If The Phone Doesn't Ring It's Me
If the phone doesn't ring it's me! Written by Jimmy Buffet, Will Jennings, and Jimmy Utley, this song has absolutely nothing to do with sales but the title sure does. When I first heard this song I realized that the title summed up my biggest fears - no calls. And no calls equals no business. Maybe I'll re-title the song, "If the phone doesn't ring, it's my client."
I can't be the only one out there thinking this so whether you're a loan officer, a real estate agent, an insurance broker, etc., it doesn't matter. We all have our professions but our number one job, our number one priority, is to make the phones ring. It's only after the phone rings do we get to do practice our professions and write a mortgage, list a house, or write someone an insurance policy.
At the beginning of my career I believed that if I were the most knowledgeable loan officer with the best technology and knows the investor and underwriting guidelines inside and out, then by virtue of the time that I put into being a true student of the industry I would be the very best and my sales would surely skyrocket.
There is some truth to knowing your business inside and out. However, as a premise for increasing sales, it's not about what you know, it's more like who you know and what you are doing about getting in their face- figuratively and literally. Boiled down, it's all about building relationships. It's as simple as that- right?.
Sales isn't rocket science. This is not a derogatory comment towards any of us but we all know individuals that we see in our respective fields and scratch our heads asking ourselves how they get out of their own way. As a matter of fact, I don't consider myself the smartest guy in the world but I've worked alongside of some individuals that are truly dumb as rocks. I'm not passing judgment here- but I truly don't know how they drive to work some days without getting lost. Yet, somehow a few of these individuals seem to be able to make the phones ring.
And what is it that they are doing different from you or your colleague in the same office? They have found what I call their "relationship building" strength and they are maximizing this, over and over, and over again. They are using what they know makes the phones ring and continually driving in business.
Have you given much thought to what your "relationship building" strength is? Do you know what works best for you? Go maximize your strength. And remember, you have control over getting your own phone to ring.
Michael Dunsky
Vice President of Mortgage Lending
Guaranteed Rate, Inc
38 Pond Street, Suite 208
Franklin, MA 02038
508.528.1800 x1 direct
It is so true that we are responsible for our own success! Whether the phone rings or not can be a tell tale sign of an usually quiet office. My boyfriend Tyler is a financial specialist for AllState and he told me once about how QUIET the phone was in one the agent's offices. The sales volume shows why, so they definitely correlate in some way!
Keep smiling!
Karen
Thank Karen! I couldn't agree more. Waiting for the phone to ring works for some, but definitely not for me. :)
Mike....welcome to ActiveRain and I really enjoyed your post....I'll comment by saying that I've never waited for the phone to ring.....an agent needs to make it ring...I have done that over the years with a combination of direct mail marketing, print advertising in the past and blogging NOW for the present and into the future....ActiveRain is a networking platform that has been a successful tool for me and my team and the more you blog, the better the success....welcome and I hope to read more.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for the kind words and the advice. It's so true- everyone in sales needs to "make it happen" and not "let it happen." I'm incorporating ActiveRain into my business practice and hope to reap the benefits you have seen. Wish you continued success and thanks again for your support!
Mike congrats on your 1st post! You are right it is not so much about what you know it is about building trust and relationships.
Thanks Bill! Appreciate the feedback!
Great post Michael. Well said.
Aaron
Hi Aaron- Glad you liked the post and thanks for the kind words~
Hi Michael, Great words of wisdom. Having people call me directly is something I've yet to have success with, but will work towards making that happen. Thanks for the great post.
The best way to make the phone ring is to dial out...using your sphere of influence and staying in touch regularly keeps you on the top of their minds and when they think real estate they think YOU which equals referrals!
Exactly! Too many people in sales sit around and wait. i'm astounded by this... And the funny thing is, I know people that are moderately successful and DON'T outbound or have much in the way of a systemized marketing plan! Imagine what their business would look like if they put togerther a strategic marketing approach of calls, print, and electronic marketing??? They are in that "dangerous" spot of being good now, when they can be absolutely KILLER if they just put a little more effort into marketing! Thanks very much for the feedback~