Meetings: The Death of Productivity

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Getting Control of Meetings

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Have you ever done this in a meeting?

Meetings. If you work in a large company or have you can empathize with the statement that meetings are the bane of productivity. Meetings do not have to be a productivity killer with some simple, intentional pre-planning.

Meetings are necessary when working with a team of other professionals. They serve to shape strategy, improve efficiencies and address challenges. Ironically meetings can become time-wasters in their own rite.

20 years ago I was a marketing manager for a large nonprofit. Each Monday we would have a management meeting and every time I left feeling frustrated that I just wasted another 2 hours of my day that would inevitably push me into the late evening hours. That experience taught me several valuable lessons. Here are a few tips to get the most from your meetings or ideas to respectfully suggest.

1. Create an Agenda. Seems basic but many meetings lack a clear and defined roadmap or agenda and consequently end up in the weeds of the irrelevant. Laser focus is required for efficient meetings. The agenda should be specific enough so all participants now what is to be discussed. If someone gets off topic add it to a list of ‘parking lot’ topics which can be addressed in the future.

2. After Action Reports. One of the greatest tools for meetings is the…

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Hold Your Head High

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You may be the last hope for this generation of retirees



reverse mortgage newsIt’s no news flash that our industry has underwent severe growing pains in recent years. Many of you have your share of battle scars that serve as an ever-present reminder of relentless product changes, housing market upheavals and previous media attacks against the reverse mortgage and those who sell them.

All things considered one may ask “what’s the upside of being in this business?”  While true it may seem that no good deed goes unpunished when it comes to helping older Americans ensure a more comfortable retirement, yet there is a sliver lining; the need is immense for income solutions and will continue to grow. Why? Fewer retirees are prepared today than in any previous generation before it. Entitlement programs and Social Security are unsustainable though few politicians will actually take the required  course of action required to avert disaster. After all would any politician today dare utter the words of President Frank Underwood in the hit Netflix Series House of Cards? “For too long, we in Washington have…

Download a transcript of this episode here.

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The Greatest Fear of All

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Overcoming Fear of Rejection for Greater Sales Success

reverse mortgage newsSomeone once told me “the answer is always no until you ask”. I beat this mantra into my consciousness early in my sales career. It speaks to a common affliction often found in salespeople: the fear of rejection.

As human beings we are hard-wired to seek connection, acceptance and belonging. Fear of rejection focuses on the potential loss of these nobel aspirations. Truth be told none of us are immune yet some have mastered their fear pushing through to new levels of personal victory and professional achievement. How can each of us as reverse mortgage professional manage this human condition?

It’s strictly business

Life is a teacher and at times an brutal drill instructor. We have learned repeatedly that being rejected hurts. This repeated cycle of action and consequence can leave some feeling insecure as to how they should approach others coupled with a bruised sense of worth. When it comes to sales there is something we should first consider: the rejection is not of you as a person but of the idea or product you are selling. As Michael Corleone opined in the Godfather “…

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Working in Contexts

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The Hidden Secret of Productivity

reverse mortgage newsWhen switching from task to task do you ever feel like an old half ton dump truck grinding gears as you shift? There may be a reason for that.

I will tell you the truth. You will never perfect time management. That’s okay because if equipped with the right tools you can still master, but not perfect, the art of managing your time and productivity. However there is one consideration that is often missed…working in context. Beyond time blocking, prioritizing or even color coding that leather-bound calendar working in context can take your time management skills to the next level.
What is a context? It is the location or tool readily available to you at a particular time of day. Some examples are the phone, computer, office, home, errands, etc. The challenge is that technology has blurred the lines allowing us to check emails while in the checkout line, schedule an appointment in the parking lot or attend a conference call during our commute. Unfortunately this approach can

 

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

The Hard Work: What Makes Some Successful?

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Six Traits of Successful Individuals

Look at the successful individuals around you and you will find one common trait, they do what is difficult. Quite often we hear that success is about being in the right place at the right time. Such sentiments may be popular but disregard the truth that success requires hard work.steps-success

Here are some of the traits you will find in successful individuals.

