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 By: Derek Egeberg |
This is the year that Goals are
NON-NEGOTIABLE
I say that as one that has routinely set goals and initially followed them but ended up short of the mark. I have spent time thinking about the “WHY” behind that thought. I have many times said, it’s not my fault, it’s out of my control, or someone else got in the way.
I hereby am throwing down the “BS” flag and saying I am in control. I am willing to commit real work, sweat and tears to my dreams and goals.
I am the one who will look back at age 80 and say I accomplished this in my life (or I wish I would have).
I have been through several planning sessions over the years including LTB’s BP events, Rene Rodriguez’s developing your WHY, Zig Ziglar’s goal setting and many others. I have even shed tears with several colleagues when looking at my why.
I NEVER went far enough and said these are NON-NEGOTIABLE period.
We all go to work but do we leave at the end of the day after tracking out success or making modifications to our actions for the next day?
Goals must be measurable and specific. They should be emotionally meaningful to YOU. Whatever they are, YOU must define them now.
I know I personally will commit to these being non-negotiable for the rest of my life.
Why?
Because my family, my friends,
and my committed profession are
too important to leave in the
hands of chance.
I believe everything happens for a reason, that reason gives us grounding, perception, character and the desire for change. I have been fortunate to have really good people in my life and I am committed to making a difference for those I care about and those that care about their own success.
If you are reading this, I am committed to YOU to make a difference if it is within my ability.
I expect you to care more about these than anyone else alive, but I will be equally demanding in my expectations to those I talk to.
What do YOU, yes YOU really want in these areas? This is not necessarily a full list be a good start.
Relationship: What are you willing to do for, with or to get the relationship you want? What would it look like if you did that for 365 days straight?
Family: What are you willing to do for the members of your family? What needs to be done, who needs your love and support, what does the older generation who might need assistance require and what does the next or younger generation need to learn and experience from you?
Income: What daily actions do you need to take to reach your stated goal? What daily tasks need to become non-negotiable? Calls, letters, emails, and personal meetings? What would that income do for your family? What would that income do for your mental health? What would that income do for your fellow officemates and support staff?
Business Practices: What do you need to systematize? What do you need to standardize and document? How would you teach/train your next staff member without this? What do you think are NON-NEGOTIABLES for your clients and business partners? What would your business look like if you implemented those for 365 days?
Industry Associations: What would it look like if you devoted some time and energy to your local, regional or national associations for the benefit of your industry?
Education: What books, tapes, videos or seminars will you attend to increase your knowledge and education? Do you realize how that changes and molds your character and behavior?
Focus: What would it look like if you took a positive outlook and approach every morning? Do you realize that you set the tone to your own day?
Savings/Investing: What are you doing for your own security? What would it look like if you actively worked a plan? If you are not, what do you need to do to change this?
Travel: Where do you want to visit this year, this quarter, this month? What would it be like if you could show your friends and family those places?
Mentors: Who do you need in your life to continue your journey? What communications and connections do you need to obtain those? What would it look like 365 days from now if you spent time with those mentors?
Community Service: Who in your community needs your help? What can you do to better your environment? What gifts do you have or talents can you share?
Health: Are you as healthy as you want? What would it look like if you took the next 365 days to live a healthier life? How many more years would that add to your life for your family? How would you feel next year if you looked back at 365 days of exercise and healthier eating?
I want BHAG’s from you…..
Big Hairy Audacious Goals
I do not expect you to know HOW it will be done yet, only that you are setting the goals and they are measurable. YOU must focus on these daily which will move you towards achievement.
If you were to say, I want to have these 3 people as mentors (whom ever they may be) then set the expectation and begin working towards those connections. Will they happen day one….of course not. But with consistent WORK towards that goal you sure to begin to create the communication chain that is required to meet them—undoubtedly.
If you were to say I want “X” income and that is 4 times my 2009 total will you have that day one? Of course not, it will take you 365 days until you know what your 2010 total is. It will take 365 days of blood, sweat, tears, pain, joy, success and excitement before you see your goal accomplished.
Let this be the year in which you to throw down the “BS” flag and take control. You can change the world you live in. You can obtain all that you want, need, require and dream of.
Grab a separate journal or tablet. Write down what you expect and have now said is NON-NEGOTIALBE for you moving forward. This must be written and makes a bigger impact if it is in your own hand writing. Certainly you can create a list via the computer, but when you have it done, I want you to write it out. Put it somewhere that you can read it daily. Nightstand, desk drawer, or??? I also would remove the first barrier and share that list with your mentor(s) and support systems.
