength in this Weakness: Read More >

We at Hammerhouse are often approached by producers and production managers about how to validate and quantify a book of business. Specifically, we get asked: ‘HOW can I measure MY Business and whether or not it is Transferable?’ The real value of knowing the answer to this question is in understanding the sustainability of your business given the ebbs and flows of the rate environment as well as the impending  ascent of a predominantly purchase market. The bigger question is…is it you or your company that your current customers and referral partners are doing business with?  .Is your current book of business a result of a specific product, expertise in the market, marketing service agreement OR is it because of you (meaning the business would continue regardless of the business name on your card) In a market like this, most business is good business. But when the market invariably shifts, how can you prepare if  you are unsure about the State of the Union of your own business? Read More >

We all know that networking and sharing best practices is valuable in a variety of settings to achieve improvement.   The Japanese have a word for the concept of making small continuous improvements in an organization over time: Kaizen. Reviewing the principles of kaizen has reminded me that “the Best is often the enemy of the Better.”  Let me explain.

“Best” is an impossible standard.  It cannot be reached because it cannot be defined. I will never have the best solution to share with someone nor will I ever receive what is best from someone else.  What we can offer those with whom we work is to learn from experience and keep getting better. Read More >

Have you ever felt like you and your business were out of sync with the company you are part of? The best part of our industry is that it acts like a giant power grid. Production is Power, and it shifts back and forth to organizations that can handle the power over time. Your business is – if through your own sphere of influence and relationships IS FUNDAMENTAL to the Power Grid – more than that, your Production and Business is NECESSARY to keep the Power Companies (aka mortgage companies, banks, credit unions, financial institutions, etc.) operating. With that said our vision as a company is to create a framework that enables you to evaluate different company options simultaneously by clarifying the Core Components of each organization sufficiently for you to make an informed and intelligent decision for your short and long term business objectives. Read More >

For all that goes on in this industry and life, it’s hard to do a Model-Match check up for yourself on a regular basis.  But is NOW the TIME? Think of it this way, there is no doubt that you approach your clients on a regular basis (probably annually or periodically as the rate environment improves) ‘advising’ them to do a ‘check up’ on their mortgage to determine if it is structured properly for their financial objectives and at a competitive rate give the market. Our vantage point allows us to see, hear and learn about EVERY kind of organizational model in the business that companies are executing. They range from ultra-conservative to ultra-aggressive, but most are close to the middle, with some variance to one side or the other. Which model have you aligned with?  With the CFPB engaged in their mission, only time will tell where the new ‘normal’ is; but how can you be proactive in thinking about where the very best Model-Match organization and Value Proposition is for your business? For starters you can review an article written by Drew Waterhouse and published in National Mortgage Professional Magazine in March of 2012.  The article asks the question, Are You Model-Matched with Your Current Mortgage Lender? Read More >

I recently read a quote from Nicholas Sparks that says “You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it’s always their actions you should judge them by. It’s actions, not words that matter.”  What I love about this quote is that it references the building blocks of being successful in any industry – ACTION!

We need to constantly revisit the importance of our ACTIONs in business. Most successful business people in our history did not go to business school or find the secret of success in a book or at a seminar. They simply relied on what they did, rather than what they said by working hard, working smart, treating people well and getting better all the time. Today, what you do in sales is extremely important for success. However, people still overlook or complicate it. Read More >

Share Your Views and make a Difference for Your Industry

Two interesting facts for your consideration:

1. According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) the incidence of hearing loss has doubled in the US over the past 30 years.
2. According to a recent survey by talent management firm Development Dimensions International only 35% of employees believe that their boss listens to their work-related concerns. Read More >

In Dan Clark’s book, Forgotten Fundamentals, he writes about “the power of the stretch.” In order to achieve peak performance, you have to be willing to stretch.  Once you attain and are able to operate at this sustained peak level, it will become your new foundation.  You once again begin stretching, this time to an even higher level of peak performance, and continue to build from there.

Read More >

Do you ever think about how important customer service is to your current and future business or how customer service has taken a back seat to poor or even a lack of communication this past year??  At a recent industry event, one of the nation’s top producers shared how he still says ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You,’ to his clients and why being respectful and appreciative for the relationship and business is still at the core of establishing a sustainable business. That said, most companies are experiencing higher costs for production, and with the focus on that, customer service has fallen into a corporate crack. Read More >

Early on in your career you may have had to experience a less than smooth transaction.  Your client had no idea what they were in for, your consultation skills were not as refined as they are now, and it was most likely difficult to tell who was more frustrated by the process…you or your client.  Like learning to ride a bike, your new consultative skills are rarely going to work well the first time.

Selling is really the same.  Cause and Effect – Learn and Apply.  In order for you to learn a new skill, somebody or something has to be the catalyst to teach it to you.  If you plan on being at the top of your game and staying there, the process never stops as you improve and refine.  Many of our companies have studied how the top 10% of revenue generators think.  What do those studies consistently show?  Simply put, the top 10% think and apply differently than the other 90%! Read More >