But, first, as a reminder, here's what "Frustrated in Washingtong wrote: "I get so involved in managing my pipeline that I rarely get the chance to make sales call or do enough marketing. Then when I get my loans closed, I have no pipeline of business coming in and I begin marketing like crazy. I feel like I am on a roller coaster–one in which I can never get off"
In my previous column i mentioned that if you make the determination that your small pipeline is being used as an instrument of call reluctance, then you must work on prioritizing the elimination of your reluctance. There are many ways to do this. For example, scheduling your marketing time, or “time-blocking” can be an effective practice. Setting daily goals for calls or other activities can also help. You could also work with a buddy or what some would call an “accountability partner.” And don’t forget to reward yourself when you succeed.
Despite this discussion, no matter what your production level, you will be spending at least some of your time managing your pipeline. Obviously, the more you produce, the more time you will be spending getting loans to closing, even if you have an assistant. It makes sense that this time can prevent you from marketing consistently. On the other hand, there is a flaw within this very logical reasoning. What is it?
Most of us see marketing as a completely different activity compared to managing a pipeline. In reality, if you open up your eyes wide enough, you will see multiple opportunities to market from within your loans. For example, ever ask for tax returns? Instead of having your processor or assistant call for the returns, what if you called? The goal would be to develop a relationship with their CPA, a great referral source. In my teachings, I identify many such opportunities. There are so many that you could literally sustain your business without leaving your pipeline to market. This is a great emphasis of the marketing curriculum within the OriginationPro Mortgage School.
Dave Hershman is Senior VP of Sales of Weichert Financial and the top author in the mortgage industry. Dave has published seven books, as well as hundreds of articles and is the founder of the OriginationPro Marketing System and Mortgage School – the online choice for expert mortgage learning and marketing content. His site is www.OriginationPro.com and he can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
