Kickstart Your Week ~ What to do when you don’t feel like it.
Quick recap
The meeting began with personal discussions about challenges and strategies for professional success, including experiences with depression and maintaining productivity despite obstacles. The group welcomed back Cathy and discussed various personal and team updates, including weather conditions, upcoming events, and a featured borrower story in the Reverse Chronicle. The main focus was on identifying and leveraging personal strengths to improve productivity and client relationships, with discussions about building trust through consistent service delivery and the importance of seeking support when facing challenges.
Next steps
All attendees to analyze their closed loan pipeline for the past 2-3 years to identify their most effective business sources and strategies.
All attendees to consider implementing Aaron's successful practices, such as sending weekly updates, calling all parties after closing to offer reviews, and using appropriate humor to keep transactions light.
All attendees struggling with motivation or facing challenges to reach out to Nino, Cathy, Aaron, or HR for support and resources.
All attendees to focus on their identified superpowers and leverage them in their daily activities.
New loan officers to try various strategies to find what works best for them, while experienced loan officers to focus on their proven successful methods.
Summary
Overcoming Professional and Personal Challenges
Nino and Aaron discussed personal challenges and strategies for overcoming obstacles in their professional and personal lives. Aaron shared his experience with depression and how he focused on his non-negotiables and strengths to stay productive, particularly by analyzing his business pipeline and focusing on activities that generate money and close loans. Nino emphasized the importance of getting unstuck when feeling overwhelmed and highlighted the need to focus on one's strengths and areas of success, especially as they approach the end of the first half of the year.
Reflecting on Childhood Simplicity
The team welcomed Cathy back to the meeting and discussed recent weather conditions, with Nino mentioning prolonged rain in their area. Aaron shared a humorous anecdote about a childhood photo of his son at a preschool party. The conversation included reflections on the simplicity and joy of childhood experiences, with Cathy noting valuable life lessons that can be learned from being present and joyful regardless of circumstances.
Kathy's Story and Summer Plans
The group discussed Kathy's borrower story being featured in the Reverse Chronicle on Wednesday, with plans to include a before-and-after picture of a borrower once permission is obtained. Nino mentioned moving north to Flagstaff for the summer, noting the cooler temperatures and altitude of 7,000 feet, which is popular for athletes training at altitude. The conversation concluded with a brief discussion about the Phoenix Ironman race and running events in the area.
Running, Birthdays, and Illusion Fun
The group discussed Nino's encounter with elite runners training for the Chicago Marathon, who were running effortlessly at a high level. They then celebrated Peter's upcoming birthday on June 10th, with Janet mentioning a large birthday card signed by many people at the annual meeting. The conversation concluded with a discussion about a video of Klara performing an illusion, which led to a lighthearted exchange about following instructions to the end.
Erin's Journey Sharing Session
Cathy introduced Erin, praising her for showing both the highlights and lowlights of her journey with courage and transparency. She expressed excitement for Erin to share her story with the group. Nino confirmed they were ready to proceed with the video segment featuring Erin.
Understanding the True Meaning of Discipline
Nino discussed the meaning of discipline, emphasizing that it goes beyond waking up early and encompasses various aspects of life such as physical fitness, emotional control, treating others well, and facing fears. He highlighted that discipline requires strength and fortitude, often choosing the harder path over short-term gratification, and described it as a friend that leads to strength, health, intelligence, and happiness.
Adapting to Personal and Professional Challenges
In this meeting, Aaron shared his personal experience of dealing with difficult personal challenges over the past 18 months while maintaining his professional performance. He described how he adapted his work approach by focusing on small, consistent actions like weekend rate updates and client database maintenance, rather than trying to maintain his previous level of activity. Cathy and Nino discussed how defining "best" in different seasons is important, and Aaron emphasized the value of identifying and maintaining core "wow" factors that have historically worked well for him in his career.
Client Acquisition Strategy Analysis
Aaron advised analyzing closed deals over the past 2-3 years to identify the most effective client acquisition methods. He emphasized the importance of categorizing sources of business granularly, such as specific networking events or social media platforms, to identify which strategies are most profitable. Aaron shared that for his own business, the majority of realtor referrals came from chance encounters during active deals rather than proactive networking, leading him to focus on delivering excellent service to ensure repeat business.
Client Relationship Building Strategies
Aaron shared his approach to attracting and retaining clients by focusing on building strong relationships through humor, efficient problem-solving, and personalized touches like CC'ing buyer's agents on appraisals and following up after transactions. He emphasized the importance of leveraging one's unique strengths, whether it's humor, networking, or other skills, to create a memorable and enjoyable experience for clients while maintaining professionalism. Nino highlighted that these strategies help build trust and comfort with clients, making them more likely to return and refer others.
Leveraging Personal Strengths for Productivity
The meeting focused on the importance of identifying and leveraging personal strengths, or "superpowers," to improve productivity and achieve satisfaction in daily tasks. Aaron shared his strategy of eliminating unnecessary choices by focusing on a few key activities that consistently yield results, which resonated with Cathy's discussion on the "Paradox of Choice." Peter highlighted the value of consistency and the benefits of repeat business from clients and realtors. The group emphasized the importance of seeking support and not facing challenges alone, with Nino and Cathy encouraging participants to utilize HR resources and reach out to colleagues for help.