Leaders, you have an incredible opportunity to grow your business, and it is sitting in your office right now. 

Did you know that two-thirds of your company’s workforce is up for grabs? Studies show that a highly engaged employee is a top producing employee. However, 76% of employees are only partially engaged with their organization.

These are the middle performers, the ones who are in danger of becoming completely unengaged or leaving the company. They are waiting for a leader to step in and help them move to the next level of success. These employees could move to the next level, but first, a good leader will know how to motivate them to drive this success forward. So how are you going to get them to fully engage with your organization?

Employees reach maximum engagement when their company empowers them to become better performers and increase their production. Developing this middle tier of professionals is one of the most powerful investments leaders can make in the overall success of their organization. These are people who already know the company. They have proven themselves to be a cultural fit and committed to the industry. Now, it is time to take them to the next level. It is time to move the middle.

Training

Many leaders are afraid that they will not receive enough of a return on their investment to warrant the cost of training. They assume training means teaching a few basic practices that most loan officers already know.That is why leaders should only invest in education that is going to give LOs actionable items they can quickly implement to improve their business.

Great mortgage training will give originators specific strategies for how to do the following:

• Execute effective sales calls
• Create a powerful business plan
• Build long-term relationships with key referral sources
• Market effectively
• Take perfect applications
• Maintain and retain their database
• Leverage their current success for future business

Obviously, there are many more examples of areas that training should cover, but the point is that by investing in a powerful sales development program, leaders empower their loan officers with the knowledge they need to move the needle forward on production.

Accountability

Once leaders have ensured their loan officers are receiving the training they need, what is their plan for keeping them accountable to fulfill and implement this training? Is someone checking in daily? Does a leader encourage team members when they fail and celebrate alongside them when they win?

Good leaders understand that they have ownership for their team’s performance. When people are held accountable to take action on the strategies and daily disciplines they have learned, their chance of success skyrockets. Accountability is a partnership for success.

Some loan officers are motivated enough to hold themselves accountable to a high standard and put into practice the disciplines they need to succeed. However, the majority of loan officers are much more likely to get distracted when someone else is not helping to keep them focused. Most mortgage professionals need someone else to check in daily or weekly and make sure they are spending their time on the right priorities.

Managers can fill this role, though this can also be a challenge when they are still producing their own business. Another option is bringing in a third party who will hold LOs accountable while training them in best practices to grow production. No matter how it is delivered, accountability is vital for mid-performers to reach the next level of success!

Coaching

We may admire athletes, but we respect coaches. No matter how much talent is on the field, no team will ever reach their full potential without a great coach investing in each player and strategically planning for victory. This is just as true in business as it is in sports.

If leaders have loan officers who are not living up to their full potential, consider that they may be in need of a coach or mentor who can motivate them to achieve more. Finding someone who can meet them exactly where they are and work with them in real time to overcome their personal obstacles is vital. Coaching is about understanding the human psyche, going deep into the mentality of who people are, where they are and where they want to go in the future.

A coach is someone who can get people fired up. A highly respected figure, they can pull from their own experience to directly understand and motivate others. A loan officer needs someone who has been in their shoes, who knows the struggle and who has made it to the other side. When leaders invest in a great coach for their LOs, they are showing that they believe their team is capable of achieving greatness!

Repetition

At XINNIX, we have seen countless mortgage professionals experience incredible growth and transformation in their business when their leaders invest in them through training, accountability, and coaching. However, top producers can tell that one step is missing from this formula: repeating the process!

When Olympic weightlifters reach a new goal, do they say, “Well, now that I’ve done that, I never have to go back to the gym again. I am the strongest I have ever been, and I will stay this way for the rest of my life without any effort.” Obviously not. They go back to the gym the next day and keep working.

The truth is, training, accountability and coaching are not mean to be implemented only for a season. They are part of a system of growth that should be continual throughout our careers. Mortgage professionals should never stop striving to progress. This is the true secret to long-term career success.