How do you measure up with other LOs?

How do you measure up when compared to other LOs?

Before I show you the answer, let me share with you something that really made all the difference to me.

So often, when we want to know how we are doing, we look out at the horizon…

… what I mean by that is, it’s like if you and I are in a canoe and we are paddling out to the horizon…  you know, that spot to where the sky and the water meet.. that’s our destination.

What happens as we paddle out to that spot, the horizon?

That’s right, it keeps moving.  We never actually get there.

So the point is, if we are looking forward, or comparing ourselves to somebody else, that’s a moving target and we don’t actually ever get there, which leads to disappointment, even if we are achieving great things compared to our own “last year.”

Here’s the take home message…

.. if you want to see how you are doing, you can’t look forward, you have to turn around and look behind you to see how far you have come from the shoreline if you want to measure up “how you are doing”.

Only compare your “current” self to your “last year self” to gauge your progress.

It’s easy to get disconnected or “not relatable” by seeing how some of our Loan Officer Freedom Club members are doing, like Katie White (no “blood” relationship to me) who is in my “2 Comma Club” (which means she W-2’ed more than $1,000,000 last year as a loan officer). 

A person and person smiling

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Loan officer Katie White from Austin, TX


But you need to understand that Katie has simply been paddling her boat using the right strategies, the right scripts, and with the right people for several years now.  When she first started, she was right where you may be now, which is totally great for starting this journey.

Just so you know, I actually share those stories like Katie’s to help inspire you to what is possible, but I want you to compare your current self to ONLY your year ago self.

If you need help with “right activities”, “right strategies”, or “right people”, I can help you here.

I believe in you, and you are worthy!

Carl White

A Day in The Life of a Loan Officer

On this week’s episode of Loan Officer Freedom, the #1 podcast in the world today for loan officers, I’m joined by one of our strategic advisors here at The Mortgage Marketing Animals, Blake Otterson.

Blake and I sit down to discuss what happens in the day of a loan officer. I’ll share my personal routine on waking up bright and early, starting the day with a positive activity, and strategically having a plan in place.

Planned days are structured for the most production with proper planning that is set forth by consistent boundaries and efficient schedules.

Listen in as we deliver information on how to avoid pitfalls of distractions and map out a day that provides results and structured activities.

Hear more strategies that we use to build out our day, using what we call the daily success plan. Schedule your complimentary demo here.

Begging for business

Anytime I hear “stop begging for business” or “stop chasing business” or “stop chasing Realtors” I know that 1 of two things are true, and maybe both, or either


1. They are getting ready to sell me some magic fairy dust on how I can make sales by doing nothing, or..

2. They are a bad salesperson. 

Let me explain…

I was talking with an LO at an event and he said he didn’t want to beg for business.  I asked him what does begging look like.  He said, you know, asking somebody for a referral, them not sending you any, then asking them again for a referral.

Does McDonalds advertise to you once and then never again.  Does Ford or Chevy show you one of their cars one time on one ad, then never again?

They know that they have to offer you a new car when you need one.  They just don’t know when you need it.

When we ask for referrals, we need to ask when something has gone wrong with their current relationship. 

It’s been my experience that sometimes this “something wrong” can be something as simple as their current loan officer not asking for the business and taking everything for granted. 

We just don’t know when that moment of opportunity is going to exist with that particular agent, so we ask for the business often.

Asking for business; asking for referrals isn’t begging.  That’s salesmanship.  That’s what sales people do, or at least the good ones. 

Again… good sales people think selling is a good thing.  Bad sales people think sales is a bad thing.

Now if the reason I don’t want to ask for the business is because all their loans close late, or they have no help and they’re already working till 9pm every night, well, those things need to be fixed first.

You see, if I know that somebody is better off working with me, than it is likely with most of my competitors, I’ve always thought it’s my moral obligation to offer them my services because I’m helping them.

I put it in my mind that if I don’t ask for the business, don’t ask for the referral, then that home buyer is going to be using another lender, and with that lender closing on time, well, all bets are off. 

Perhaps that other lender will not close on time, causing stress to that family, perhaps the deal will fall through because a backup contract comes into play now, and they lose their dream home… all this because the loan officer that lost the deal simply didn’t ask for the business to help them avoid working with a less capable lender. 

It’s our moral obligation to ask for the business. 

Begging is on your hands and knees with your face at that ankles pleading as if for your life. 
Asking for business with every conversation is just good salesmanship that is practiced by top producers and it is not to be confused with “begging”….   Trust me, any time you hear “begging for business”, hold on to your wallet.

If you need help with scripting, just let me know.  I got your back, and I’ll help you for free.

Setting Up Automatic Opportunities

Tune in to this episode of Loan Officer Freedom, the top podcast for loan officers nationwide, as Kevin Broughton and I casually chat about two ninja tools that we use in our mortgage business and feel you could benefit from in yours as well.

When I come across something cool or a new strategy that is working for our industry, it’s my goal to be able to share these things with you on this podcast. 

Kevin and I talk about a program called Sales Boomerang, where there are a couple tools within that can not only trigger alerts for when a former client has their credit pulled for anything mortgage related, but also a feature that allows you to be notified of opportunities from clients who you can circle back around with for a continued relationship. 

You’ll be ready to put these smart gadgets into action after you hear just how advantageous this can be to set yourself up for when you need to be ready to use this built-up database of those who know, like, and trust you. 

Schedule your complimentary loan officer coaching call here.