The Collective Podcast

In this podcast, Kellen Vaughan and Sean Zalmanoff uncover the importance of effective agent outreach and the impact it can have on your success as a loan officer. They discuss the significance of segmenting agents based on their time and dedication, and why narrowing down your universe of potential clients is crucial to managing your energy efficiently.

3:30 – Kellen’s Agent Plan

6:23 – Sean’s Agent Plan

9:50 – Low Effort, High Impact Strategy

16:40 – Wrap Up

Takeaways:

Segment your agents into how much time and dedication it takes for them.

It’s important to narrow your universe down to something manageable. Then take that universe and divide it up into how you want to spend your energy.

Too little time with the wrong agents and too much time with the wrong agents is a waste of time in your business.

If you are not casting your marketing net to them then there is no other way that they will ever raise their hand and say they are interested in working with you.

Quotes:

“There has never been another time in their career with so many loan officers reaching out and trying to get in front of them.”

“I can’t be all things to all agents and go after all of them at the same time.”

“You can’t be high tough, high impact to every single individual person.”

“Details matter, what do you do, do it consistently.” 

“Gotta cast this net and be consistent with it and the goal is to stay in front of them.” 

“Sometimes you have to be really direct and ask to get their business and referral.”

“Be bold and ask for the business.”

“Make sure that time is spent as efficient as possible.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Podcast Partner: https://leadpops.com/mortgage/partners/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/ 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

In this episode, Kenneth Travis and Shane Kidwell dive into the topic of the intake call and its immense power in building trust with potential buyers. They discuss how these conversations can be used to confront the truth and establish a strong foundation of trust that can ultimately lead to successful business relationships.

2:00 – Myth Buyers are Liars

4:00 – Difference Between Perspective and Truth

16:30 – There is Always a Next Step

Takeaways:

There is often a difference between the perspective of the buyer and the truth of the numbers that loan originators have to deal with.

Having a well thought out, strategic intake conversation can help bridge this gap and build trust with the borrower.

These power conversations require balancing the borrower's perspective with the loan officer's need for accurate information.

Failing to have powerful conversations can lead to missed opportunities and lost revenue.

You have to specify achievable outcomes and the actions needed to achieve them can help ensure success.

Quotes:

“The reality is they are answering the questions to the best of their ability.”

“There is something powerful about having an intake conversation and breaking down the barrier of consumer vs business.”

“They look at us like we are a car salesman not as a trusted advisor.” 

“Be relatable, be likeable and work as hard as you can to become their friend.”

“Take it to completion, do not leave anything unresolved when you are having an intake call.”

“There is always a next step in the conversation. You have to follow up your phone conversation with an email list of instructions for your buyer.”

“They lose a sale because they had poor conversations with the buyer.”

“It’s little tweaks in our conversation that is going to influence a buyers trust in us.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Podcast Partner: https://leadpops.com/mortgage/partners/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/ 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

In this week's episode, join Kenneth Travis and Sean Zalmanoff as they discuss the crucial role of follow-up strategies in building strong relationships with realtors. It’s important to focus on what makes you different from other originators and show realtors the benefits they have working with you and helping them see their blind spots in their business.

4:05 – Follow Up Strategy 

7:00 – 80/20 Rule

16:44 – Creating Your Image

Takeaways:

You have to focus on what makes you different, you want to be a trusted advisor and show them the benefits they have working with you. 

Think about the image that you want to portray. You don’t want to be unapproachable or salesy.

Build their trust and help them with their business and actively listen to what they need and adjust the conversation accordingly.

Realtors fall in one of two camps. One is in the camp of needing more traffic and two is in the camp of needing more time.

Quotes:

“It takes more referral relationships to close the same amount of business than it has in years past.”

“You have to have this emotional intelligence to sell them on the differences and the benefits that you have to be able to help them see things inside of their own business that they haven’t paid attention to before.”

“A lot of other loan officers are groveling and begging for business and not actually providing value.”

“You’re not getting business from this meeting. All the money is in the follow up.”

“If you do not change the strategy with the follow up, you’re missing out.”

“What are you doing as an originator to go above and beyond for your real estate agents.” 

“I meet with more people that do not work with me than I do with ones that do work with me. But there is still value in meeting with them and building that relationship.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Podcast Partner: https://leadpops.com/mortgage/partners/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/ 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

In this week's episode, Kenneth Travis and Kellen Vaughan discuss an important aspect of achieving success - embracing discomfort. They highlight the significance of enduring hardships in today's market, so that when the market improves, you will already be that much more ahead of your competition. 

4:30 – KTs Race Day

19:27 – Lessons Learned

26:36 – Final Lesson Wrap Up

Takeaways:

You have to be willing to go through the pain and discomfort in your business in order to succeed.

Running in the snow and the rain makes running on the sunny days that much easier.

You have to go through the hard times right now during today’s market and do the things that make you uncomfortable and when the market gets better you are going to be that much further and life becomes really easy at that point.

