[caption id="attachment_9654" align="alignright" width="150"] Dave Hershman[/caption]

The buddy system would pair all of our sales personnel so that they present joint goals, effect joint calls and work on larger projects together. Perhaps they might also spot-review each other’s loan applications. Nothing instills enthusiasm greater than joint energy.

A monitoring visit by the boss does not instill energy nor does it produce genuine behavior.

Originators can also buddy up and call on vendors who are also calling upon their targets. For example, the marketing arm of a title company also calls on real estate professionals. Why not accomplish this task together?

Buddies may also cover for each other when vacations and other absences occur. One can always accomplish more as part of a team, rather than as an individual. And most of all—this technique helps instill a team spirit!

How Buddies Are Created

1. You may have experienced/inexperienced pairing so that there is an element of mentoring being effected.
2. You may have someone who is new with the company paired with someone who has seniority so that there is an element of orientation being effected.
3. You may have two rookies paired so that they are providing an exchange of ideas and motivation on a daily basis.
4. You may have to experienced loan officers paired so that there is backup support and an exchange of ideas.

What Buddies Can Do For Each Other

1. The buddies may meet on a daily basis and see where each one needs support. Perhaps they can run marketing ideas or cases by each other.
2. The buddies may review each other’s files before submission to processing. The inexperienced loan officer is getting their loans reviewed, but they are also getting to review someone doing it right.
3. The buddies may serve as vacation support for each other. That way there is automatic coverage—even perhaps alternating weekends they are on call.
4. The buddies can also compromise a more effective team to sell than two individuals on their own. For example, perhaps one person does not do well with a particular client’s personality. The buddy can help handle that one individual. There are may ways that buddies can be paired to help shore-up each other’s weaknesses. Perhaps one buddy is very technologically oriented and the other is not. On the other hand, the buddy who is not technologically oriented enjoys meetings with clients while the technology expert does not. If there is a large target such as a builder, perhaps the two buddies can attack that target as a team as well.
5. The buddies may provide motivational support for each other as well. Perhaps one loan officer knows they should be calling their previous customers but cannot seem to pull the trigger. The loan officer sets a goal of three calls per day. The buddy makes sure this is done. Many react much better to a peer doing the “pushing” rather than a supervisor.

Buddies can also be motivated by running individual contests—perhaps a challenge as to who makes more calls in a week and obtains more loans. The loser buys lunch or washes the winner’s car. Or they can have a contest against another pair of buddies. When buddies become teams that measure their progress against other teams, a new level of competition within the office arises. There is nothing more effective in helping sales people increase their efforts than having competition from others who are “pushing” them.

Dave Hershman is Senior VP of Sales of Weichert Financial. Dave has published seven books, as well as hundreds of articles and is the founder of the OriginationPro Marketing System and Mortgage School. 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..