But let this be a warning, if you are to truly say these items are now NON-NEGOTIABLE, you must also be willing to say, “I” have to change, grow, learn, dream, work, move towards those items. YOU may have to move through uncomfortable items. Whether public communication and speaking, phone calls you don’t’ like to make, personal visits that make you uncomfortable, studying, reading, planning, journaling, talking opening with mentors, etc… This is YOUR life and you chose how to play it.
You can do it, but YOU must do it.
I would normally say I wish you well on your journey, but in this case I say,
“I wish you WORK on your journey.”
~~To Your Success 
Derek “BHAG’s for 2010″ Egeberg
derek@theapprovalcoach.com
www.theapprovalcoach.com
| About the author: |
Derek Egeberg
Derek is a mortgage professional with over 9 years experience of government lending, both on the mortgage broker and banker sides of the business. His passions are: helping first time homebuyers as well as those who may need credit counseling. He resides in Yuma, AZ with wife Sheri and three wonderful sons. |
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By: Derek Egeberg |
I have the pleasure of knowing and talking to many of the industry leaders as well as some fresh faces that are doing great things. What I find interesting is that they all are working on growing and building their brand as well as working the day to day items.
There are LOTS of great ideas and lots of great Services such as Top of Mind, Loan Tool Box, Mortgage Coach, MMG, Sales Mastery and CMPS just to name a few. You probably have mentors and parterns with equally great ideas. Really all of the ideas you need are out there just waiting to be implement. There are TONS of other resources both free and for a fee.
IMPLEMENTAION IS THE KEY!!!
My challenge to you is to build, grow, swipe and adapt, create, strengthen and CREATE your business. The MOST opportunity is when there is turmoil in the market which shakes up the status quot. YOU can pick up market share right now. You can build your brand. Here are some of the REALLY COOL examples of items being done.
This is by no means a comprehensive list and I would love to hear other ideas:
Dustin Hughes — VIDEO KING — motivation and information
Chris Brown — TV STAR — News casts and press releases
Shaun Guerrero — Client Event — Movie Night
CREATE OR IMPLEMENT YOUR ITEM HERE!!!
I have seen great things with these…some of which I have personally done and had GREAT SUCCESS.
FTHB seminars — 287 to my last event — you can too!
Leann Scrimpshire — Realtor BP events — she did one 2 years ago and Greg Frost has an interview on LTB with her….I did the same last year and will do it again. We took full video, pics etc….TRY IT!
LUNCH/COFFEE — if you are eating alone, you are MISSING OUT!!!
Mark Green — doing incredible things for us as an industry. The NAMB call last week, Mortgage Revolution, etc…
Again, this is a quick list…what others do you see that YOU can implement?
What are YOU willing to do for your career, for your industry, for your TEAMS, and for your family and friends?
Most importantly, you must have a TAKE NO PRISENERS attitude. Failure is NOT an option. You can and must commit to your success. YOU, and I do mean YOU, must make the implementation of items a NON-NEGOTABLE item. As Tim Davis has said to me, “Take Massive Action!”
YOUR TURN…..ACTION STARTS WITH ACT!!!
You can take market share and build your brand. With the current challenges in the market I have just one thought….
BRING IT!!!!!!!
~To Your Success
| About the author: |
|
Derek Egeberg
Derek is a mortgage professional with over 9 years experience of government lending, both on the mortgage broker and banker sides of the business. His passions are: helping first time homebuyers as well as those who may need credit counseling. He resides in Yuma, AZ with wife Sheri and three wonderful sons. |
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By: Derek Egeberg |
Let me say first, “WHAT A RUSH AND A BLAST!!!”
Secondly, you can do this same thing, but as NIKE says, “JUST DO IT!!!”
1. SET THE DATE–commit to a time and work from their. I did Saturday at 10am to 11am in English and 1pm to 2pm in Spanish. 287 attendees in English and 45 in Spanish.
2. VENUE–must be neutral and educational. I used my local civic center (could use library or ???). The civic center sounds community based and does not feel like a SALES MEETING.
3. WIIFM(Whats In It For ME)–this is about the client…if it is about what you want/think you will loose. If catered to their wants/needs you will knock it out of the park.
