I’ve come to accept that deep down, I want to step into my power as a creator. I understand that the part of me looking to detract my efforts, with messages about all the numerous reasons this could never work, also wants to know “how things are” or “how it is”. Since I’ve come to rely on logic and intellect for my success thus far, it wants to see the genius new product or offering and know in advance it would work in this current market to great success. But that’s not how intuition works. Intuition is an altogether different mode of awareness comparable to our usual 5 senses together our rational mind which only ever includes what we’ve always perceived.
Since my intuition has given me some sense of the final outcome, I can try to make up or guess what this could look like and start trying things out in the work I do now with every client I speak to.
I know I want to leave customers with a deep sense of being loved and appreciated as well as inspired. This seems like a tall order for a mortgage agent, especially one who has spent his career taking orders and fulfilling them at a very high level. Like they say, what got you here, won’t get you there.
I know in my heart that this starts with me putting down pretenses, the need to look successful and outwardly winning. That need for a positive “way things look” is a big weakness of mine, so letting this go is not as easy as it might look for others. The frame of mind that will lead me to success is being grounded in the abundance that surrounds me first. Then leaning into the genuine curiosity I have for others and their varied situations second. And then acting from the generosity I have for my own family, my community and all those I can touch third.
Outside of the mortgage service (direct communication about a mortgage with a client), considering that my target audience is parents with children at home, I have at least one great idea. A simple and elegant idea for a “one to many”, “loving on others with no expectation of any reciprocity” idea, is booking a local indoor playground for 1 hour of play followed by a catered somewhat healthy, picky kid friendly dinner. For my target market who struggles to find new healthy ideas to put on the table on a weeknight, fun things to do with their kids outside of school/daycare hours, and a way to tire children out before bed, this solves them all. No obligation, no cost to the client, could offer it once a month on a Tuesday or Wednesday. This also would be a move towards helping in the community. It would create emotional loyalty in an earnest way, but may also lead to clients inquiring on the mortgage side. There is no reason I can’t launch this immediately for an event here later in June.
The harder question is around the service, the conversations, the “simple to explain” differentiator, not too esoteric. One idea I had the other day was term “mortgage reset” or “mortgage checkpoint”. When you are in need a funding a mortgage (when buying a property or refinancing/renewing a mortgage at the term maturity), because it’s the largest liability and the largest asset most people ever have, it creates a natural opportunity for thinking about where you are, what has happened in the las 3 to 5 years and your direction for the next 3 to 5 years. This is a natural way to integrate a coaching/strategic conversation with the mortgage conversation. Maybe eventually I could even incorporate earning a CFP designation, as one of the steps to building a bigger vision of a family office.
All Canadians will naturally come to me and all mortgage agents and brokers as someone with an order looking for someone to fulfill their order (With the best rate and service, which is really table stakes, basic expectation). You can’t just turn away those looking to place an order. You have to use your leadership and warmth to pivot the conversation. The difficulty is navigating the conversation away from just the rate and towards the important things in life, in order to offer a professional perspective that’s helpful. Here are some questions to consider(the more context I have, the more helpful I can be):
Ask them about the term they had? Ask them how they felt about it over the term if it suited them or not? How did their spouse feel about the term?
Have you taken advantage of this natural stopping point in the mortgage and life to reflect and consider what you’re looking for in the next 3 to 5 years?
What challenges have you and the family faced in the last couple years?
Give them an example from your own life situation – breaking variable – going 3 year fixed
Example of my son who has faced a few developmental challenges (walking at 20 months)
What’s something your working towards I may be able to help with or point you in the right direction for?
Are the opportunities in the next 3 to 5 years for large investment or purchase you may need to fund? Like a stock purchase with an employer, or the buyout of a cottage or the purchase of a vehicle, or funds required for children’s education or activities?
If you had to pick between accessing the best cashflow (With the lowest payment) or the highest payment with the shortest cost of borrowing which would you pick? What does you gut tell you?
Do you hope to be mortgage free? Before or after retirement?
This is was the day to day work looks like when it’s meaningful and requires all your best energy and attention. I will try integrating this to my work every day, along with my First and 10s (I’ll explain what this is later), quarterly realtor advantage workshop, and the developing of my voice/newsletter. Until now, I have not felt secure enough to stand up and ask bold questions like the ones listed above. But I suppose this path of discomfort is the path of learning and growth.
I’m also working to get licensed as a broker as I believe that will present more favorably than mortgage agent level 2.
The other wild idea I had, which I need to include for posterity is somehow offering intuitive counselling/coaching (and getting licensed and trained for it as well). That would really take the advice to another level in depth and be really fun for me (although probably harder to replicate, maybe not, as many mortgage agents often feel like some of their work touches on psychology).
with Abundance, Curiosity and Generosity