Never stop learning, you have to constantly push yourself and sharpen your axe.

You’re going to pay for it either way. You will pay for it with trial and error, or you will pay for it with a group of people who will be there for you and grab you when you fall down.

Quotes:

“A lot of times we underestimate what abilities we have.”

“We have to push ourselves and test the boundaries.”

“We can always do more than we think we can – we have to embrace and push through the discomfort.”

“Anything that is worth doing is going to be hard.”

“The only thing that saved me was having a very strong mindset.”

“When things get hard and business dies down you have to have that mindset of being able to perform at a higher level and maintain that mental toughness.”

“When you are not prepared but you have a strong mindset you can still have success.”

“The community of people around you is what sets you apart.” 

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Podcast Partner: https://leadpops.com/mortgage/partners/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/ 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/ 

In this week's episode, Shane Kidwell and Sean Zalmanoff, co-founders of Next Level, share their insights on how to engage in more organic conversations and attract additional applications during an unstable market. They introduce their 3, 2, 1 Strategy, which involves focusing on specific actions that matter and making them non-negotiables in your day-to-day. By following this strategy for 30 days, they guarantee that you will receive an additional application.

1:14 – 3,2,1 Strategy Introduction

13:41 – The 2 in 3,2,1 Strategy 

20:36 – The 1 in 3,2,1 Strategy

Takeaways: 

Being intentional with your business and building your sphere will help you succeed in this unstable market.

In today’s digital world you are the brand, so you need to make sure you are engaging in conversations.

By making these genuine connections you can help people feel good. And by helping people feel good and making money while doing it, you’re more likely to keep this going for 30 days or longer.

Make sure not to overthink this strategy. One thing you’re doing can be used two to three different times within different media depending on who you are targeting.

Quotes:

“There's nothing more important when you’re an originator in an unstable market than having a clear plan.”

“You can have great effort but if you’re running in circles you’re not going very far.”

“We can guarantee that if you do this for the next 30 days you are going to get an additional application.”

“The number one thing lacking in originators business right now is having enough organic conversations.”

“The art of being a top producing salesman/woman is creating engagement with people and building your sphere.”

“Do everything with intention and you will grow your business.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Podcast Partner: https://leadpops.com/mortgage/partners/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/ 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/ 

In this episode, Kenneth Travis and Sean Zalmanoff talk about the importance of trusting the process in order to achieve success. There is a process that needs to be followed in order to become great, and it requires a willingness to put in the work and do the less exciting tasks that no one sees.

1:18 – ATMs
6:30 – KT’s Early Days of Building a Team
11:45 – Setting up Systems and Processes
16: 50 – Recap

Takeaways:

Prioritize your day at the beginning and focus on the money-making activities first in order to set yourself up for success.

Trust the process and do the things that nobody sees so that down the road you have a big level of success.

Success is not an overnight thing you can attain. You have to trust the process and do the less exciting tasks in order to reach this success.

Leadership is not about being everyone’s savior or doing everything for everyone. You must learn to delegate and empower them in order to create the time you need to get the important tasks done.

Have to do the money-making activities more often than not. Give yourself the grace and have a plan.

Anything worth doing is going to be hard but if you trust the process and stay in the grind and stay focused you will succeed.

Quotes:

“I think a lot of loan officers in the marketplace check the box to check the box but it’s not impactful.”

“It has to be impactful.”

“You think you’re busy until you get a better understanding of what busy really looks like.”

“It’s a process, you will get better and better at it as you go.”

“A coach is going to tell you what you do not want to hear sometimes but the truth is, but the reality is this, you are lazy.”

“Everyone wants to be great, but they do not have what it takes to reach that level of greatness.”

“There is nothing sexy about the day to day sometimes.”

“It’s the times that no one sees, it’s the weeknight reading the weekend readings, the little activities you do that are not sexy.”

“You’re either changing and progressing or you’re dying. Its up to you to choose which camp you’re in.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Podcast Partner: https://leadpops.com/mortgage/partners/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/ 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/ 

On this episode, Dan Munford Branch Manager of Benchmark Mortgage, joins Shane Kidwell and Kellen Vaughan to talk about how to add value to your database. Dan discusses how to categorize your database into 5-star groups to determine what you can do to provide value for them.

2:08 – Dan Munford’s Background

3:28 – Database

4:36 – Meet with Your Database

9:46 – Affinity Network

13:18 – Static and Dynamic

Takeaways:

Owning your database and the real estate partnerships are the fundamentals that a lot of us forget to nourish and master in order to grow and sustain our business.

Helping your past clients add value in their profession will help them to be more likely to refer you more business.

Creating this personal network and brand of five-star services helps bring more continuous business to each party within the network.

The more people you know and hang out with the more your business starts to grow.

It’s great to be able to do business with people you already know and have a relationship with.

Adding value to your database will create referrals.

Quotes:

“Instead of calling your database, you’re going to meet with your database.”

“The goal here is: let’s use all of the tools that we have that are free.”