4. PARTNERS–Get as many as possible. We had over 20 sponsors. Most paid NOTHING for the sponsorship. All were asked for door prizes and to get the word out to their database. The more partners you have the less it looks like this is YOUR SALES MEETING. I had the largest real estate company, roofer, title company, florist, Starbucks, Red Lobster, a CPA, a lumber company, a dentist, a dry cleaner…..the more the better. Like I mentioned, it was more about door prizes, their services and marketing their database than cash.
5. Materials–The real estate company provided their folders with 2 inserts about buying and the process. I put in my $8000 flyer, the LTB Home Buyer Handbook, the LTB Credit Resourse Handbook, a payment example spreadsheet, my swipe and adapted Concierge Package.
6. Offer–during my presentation I mentioned a flyer that I had at the front of the room (because I forgot to put in the folder) that offered a FREE CREDIT REPORT and CONSULTATION to advise them. I said this after mentioning several of the credit myths and mistakes that can cost them. THIS IS THE BIG TAKE AWAY…….most FTHB’s seem to need or want credit help in a way that is non-threatening.
7. Agenda–15 minutes of a realtor presenting about what they do and the process as well as some of the common mistakes. 10 minutes from the local housing authority on their MRB and MCC programs, or as the FTHB’s call it, FREE MONEY. 20 minutes from YOU/ME discussing the $8000 tax credit, credit myths and mistakes, the 4 items underwriters look for on a loan application, why rates are low and why they will jump unless the FED keeps purchasing MBS, what payments look like at 4 different price points and how little cash needed based on the MCC and MRB programs. (again FTHB speak….can you fix my credit and not make it painful, can I afford the house and not change my lifestyle, and can I put only a little cash into the purchase…also can i get money back from the GOV’t to purchase?) 15 minutes of current market stats and a wrap up.
8. REGISTRATION CARDS–Everyone signed in. I now have put that into a spreadsheet/master list and into my database. The cards are now with ERA and have been distributed to their agents to work the leads also.
9. REALTOR HELP–approximately 30 agents showed up…they all asked their clients to come as well.
10..STATISTICS–82% of the respondents said they came as a result of seeing the article in the paper. We had the local paper do a story on our COMMUNITY EVENT and mentioned the MILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE. I ALWAYS get more attendees when the local media do stories versus paid advertising. Again, it looks and really is just INFORMATIONAL. YOU MUST GET THIS PART DONE!!!!!
Final thoughts at 5am……
Let me say THANK YOU to Jim Sahnger and Rene Rodriguez who had a really cool idea that I did incorporate into my seminar, which was their “MILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE.”
If you have not seen it/heard it you need to. Jim mentioned the MATH to me about needing 125 buyers at $8000 tax credit each would put $1,000,000 in IRS money back into your clients pockets. In my seminar I actually said the $2,000,000 challenge because we were over 250 in the room. I simply said, “do you realize that if just the people in this room qualified as FTHB’s and purchased before November 30th, that would put $2,000,000 of the IRS’s money back in YOU they Buyers pockets…….now I actually had APPLAUSE and a good commotion for about 30 seconds while that settled in.
I get nothing out of the system so i feel comfortable saying check out Jim/Rene’s site at http://www.databasemath.com They put together a really cool checklist that i wish i had BEFORE I did all of my work!!!!
None the less….this is EASILY OBTAINABLE for anyone who chooses to take ACTION. If you are really in business, you know the information, if you are reading this, you have the recources from companies such as LTB or Top Of Mind, you can create your own awareness pieces or use Jim/Rene’s material, and JUST GO DO IT.
The total cost for the entire event, FOOD, 42″ flat screen TV give away, some TV/RADIO, the venue, all of it totaled just under $4000. Now based on sponsors and the given door prizes I actually put no money into the seminar. YES I did a ton of printing so I have time/money invested in office supplies etc….the LTB handbooks took a while to print/put together, but the cost was covered by all other parties/freebies etc….
You can do this for less based on what i’ve seen now and still get the same results!!! AGAIN, get parters involved and BE CREATIVE.
~To Your Success
Derek
| About the author: |
|
Derek Egeberg
Derek is a mortgage professional with over 9 years experience of government lending, both on the mortgage broker and banker sides of the business. His passions are: helping first time homebuyers as well as those who may need credit counseling. He resides in Yuma, AZ with wife Sheri and three wonderful sons. |
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By: Derek Egeberg |
Is your business plan to go capture, maintain and increase business, or in today’s market has your thought process started to resemble this?
