Things Top Producers Do
How Loan Officers Can Take Control of Their Time
Are you feeling stressed out in your loan officer career? Does it seem like the pressure never lets up? Like you never have enough time to do everything you need to do? Are you being pulled in a hundred different directions all at once?
Being a loan officer can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Learn to be intentional with your time, and you will experience freedom, not constant anxiety and distress.
Be Proactive, Not Reactive
When you are proactive with your business, you start each day with a plan. You know what you need to do, and you set aside time to complete it. Proactivity allows an adequate amount of time to complete each task and does not leave room for distractions.
Proactivity is:
- disciplined
- directed
- undistracted
The other choice we have is to act reactively in business. You sit down to complete a task but get distracted by a new text message, phone call, or email. If you take the time to answer it, you’ve just lost the flow of your work. Even if you ignore it, you might not be able to get it off your mind. This hinders productivity.
Stick To Your Calendar
We’re used to putting big things on our calendars like appointments, meetings, and closings. But, if you want to be proactive, put those distracting practices on your calendar as well. And don’t engage in them until your calendar says you can.
For example, instead of checking email each time a new one arrives and alerts you, block out two times per day to check and respond to email. Say, 11:00-11:30am and 4:00-4:30pm. Two 30-minute time windows should be sufficient to tackle anything from the day. Set an autoresponder that states you are checking emails twice per day for efficiency and to call in case of an emergency.
Email is a black hole and can be a huge energy and time suck, but only if you let it.
Create Interruption-Free Zones
One of the great things about a loan officer career is that you get to set your own schedule. Unlike many other careers, you have the freedom to block off time to work that is free from interruptions. Creating these spaces of time to focus on work can greatly increase productivity and organization. When working in these “interruption-free” zones, it is possible to get more done and it helps you to work proactively instead of reactively.
You’ve already dealt with the black hole of email. Incoming phone calls have a solution as well. Instead of answering every call that comes in, have your calls routed to your office. You don’t need to send anyone to voicemail. Just have someone who answers the phone on your behalf. If it’s a call you need to respond to personally, your assistant will let the client know you’ll call them back at your first opportunity. If someone wants to begin the loan process, they can go to the app on the internet, and an associate can help them get started.
You can take control of your time. You can cut down your loan officer hours and make more money than ever before. Put some simple strategies in place, hire some help, and you will be on your way to freedom. Remember: your time is what creates your income, so value it, protect it, and treasure it.
If the thought of trying to manage your time overwhelms you, I get it. I’d love to help you get started on implementing some proactive time management strategies. Click HERE to schedule a FREE no-strings-attached strategy call with me TODAY.
