Ninety percent of this business is about showing up. Showing up on time. Returning that call on time. Being on time. My company logo is the Minuteman, named after the Massachusetts minuteman law of 1645, which required “every company commander to have 30% of his unit ready with full packs, ammunition, etc., and capable of turning out for active duty on a half hour’s notice”. Ok, so I’m not indifferent about the subject. Here comes the rant.
Three out of every four of the buyer’s call captures I return and talk to are willing to set an appointment with my LO by the end of the call. I don’t believe that’s because I’m particularly gifted on the phone [I’m not], I believe it’s more a product of the fact that the call is returned exactly ten minutes after the inquiry. And so this success is a direct result of being on time.
I don’t take appointments for loan aps outside of the office anymore, but when I did, I would always get to the appointment a few minutes early, park my car around the corner and wait to drive in and show up exactly on time.
If I say I’ll call you at 12:30 PM then that means I won’t call you at 12:29 or 12:31 PM. Your phone will ring at 12:30 PM with my number on the other end.
I’m not perfect, but I’m on time. I believe this is fundamental to being a professional and builds trust with your client and future referral source. Having said all of the above let me share something with you that happened on Friday.
Friday I make an appointment for one of my LOs with a potential new client to discuss financing for a PMM. I tell the client, my LO will call you in the next thirty-minutes. The LO is sitting next to me as I’m setting this telephone appointment and I give the LO the lead.
Forty-five minutes later, I ask the LO how the call went.
He tells me he hasn’t called him yet.
What are your thoughts about being on time? Does anyone here work banker’s hours?
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Paul,
What a great post from my perspective this morning. I had the Monday blahs until I read your post. The reason you chose your brand “Minuteman” is new to this old guy! My history teacher didn’t tell me that; I’ll apply it to every hour of my workday. Thanks!
p.s. It’s good to see you posting again on Lenderama; we had missed you for awhile!
Awesome. I worked in an office where the rules were absolute. If you failed to return a call within an hour you were fired. Simple as that. It always amazes me when people neglect the most simple part of their job, doing what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it. Had a repair guy show up 5 hours (with no call) late for a scheduled appt this weekend, I had other plans and told him to leave and I’d get someone else who would honor appointment times. He acted shocked that someone would hold him to his commitment. If we can adhere to higher standards in our industry I think that’s just great.
This post hits upon one of my pet peeves. I dislike people who do not respect others time and are always late. In an elementary school every single minute is accounted for…lunch is from 11:42-12:12. If you do not show up on time you have less time to eat…there are consequences …What happened to consequences?
I once witness an RE Agent tell a LO, “Why should I assume you could ever get my buyers closed on time if you cant even get to this interview when you promised?”
The interview was to take the application. The app went to another LO.
Mike & Gina, thanks for the comments. I feel Todd’s raised the bar when you two showed up here on Lenderama; I like it, the industry needs it, now all we have to do is get Chris posting more often and this RE Blog will be running perfect! Chris, where are ya?
Christiane, thanks for the comments and it looks like Todd explained the LO’s consequences in the following post…
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