Strategies to take back control of your schedule and increase sales

If there’s a perfect work week I certainly haven’t experienced it. However, there is much we can do to increase our efficiency, productivity, and sanity.

With that in mind here are several tips to help increase your odds of success during the workweek.

Create a Morning Routine

Your morning mindset sets the stage for the rest of the day. Before you dive into your emails pick up your phone step outside and get some sunlight. Natural sunlight will increase your alertness, boost your serotonin levels boosting your mood. You’ve just told your body it’s ‘go time’. Try this and you are likely to feel less groggy in the morning.

Creating your ideal morning schedule requires first defining what your best mornings should look like. Is it reading, journaling, exercising, or eating a balanced breakfast? Time block each of these activities.

Now it’s time to prioritize your tasks. Some keep a written list of their ‘to-dos’, others use their calendar. Decide which of these tasks needs to be accomplished today and then time-block these as well.

Expect the unexpected

Fellow ‘time-blockers’ often fall prey to over-scheduling themselves with barely enough time to eat or take a restroom break. Leave some buffer between your scheduled tasks and appointments. This way when unexpected issues arise you’ll be less likely to find yourself frustrated and stressed out. After each in-person or online meeting be sure to follow with a time block of at least ten percent of that meeting to take notes and schedule any follow-up actions you’ll need to complete.

Some days an urgent loan condition or crisis will push up against your well-planned schedule. If you’ve left some buffer between meetings and tasks you should find the time to slip a task to the following day or from morning to the afternoon.

Set Expectations

Are your applicants calling you randomly at all hours or when you’re knee-deep in another meeting or task? If so, you may want to consider establishing a follow-up schedule. For example, after they’ve completed the application you could say “Each week I will call you on Tuesdays and Fridays to update you on the status of your application. If anything time-sensitive comes up between then I could of course reach out”. In doing so you’ve just reduced much of the chaos most loan officers face with multiple update requests.

Automate

Are you tired of sending out follow-up emails to homeowners who haven’t responded? What about sending a birthday or anniversary card? Email drip marketing? Did you forget to schedule a phone call to rekindle interest in the reverse mortgage? All of these tasks and more can be automated. Leveraging technology like our reverse-centric CRM will free up your time for tasks that require your creativity and personal touch. Recently, we integrated Sales Engine CRM with Zapier (Zapier is a web-based platform that connects Sales Engine to over 4,000 apps for marketing and sales). This opens the door to numerous possibilities to make a great impression on your potential borrowers, referring professionals, and others.

Make Room for the Big Rocks

The object lesson of filling a jar with the big rocks first was popularized by Stephen Covey in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The lesson is if we fill our schedule with the big priorities first, we’ll find more room for the smaller things. As a loan officer and salesperson, several of those big rocks should include outbound sales calls, following up with applicants, and scheduling and attending meetings with area professionals. The bottom line is you always want to prioritize sales activities that eventually lead to closed loans.

Reflect, Adjust, and Plan

At the end of each week, take some time to reflect on what worked well and what could be improved. Adjust your schedule and strategies accordingly. Review your schedule for the next day before you leave the office.

This practice of continuous improvement ensures that your work week becomes progressively more efficient and effective.

In conclusion, crafting the ideal work week as a reverse mortgage professional requires a strategic blend of time management, client service, and personal well-being. By prioritizing tasks, embracing technology, staying customer-centric, and fostering adaptability, you can create a work week that not only enhances your productivity but also contributes to your professional growth and job satisfaction. Remember, finding the right balance is a journey that requires regular assessment and adjustment, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

-Shannon Hicks