Over the last year, we have had some incredible contributions through our column, Ask the Experts. We encourage you to visit previous issues and read all of our experts’ comments, we wanted to highlight a few of our favorites as we close out the year:

On facing obstacles…

First, Define the Obstacle. The first step in overcoming an obstacle is to truly understand it. What problem are you trying to solve? Don’t focus on just the symptoms. It’s easier to address the symptoms, but you won’t truly overcome the obstacle that way. Get to the root cause and address it at the core. Next, Focus on What’s in Your Control.  Don’t waste your energy on what you can’t control or change. Focus on what you can change. Finally, Be Tenacious. Don’t let fear or doubt take over. Be persistent. Change is hard. But in the end, absolutely worth it!

Dawn Bradshaw, SVP / Chief Mortgage Marketing Officer, Wintrust Mortgage

I think the worst thing I do when facing an obstacle is nothing; it’s too easy to procrastinate and put it on the back burner when facing something difficult! I start by removing myself from the situation and go to the club and get on a treadmill or go for a long walk. It’s amazing how much easier it is to find clarity when you’re removed from the situation! From there I find peace with the fact that there is no “perfect” solution and there are a number of ways to formulate a positive outcome. Lastly, I put my head down and get it done.

Catherine Kirchner, VP Retail Strategy, U.S Bank Home Mortgage

On modern marketing…

Modern marketing means delivering an omni-channel, personalized experience to each customer based on their needs.  As we look to 2019 and beyond, marketers need to embrace and utilize the myriad of data-forward tools at our disposal. Segmentation is paramount right now, creating a very individual and unique experience for each prospect will become the norm..

I believe that when we truly match the customers’ needs to the advertising, information, prompts and reminders in a personalized and meaningful way … everyone wins. We have the tools to accomplish this, we just need to invest the time and effort to harness them.

Corey Trujillo, Consulting Marketing Leader at AFN, and Chief Maven at Synergy Maven

Modern marketing is about being where the consumer wants you to be.  Mortgage companies are challenged to be mobile friendly, use text messaging, and be nimble enough to create a multi-channel experience that is consistent and memorable at every encounter.  When you layer on the complexity and the dryness of a home loan transaction, it’s an additional challenge to present branding that reinforces the security of a strong financial institution combined with forward-thinking brightness and boldness.  There is so much opportunity for marketers in this space, especially at organizations with supportive leadership and a fully integrated tech stack.

Robin Clayton, VP Marketing – South Pacific Financial Corporation

On storytelling…

Storytelling is the latest method we Marketers are using to convey the value of our company’s products and services. We used to provide our Reasons to Believe in quick bullets wrapped in relevant static imagery, but now we’re guiding our customers through what we hope is a compelling, engaging yet short story that captures their attention and wallet share. As Marketers, it’s important to our company’s continued growth that we evolve our methods to reach our audience.

We can’t stop at storytelling though. This singular approach still doesn’t get us all the way there to maximizing our revenue growth opportunity even with segmentation and personalization. May I be bold and say the next layer is to incorporate “code switching” into our storytelling to speak our truths in ways that appeal to each of our audience groups vs. a blanket story for all.

PS: What is code switching you ask? Code Switching is when you switch the language you use to one that your recipient uses in order to better get your message across…examples of this would be how we talk amongst our friends, or talk with our boss, or talk with a service provider. We switch out the language and tone we use depending on whom we’re talking to – code switching!

Melanie Marsh – Director of Digital Marketing, Movement Mortgage

When I started in the mortgage industry in the 1980s, there were few women in banking, especially in my area of interest—the IT space. And, at that time, career advancement was more about who you knew than what you knew, with leadership positions predominately held by men.

So much progress has been made to change that entire storyline as our industry embraces gender equality, fair pay based on role, equal opportunity and access to career advancement as well as training and education. But to keep up the momentum and continue to change that narrative, we need to continue to lead by example and be ready and willing to mentor and support the next generations.

And, if you’re that generation aspiring to become a future leader, be active in visualizing that goal. Volunteer to assist with projects that will give you exposure and sharpen your skills. Be active and present in meetings. Serve those you lead with honesty, integrity, and most of all, always try to do the right thing.

Tammy Richards – Chief Operating Officer, loanDepot