by Sandy Intraversato
When it comes to change, one challenging thing to overcome is the human desire to remain comfortable, even when something isn’t working for us anymore. We stay at jobs that aren’t fulfilling, avoid difficult conversations in pursuit of harmony (artificial as it may be), and keep in the safe lane versus taking a calculated risk.
As the mortgage industry continues to evolve, so do the technologies to optimize customer experience and automate processes and workflows. In my work with mortgage professionals, the transition to a sophisticated, fully-automated customer experience keeps people up at night. The pace, the amount of unlearning and relearning, and overall busyness create roadblocks to progress.
The case for change, however, is becoming harder to ignore. Dave Savage, CEO of Mortgage Coach, is a neighbor and my foremost resource for understanding what it takes to be what he calls the modern mortgage professional. He shared some compelling statistics about tech tools and links used by top producers, those individuals who originate over 100 loans a year:
– 90 percent use CRM to keep promises at scale
– 80 percent provide clients a POS link to take an app
– 30 percent use Mortgage Coach to give advice
– 20 percent use Zoom to connect and communicate
Other crucial technologies include automated scheduling (e.g., Calendly), video messaging (e.g., BombBomb), and reputation management platforms. Though I’ve had many angst-filled conversations about social media with clients, many top producers don’t use social media strategically, according to Savage. The message: digital doesn’t equal social media.
So, what’s one to do when mentally you’ve made the case to increase your use of technology, but behaviorally, you’re not taking action or keeping pace?
Use this math: VxD + FS> R = C
I picked up this formula in Jim Dethmer’s book, The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, and it’s a powerful tool for change, whether it’s personal, professional, or organizational. Pull this out anytime you, your team, or your company isn’t making headway or are stuck in unproductive patterns.
In the formula, change is defined as an act of willingness, not knowing how or wanting to change. One can think about change or realize one needs to change, but it takes the will to start, persevere, and complete the process. It’s a cousin to willpower, the control it takes to do or not do something.
Resistance, the R, needs to be recognized for it to be overcome. In his book, The War of Art, author Steve Pressfield calls Resistance, “the dark force that rises up to block us from doing what we most need to do.” It stifles creativity, whether it’s writing a book, growing your business, or any form of expressing our genius.
