Dave: Not knowing more about your business and your efforts to improve, I can’t be very specific here. But I certainly can hit some very general points about business planning. Here are a few tips:

Go back. You must go backward in order to go forward. Your plan for the future must include some perspective of where you are now. You don’t plan with a blank slate. Let me start with an important question–if you had the ability to start last year over, what would you do differently? The answer to this question will give you a basis as to what you need to change for this year. Make a list and see how these factors apply to your future endeavors.

Set specific goals. You can’t arrive at your desired destination if you don’t know where you are going. Saying you want to improve is way too generalized an objective. You must be more specific. Sure, you may want to earn more next year. How much more? What level of production will get you there? Where is that production coming from (targets)? What actions will you need to take to make this happen?

Add synergy. From my book, Maximum Synergy Marketing, you can guess that I consider synergy important. Basically, you are already doing many things that are working–at least somewhat. Instead of trying several new things, why not make what you are already doing more effective by adding several doses of synergy?

• Adding activities causes you to go in different directions and makes you less effective. In essence, you are spreading yourself too thin. Instead go deeper with what you are already doing. For example, you are already closing transactions. Why not find more opportunities to market within the process of closing your deals? For example, if your customer has an accountant—meet that person instead of letting your processor talk with them.
• When you assess everything you are doing, by opening your eyes wider, you will see additional opportunities every time. Most of them are right under your nose. Stop moving in ten different directions and stand still with your eyes open. For example, if you go to an office every day, who else is a tenant in that building? Perhaps an attorney who could be an excellent referral source. Just go up one floor and introduce yourself. That is what synergy is all about.

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..