You Don't Have a Discipline Problem. You Need a Better Way.

I want to let you off the hook today. You don't have a discipline problem. You have what it takes. There may just be a better way.

I got on the phone this week with a dear friend of mine. We've known each other 15 or 20 years in the same market. He's a great producer. Works with high end clients. Steady business for years. You can go to the bank on what he's going to close.

I asked him to map out his next 12 months with me. What does he know he could be doing? And the first thing out of his mouth was: I know I can do this. The problem is I've got a discipline problem.

The Gap Is Three Loans a Month

I asked Ken what that meant. He said he knows that if he just followed up with his past clients, he'd close at least three more loans a month. These aren't hard calls. These are people who know him, like him, and trust him. And he just doesn't make them.

He's not lacking discipline. He shows up every day. He makes calls. He's closing business. He has a team. He just thinks it's discipline because the only thing he's ever heard is: you're not making your calls, make more calls and you'd get more business. That's coaching at you, not with you.

Leverage Is Time or Money

How do I know you won't make those calls? You haven't. You know what to do, and you've consistently not done it. That's not because you're a bad person or not good enough. Those are limiting beliefs. Nobody taught you there's a better way.

Leverage is one of two things: time or money. When you're already closing good business, take a little of the money and use it to get done what you otherwise won't do yourself.

And those calls get easier when someone else makes them. If somebody says no, they're not rejecting your team member, and they're not rejecting you personally. There's separation.

The Team Member's Call

A quick reintroduction, a thank you, a little conversation, and the ask. With a simple framework, the thing that has been my friend's nemesis for years can be solved in minutes.

It Works. I'm Doing It Right Now.

I have a team member who calls about 225 of my past clients and spends eight to 12 hours a week doing it. That's about 30 percent of my business. I just put a deal in the pipeline from someone I hadn't talked to in 20 years. He called me and said, "Steve, your girl keeps calling me. You helped me 20 years ago." Not only are they buying, they asked me to help them find someone to sell. They're under contract and closing in less than 30 days.

You don't need a 40 hour a week person. Somebody working eight to 10 hours a week making calls on your behalf will change your numbers.

Give Them a Process

When you hand this off, it needs a process, a structure, and a script. That's what makes it easy for someone to help you.

1. 1
   Give them the scriptReintroduce, say thank you, have a little conversation, and ask for the business.
2. 2
   Give them a scheduleA set number of calls every week, the same way every time.
3. 3
   Track the numbers every FridayBy 5 PM Friday: outbound calls, talk tos, asks for the business, and new leads.

Little Tweaks, Big Difference

One of my favorite books is Good to Great by Jim Collins. My biggest takeaway years ago was that it's never the biggest things that make the biggest difference. It's always one or two tweaks. Focus on what brought you your last 10 loans. Double down on one or two areas, and your production can double.

That's also why I pay to be in a mastermind. Everybody needs somebody a few steps ahead who can help them see what they can't see. Someone who can ask: have you considered this? What if there's a better way?

You're not lazy. You're already closing business. Let yourself off the hook, find the better way, and get the right things done. I believe in you.

Anything worth doing is worth doing badly. Just get started.