| You have probably heard a thousand times, that | | | | You might have noticed that Wal-Mart uses greeters |
| mortgages is a people business. You have to go out | | | | in each of its stores. This is a person that stands by |
| and meet people. You have to know a lot of people. | | | | the doors and says hello when you walk in. This was |
| The more you know and talk to the better. | | | | not Sam's idea. In fact the greeter is there to make |
| But what happens if you are shy and you just do | | | | sure no one walks out with any merchandise. |
| not feel comfortable approaching strangers and | | | | But Sam did use his technique in Wal-Mart. One year |
| starting up conversations? Either you find another job | | | | near the holidays he had an idea and broadcast it to |
| or you find a way to get around this hurdle. | | | | all the stores and all the associates via their satellite |
| Many loan officers that have this problem hide in their | | | | system. He asked them do do something. He asked |
| offices. They find ways to generate loans without | | | | them that anytime they came within 10 feet of a |
| having to do much interaction with customers: | | | | customer in a store they should greet them and ask |
| websites, direct mail, call capture systems. And these | | | | them if they needed any help. |
| all work. But they work better when you back them | | | | Such a simple concept. Yet it worked. There are no |
| up with people marketing: seminars, personal visits, | | | | numbers. But once they started doing it, Wal-Mart |
| networking, database marketing. | | | | rose faster to overtake KMart and Sears in sales and |
| I just had a student in my Jump Start Your Mortgage | | | | stores. |
| Career E-Class ask me how he can be more | | | | Can you do the same? Even if you are shy? Sure |
| comfortable meeting and interacting with new people. | | | | you can. |
| And here is what I told him. | | | | Just say hello to people that come within a few feet |
| When Sam Walton (founder of Wal-Mart) was a | | | | of you. You don't have to yell across the street |
| small town merchant he got everyone in town to like | | | | unless you want to. But if you see someone near |
| him. He did this in a very simple way. He said hello to | | | | you, in an elevator, a doctor's office, a subway |
| everyone. Didn't matter if he knew them or not, he | | | | station, anywhere. Just look them in the eye, and |
| just said hello to them. He greeted them before they | | | | say 'Hello'. |
| had a chance to greet him. And by doing this, people | | | | Do this for a couple months and it will become a |
| started liking him. They started asking their friends | | | | habit that will be hard to break. Mainly because it is |
| who he was. And they started going to his store. | | | | fun. And hopefully profitable as well! |