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
In digging really deep with several colleagues about what was driving their business the common theme with everyone was simple. It is the same actionable items that every leader in every industry talks about.
1. Are your customers, partners and past client databases hearing from you or about you?
2. Are your customers, partners and past client databases reading about you or learning about your business?
3. Are your customers, partners and past client databases seeing you either in scheduled visits or the simple drop-in?
If the answer to any of these is “NO” then the question is this.
Why would anyone do business “WITH” you if they do not know “ABOUT” you?
As a trusted advisor in an industry your clients need your information when it is convenient and needed for them, not when needed or convenient for you. How many times have you seen someone call partners when they need business, but not at other times? After a few repeated events of this call for business and then no call for 6 months or so, might that partner feel somewhat used?
A systematic plan must be put into place where you are seen, heard, and spoken about. Do you have a repeatable system that puts printed material in front of partners? Do you have a repeatable system to call your needed partners? Do you have a system that gets you in front of partners?
If the answer to any of these is NO, are you
leaving your business to these three monkeys ?
Would you do business with someone like this?
In truth, we all get tied up in the day to day business of putting out the loudest or longest scream, we focus on the fires, in short we put effort working “IN” our business instead of “ON” our business.
I challenge you to take a moment to find the systems, plans and methods in which your clients can connect with you. There is no time like the present to implement actionable items into your daily routine.
~To Your Success!
| About the author: |
|
Derek Egeberg
Derek is a mortgage professional with over 9 years experience of government lending, both on the mortgage broker and banker sides of the business. His passions are: helping first time homebuyers as well as those who may need credit counseling. He resides in Yuma, AZ with wife Sheri and three wonderful sons. |
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By: Derek Egeberg |
When I tell people, “Dial Out to Bring Business In”, I am often asked, “Are you serious?”
And the answer is simple….if you are not on the phone already and you are in your office, you need to pick up the phone and talk to SOMEONE!!!! So in short, YES!!!
–The Challenge–
Take 1 hour per day and call current and prospective referral partners. If you don’t, someone else will! The calls should genarally be between 8:30-9:30. Most people are more energetic in the morning and the daily fires have not blown up yet.
You should be able to do a minimum of 8 per hour if done properly. That leaves 7.5 minutes per call which really is a LONG time to talk. That little hour means you can/should talk to 40 referal partners per week.
–THE CALL–
Hi _(referral partner name)_, this is Derek from Territorial Mortgage do you have a minute for business? (ask this so as not to interrupt their schedule…they may have clients. Also this will intrigue them.)
Great, I’m actually prospecting and wanted to follow up with you to see if you have any clients or transactions you may need help with or anyone you know that may need a second opinion. (You have now been completely honest. You are calling for business and if you are honest ABOUT your business my estimate is your service can IMPROVE their business.)
—let them respond with Yes/No/maybe….
If yes, take it from there, if NO then…(Drop a value add here such as)
–THE VALUE ADD–
Great, I have some flyers for the new $8000 FTHB tax credit. If you have any questions just let me know and I will be happy to answer them for you and your clients. I will drop them off by _(be specific so you can BEAT the expectation)_.
–SETTING EXPECTATIONS–
Would it be ok if I followed up with you in about a month? (Why a month? My guess is if you REALLY look at your potential partners you can come up with a list of 150-200. It will take you a month to get back around to the first call.)
–THE CLOSE–
_(insert partner name)_, is there anything else i can help YOU with right now.
You ask this to show that you care, but also they may have other questions and you open the door to THEIR conversation.
Then end with.
Thanks (insert partner name), have a great day!
THIS STUFF WORKS!!!!!
Now, should you get their VM I leave the following message.
Hi (insert name), this is Derek from Territorial Mortgage. I was calling with a business question. Please give me a call when you have a moment.
That will get their curiosity up but not give away your intent.
There are the two forms I use to track my calls, both are easy spreadsheets. Feel free to drop me an email and I will be happy to share.
The old saying, “build it and they will come” should be “CALL AND THEY WILL ANSWER!”
To your success!
| About the author: |
|
Derek Egeberg
Derek is a mortgage professional with over 9 years experience of government lending, both on the mortgage broker and banker sides of the business. His passions are: helping first time homebuyers as well as those who may need credit counseling. He resides in Yuma, AZ with wife Sheri and three wonderful sons. |
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