Topic of the day (for tomorrow perhaps)

Haplo · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 2422 Location: Springfield, IL

Since it's late in the day, and it's been kind of quiet, I thought I'd make a post (and make sure my little icon over there works at the same time.)

It seems like our business is a very negative focused one. As much as we try to boost it up through our service, our happy smiles about owning your own home, and our closing gifts with happy bow ties and stickers it all comes down to one thing: you're paying for a really, really long time on your house.

So you add on top of this ball-and-chain theory the fact that most often we are commission people, you get a slow month or a new guy comes in the office it can be extremely easy to see a rather depressed (and desperate!) loan officer.

I'm not a manager, I'm just a regular guy doin his business as he can. I'm doing alright in production, and I personally have no complaints. I'm generally an optimist as well so that helps. However we have a few folks in our office that are brand new, or at least brand new to the company and just not finding the positive focus required for this.

I'm wondering what you folks do to remain positive. Not just about the business, but with your borrowers. We have one brand new guy (last week) that I'd like to be able to go back and say 'hey, before you even get to this point think about this this and this' and hopefully stave off some of the issues he may feel later. I know that I'm personally just determined. I don't need a whole lot of outside 'go kid go!' support, but I don't think that's the norm in general.

Or is it?

I think I'm done rambling for now!

samsid · Joined: 10 Feb 2005 Posts: 19 Location: San Antonio, TX

Well I'm a relative new AE (<1yr) and it's tough to stay motivated especially when things are slow (right now for me). You know when things are good people aren't under the microscope but when things are slow well you know...so right now it's been tough for me to keep my head up. It's tough b/c I can be handcuffed by company guidelines but at least as a broker you guys can shop the loan until you can find a lender to do it. Sorry, venting a little. I too would like to know what techniques you guys uitilize in order to stay positively motivated.

thanks,

Nikko · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 536 Location: Northern CA

We I get depressed about it, I like to make myself smile with a good round of split-personality soup, and lots of scotch . :lol:

AMP LOAN · Joined: 10 Feb 2005 Posts: 21

I just watch a Kings game and I'm depressed. I don't even have to talk about loans. But hey at least we won one on the road. Now watch Chi-Town beat us tonight. Nikko can feel my pain.

/grabs keys to head for the store and get 12 pack in which neighbor friend will drink about 4 & 1/2 of.....

Nikko · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 536 Location: Northern CA

I feel a lot of pain. Being two hours from Sacramento, I am a loyal Kings AND 49ers fan. Lots and lots of pain LOL!

AMP LOAN · Joined: 10 Feb 2005 Posts: 21

I will get some tickets for one weekend and we'll go so we can be depressed together!

Nikko · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 536 Location: Northern CA

Good plan, I know a GREAT strip club right outside Sac LOL

Gray Goose · Joined: 25 Jan 2005 Posts: 32 Location: Edmond, OK

I don't get depressed.

OK, at least I don't admit to it. And... I never, NEVER surrender to it.

My grandpap (an oil field worker in the 20s and 30s) taught me the “plow mule” mentality i.e.; Take the mule out of the barn, harness him with the plow and put the blinders over his eyes. Point him down the furrow. The blinders keep him unaware of anything such as rain, snow, hail, or anal-retentive underwriters. All he can see is what’s in front of him. My mule is focused. His job is to get to the end of the furrow. Then he gets a new job. Turn around and take on the next furrow. A long straight furrow.

All day long...

At the end of the day, put him in the barn and give him his reward. A bucket of oats or a paycheck from the title company.

Sound boring to you? Think about it. This brief “Plow Mule” parable is the secret to my enduring 34 years in business. What can it teach you?

(1) Work ethic
(2) Goal setting
(3) Quality work pays
(4) Incremental tasking (several attainable goals, not one big one or you’ll never leave the barn)
(5) Resourcefulness
(6) Loyalty to your boss
(7) Strength of mind
(8) Strength of body
(9) Overcoming adversity
(10) Self motivation
(11) Resilience
(12) Dependability
(13) Satisfaction for a job well done.

Moral: There are no quick fixes that last. You gotta do your homework. You gotta do your time.

Nikko · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 536 Location: Northern CA

VERY good post, Goose. I know that I could use a little more structure in MY day. Good stuff for all of us.

Haplo · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 2422 Location: Springfield, IL

Quite an awesome post! I'm going to totally plagerize (sp) that! I'll mention that I got it from some guy on a message board tho ;)

Quixote · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 60 Location: Southern California

Gray Goose wrote: And... I never, NEVER surrender to it.

That's the key, imo. Keep getting up, putting on your smile and going to work. The rest will all work itself out.

Nikko · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 536 Location: Northern CA

It is so slow around here, I just saw a tumbleweed blow by.

The Vine is down, I thought we'd have a bunch of people here! I guess that we are just not exciting enough!

Everyone, what kinds of things would you like to see changed here, to increase traffic, and hopefully, postings? Let's get some feedback together. Let's make this OUR site. Any ideas?

BECCA9892003 · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 400 Location: Altoona, PA

getting out of bed is half the battle....i personally stay focused on my deal and what it will mean to my customers..sure at times it gets very hard and makes you wonder why you do it but.....i live for the rush of getting a file from turn down to closing and the adreline rush that goes with it.

I had came from a big company and now being a broker and having the freedom to do what i need to...makes it even better....

Lots of smiling when you don't want to, lots of sex and a good friend always helps to..hey you could be working at burger king....

samsid · Joined: 10 Feb 2005 Posts: 19 Location: San Antonio, TX

lots of sex eh, hmmm...

So I like this forum but I think that there aren't enough brokers posting loan scenarios. That's the main reason I view the vine. You guys all seem nice and very helpful but it's more of a social site than the vine. Not a place to generate any business. Nice place to chat though...just my initial thoughts.

Haplo · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 2422 Location: Springfield, IL

I think it's kind of unofficially a place to keep that from happening. The vine is all about loan scenarios. Unfortunately it's also a place all about if you can't figure out where to place a perfect loan, speak up so that you can get laughed at.

I don't know about everyone else, but I'd dread having loan scenarios here. I mean the occasional "wow, this is a really messed up one, got any ideas?" would be ok, but the constant "i have a perfect deal and I need it placed asap who should I call" just gets old, ya know?