1- They are polite. Manners speak volumes about a person’s character. Good manners does not mean they are always the warmest or most outgoing person but rather they treat everyone with respect . Successful leaders embody respect as they give the respect they would expect in return. Being polite and professional in difficult situations requires strength.

2- They are punctual. Being on time speaks to one’s ability to successfully manage…

 

Download a transcript of this episode here.

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Big Rocks, Small Rocks

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What’s in Your Jar? Revisitng our Priorities

reverse mortgage newsAmerican author, businessman and renowned speaker Stephen Covey penned the analogy of prioritizing our lives as one would place big and small rocks into a jar. Sound odd? Perhaps, yet this simple and profound principle can transform the way you manage all the things we collectively call ‘life’.

During a seminar on time management Covey stopped and said “Okay, it’s time for a quiz.” He reached under the table and pulled out a wide mouthed gallon jar and set it next to a plate of small and large rocks. “How many of these rocks do you think we can get in the jar?”.
Time management often becomes a challenge of seeing how much we can cram into our day, yet this approach often leaves us unfulfilled, frustrated and failing to meet our primary professional and personal objectives…

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Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

Happy Holidays to You from Reverse Focus

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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year’s

Thank you to each of you for joining us throughout 2015. Here’s to all the best in the coming year!

5 Tips for Annual Review & 2016 Planning

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A Once a Year Opportunity

The holidays being at the end of the calendar year give each of us the unique and limited opportunity for both retrospective insight and strategic planning. The question is will you take time this month to lay the foundation for the coming year? Welcome to Friday’s Food for Thought brought to you by Reverse Focus.reverse mortgage news

Unfortunately none of us have a Delorean time machine that allows us to go back in time to fix the world’s woes and ensure our future success. What we do have though is the opportunity to reflect on the past year and apply the lessons learned to the coming year.

Here are just a few ideas to help you plan for success in 2016.

1. Review your calendar. If you kept a good record of your time go back and review just where you spent your time in 2015. Look for meetings that yielded business referrals, conferences attended, marketing efforts and more. Write down what activities you wish to continue, enhance or discard in 2016. You may be surprised just how you actually spent your time.

2. Track your 2015 sales. Go back and look at your sales metrics by month. For example, the number of…

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

Tips for a Productive Holiday Season

5 Tips for a Productive Holiday: Friday’s Food for Thought from Reverse Focus on Vimeo.

5 Tips to Avoid the Holidays Sales Slump

The holidays are upon us. Christmas parties, company get-togethers and other events fill our calendar. Pastries, rich foods, and irregular schedules are all part of the American ritual of celebrating the holiday season. As a result, our productivity can slow to the pace of thick eggnog being poured into our favorite reindeer glass.

 

Let me say I am all for enjoying the holiday season. What should be avoided however is squandering this once-a-year opportunity for greater professional growth. Here are a few tips for each of us to put into practice in the coming month.

1. Don’t buy the lie. As salespeople, we often convince ourselves that our prospects don’t want to hear from us during the holiday. Sure, that’s the case on Christmas eve, Christmas day, or New Years’ but not necessarily the case for the entire season. For many of your potential customers, the holidays are a stark reminder that their financial situation is not all they wish it was. During this time at least engage your prospects, send out a quote or schedule a time to meet during or shortly after the holiday season. Don’t let your sales pipeline collapse unnecessarily.

2. Put a bow on organization. Springtime is often when we clean out the garage and organize our homes. The winter holiday season is your opportunity to ‘wrap up’ your…


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Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

 

Are You in a Rut?

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7 Keys to escape a rut


The nature of life is repetition, patterns and routine; all which can easily lead us to personal or professional ruts. What are the symptoms? Feeling stuck, helpless and constantly frustrated. The question is how do we get out?

Here are a few ways to escape your own personal rut:

1. Accept the reality. Embrace the fact that you are in fact stuck. Helplessness leads us to often say “what might have done?” Rather than fixating on regret we can ask a more important question, “when x happens again I will do Y”. This leads us to acceptance of what has happened and resolve to act differently in the future.

2. Look for negative comfort zones. It may sound strange but for some the ‘norm‘ is unhealthy…

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Download a transcript of this episode here.

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