Mortgage Technology and Beyond: Scotty Says ...John D. Svirskymortgage technology, customer service
The observant among you may have noticed a new picture to
accompany this months article. And, since I had used the previous
picture for more than five years, some of you may even be thinking,
Its about time this guy begins to age! However, the reality is,
most of you probably did not notice at all, but what the hell ...
it's fun to speculate.
Whether you realized it or not, my picture now features Chairdog
of the Board, Scotty, a nine-year-old Cavalier King Charles
Spaniel. Scotty accompanies me to work every day, and I would like
to share some of the thoughts he has about the mortgage business.
He is hoping that you get the message much quicker than I did ...
(he says that I'm a very slow learner). First and foremost, Scotty
believes that there is a time to play and a time to work. If it
happens to be time to work, greet every client with a smile and a
wagging tail. I told him that I dont have a tail to wag, but he
only said, Just make every client feel like they are the most
important thing in your life. Be completely present, and listen to
the customer before you respond.
Scotty also advises against wasting time on people who do not
appreciate your services. For example, every day FedEx, UPS and
Airborne delivery persons come to the office. In the beginning, the
UPS man would bring Scotty a dog bone along with my deliveries. A
funny thing began to happenScotty would wake from a sound sleep and
run to the door whenever the brown UPS truck arrived, even before
the driver reached the door. In the beginning, he would sleep
through the FedEx and Airborne deliveries, because they didnt offer
him anything. Once I informed the FedEx courier about Scottys
penchant for UPS deliveries, he began bringing Scotty a bone as
well.
Scotty says that giving and making people happy is contagious,
one bone at a time. Since he's a pack animal, Scotty makes the
deliveryman fight with him over the bone before he will eat it, and
every day, both men (who are both over 50) laugh like they were
little boys again. There is something about playing that brings out
the best in all of us, and Scotty has shown me to be more playful
with my clients as well. Sure, its business, but there is no reason
why we can't have fun at the same time. By putting your energy
towards prosperity, before you know it, that prosperity will
attract more prosperity. (By the way, he still does not make an
effort to see the Airborne person, because no matter how hard he
tried, they refused to bring him a bone.) As things are, I have now
had to put Scotty on a diet; too many bones during the day. He
should learn to save some bones for later, just as we Mortgage
Brokers should be saving for tomorrow, as well as spending
today.
Another of Scottys attributes is, when he picks up a scent, he
is tenacioushe will stay with that scent until he finds the animal.
In our business, a scent is a referralif the prospect has any
potential at all, stick with them. How many times can we go back to
our old databases and search for refinances? Something that I have
not had the time to do, but hope to this year, is go back to all of
those rejected deals and try to help them now. Our databases are
our most important asset, but most of us utilize them in a very
limited manner. Scotty really knows how to turn up the heat in
order to find what he is looking fordo you?
Whenever I work too hard or too long, Scotty will not stop
barking until I take some time out to playmaybe well go for a walk,
or just play a silly game of tug of war. With Scotty's help, I have
learned to take many breaks during the day. Amazingly, I usually
get more work done, because I am more rejuvenated after a break
than if I had plowed through the problem without stopping.
After years of me bringing Scotty to my office, the book dealer
across the hall began bringing his Boxer, Winston, to work every
day. At first, they fought (despite Scottys small stature), but
after a while, Winston began to respect Scottys territory.
Similarly, I am a single-person shop competing against all the big
shops. Many of you can relateI protect my territory and my clients
by providing them with more than they ask for and giving them the
best service possible. But don't we all say that? You need to
distinguish yourself from the big broker shopsfight for your
territory, even if your competition towers over you.
One last thing that Scotty has observed: Fun is contagious. Once
you start, everyone around you wants to get into the act. Always
thank each and every client for their business, and make them feel
welcome and relaxedtheyll want to come back again and again. I
appreciate you reading my articles over the past seven years. As
always, please let Scotty and I know what you think, and dont
hesitate to send us any mortgage-related products that you would
like to see reviewed.
John D. Svirsky is past Technology Chair of the New York
Association of Mortgage Brokers, a volunteer firefighter, avid
cigar enthusiast, and has been in business for approximately 20
years. He may be reached by phone at (845) 424-3388 or e-mail
[email protected].