“Because we are bringing them business no one needs a coupon because we are bringing value.”

“Adding value creates referrals.”

“The goal is to add value.”

“We got to get creative and use the free tools we have at our disposal.”

“The more people you hang out with the more your business starts to grow.”

“Think about the compound effect the compound could be huge.” 

“Don’t we want to do business with the people that we love and care about?”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Podcast Partner: https://leadpops.com/mortgage/partners/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/ 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/ 

On this episode, Kellen Vaughan and Sean Zalmanoff talk about getting back to basics. You have to be willing to do what other loan officers are unwilling to do. Doing some simple tasks, such as picking up the phone, can be the difference between success and failure.

3:43 – back to basics

10:53 – generational phone adverse

11:18 – power of conversation

12:16 – make a commitment 

Takeaways: 

Every deal counts. Every deal matters right now.

Do the things that make you uncomfortable first. Get it done, knock it out and make your life easy and close business.

There is a power that comes with hearing someone’s voice on the phone and a power of conversation.

For some the fear of talking and picking up the phone is greater than the pain of failure, the pain of disappointing your family, the pain of bankruptcy.

Doing these simple tasks that others are unwilling to do will be the difference of having loans in three months. 

Quotes: 

“There is some amazing green pasture ahead of us.”

“If you do some simple tasks to close enough loans to pay your bills – the nails in the coffins that are going to be put into many originators – some companies that you would like to see go by the way side are going to be immense come fall time and that means when rates do come down within the next 8-18 months you are going to print money.”

“It’s the difference of having loans in three months versus being a smiling, people greeter at Walmart in three months.”

“Do what other loan officers are unwilling to do.” 

“A few weeks, months from now good chance their lender is going to go out of business and you are going to be there to pick it up.”

“Genuinely can communicate better when you hear someone’s voice and you hear the inflection and hear the tone.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Podcast Partner: https://leadpops.com/mortgage/partners/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/ 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/ 

On this episode Shane Kidwell and Sean Zalmanoff discuss the industry lies vs the industry truths. There is still a lot of business to be had in today’s market. Be high class and provide a high-class experience and you will not just succeed you will build the base to thrive within months in the industry.

2:45 Hitting Reset

3:05 The Changing Market

4:45 Sean’s Originator Experience

8:45 Industry Lies vs Industry Truths

16:45 Automation

20:40 Winners

Takeaways:

You have to decide how you want to navigate your weekend work. Never working weekends does not work when your business partners are working weekends.

Value matters to everyone. You don’t have to be the cheapest, but you do have to bring exceptional value everyday. If you do not, you are going to lose time and time again and then you will be out of the business.

Automation isn't going away. However, AI is never going to take over exceptional service people.

Lies and the truths are there no matter what, but the winners are going to take those truths and embrace that and master those things.

Quotes:

"The further we get away from 2020, 2021 and beginning of 2022 the more we realize that it wasn’t real. We are getting back to a real market, doing real business the fundamentals of being a real top producer."

"If you say you aren’t successful, then you won't be."

"You aim the boat in the direction you want to go before you ever hit that landing, that port of entry."

"They're not taking your job; you’re giving it away."

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com

Podcast Partner: https://rebeliq.com

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

Next Level Loan Officers brings you in-depth conversations with the top mortgage team leaders, executives and branch managers in the country. We also feature mastermind sessions with influential coaches, consultants, experts and speakers. All so you can build the right team, systems and technology to scale your mortgage team to a hundred million without losing your YOU.

The market doesn’t have to dictate your success if you take action to reset what is important. On this episode Shane and Sean Z discuss the three steps you can take today to reset your success in a down market. 

1:30 The tough reality

4:30 Planting seeds

6:30 Hitting reset

9:35 Events

15:36 Making an impact

19:45 Education 

Takeaways:

You are building for success in the future even if you aren’t seeing success now. 

First reset step was being the digital mayor with content creation.

Money is nice, but sometimes the stress isn’t worth it.

Second reset step was putting on thoughtful events.

With events you need to have a cadence, make a commitment, and create connections.

There will always be challenges, but you have to commit to see your actions trough.

Create connections with people, regardless of the medium.

The third reset step is education. 

Crowdsource information so you can find out where and how you can help. 

If you offer a program, you should be an expert on that program.

Quotes:

“The reality is that we live in a boom or bust economy in the mortgage industry.”

“Whether you are at a high or a low, resets are important.”

“The number one thing you can control is your mind and thoughts.”

“I needed to get in front of influencers. Someone that can influence my pocketbook now or in the future.”

“You have to continue to action in order to build traction.”

“The actual event is not the goal, it is the the relationship and connection created at the event.”

“One thing that originators fail at is that they don’t ask enough good questions.”

“Impact is going to come through connection.”

Show Links:

April 27th Event:  https://nl.nextlevello.com/next-level-live-dfw-20221675870300638

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Podcast Partner: https://rebeliq.com

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/