The Personal X-Factor

By now you may have heard the news about mellohome. If you have, then you may also know that the landscape of the mortgage industry is changing, specifically in how both realtors and lenders engage with customers. mellohome reorganizes the process that a home purchase customer would typically engage with technology, realtors and lenders. It is unique, innovative, solves a challenge in the market and provides opportunity for all parties involved.

For me, the release of mellohome triggered memories from my loan officer days around networking and growing my business (things a large amount of us can relate to). As I reminisced on these memories I was reminded of the importance of having a 'Personal X-Factor'. Now, before we get too far let's make something clear. When producing, I was not your highest producing loan officer. I didn't have the experience in loans that others had and initially my approach wasn't as polished as others. What I can tell you though, is that the commitment that I made to my 'Personal X-Factor' is ultimately what led me from being a loan officer in our company to where I am today.

At the beginning of my career with loanDepot, I was already in a market where my team owned the purchase market (shout out to both Mike Towery and Sheryl Friend-Masterson for this success). For brand recognition, I had it made. However, my focus was on the business that our team didn't already have. This led to a smaller pool of referral partners that I had to network with. A large majority of the people I would meet with were new realtors that were just as hungry for new business as I was. What was my pitch when I met with potential referral partners though? "I have excellent customer service." or, "Our price/rates are extremely competitive." or, "I will always close on time.". Aren't these the non-negotiables in our business? Instead, I needed to be innovative and create a unique way to solve a common problem that existed for my audience; similar to what mellohome is actively doing now.

Instead of taking the typical approach, I changed to be more servant based. Instead of going into a situation looking for something out of it, I came to the table trying to meet the needs of the person sitting across from me. An amazing thing happens when you have genuine interest in other people's stories and you allow them to talk! They actually tell you exactly what you need to know in order to build a successful relationship with them. The key is in how we actively participate in listening to engage with others and turn crucial conversations into success stories.

My 'Personal X-Factor' became my ability to connect with people and understand the challenges to help all parties involved with their overall success. Once I set myself on this path I began to enter meetings with an open mind and changed my thinking to always be solution based. From this, people became more willing to bring me in as a resource and granted me opportunity to educate and cause positive change. 

If you are in a place where you are not satisfied with the results you are getting and you want to grow in your business or your career, might I challenge you to something? Create your own 'Personal X-Factor' and become an invaluable asset to your company and to others. A friend and mentor of mine always told me that the best strategy is the one that gets executed. Creating a strategy on how you differentiate yourself from others is only part of the journey. Executing the plan is the more difficult piece and sometimes a painful part of the growth process. 

As many of you have seen or heard by now, Nick Foles provided a motivating word to the media after Quarterbacking his Eagles Super Bowl victory over the Patriots just over a week ago. I completely agree with what he said and hope you gain the same perspective from his words and this article. To summarize, you shouldn't be afraid to fail. Failing is one of the best parts of growing and building character. The world is there for the taking and we live in an amazing country that provides you the opportunity for unlimited success. You just have to find a style that resonates with your audience and helps you achieve your goals!