It’s a month filled with potential and promise. Even though my school days are long behind me I still feel like September represents a new start, a chance to try harder and achieve greater success.
And so, while the country’s younger population get set for a new term of learning, why not join them and take the opportunity to improve your own knowledge and boost your business potential?
I’m not suggesting we all enrol at our nearest college but rather, consider whether enlisting the help of a coach or mentor might be beneficial.
In every industry, those people who are at the top of their game have one thing in common – they’re constantly trying to better themselves. They have coaches who help them to maintain and improve their performance. They have mentors who have been there before them, whose experience is invaluable and who can guide them.
Why shouldn’t the same apply to the mortgage market?
The extent to which you could implement a coaching or mentoring scheme depends largely, of course, on the size of your business and the position you hold.
If it’s possible, it can be extremely beneficial to bring in someone independent, perhaps with particular skills in management or organisation. The right person can help challenge some of your previously held views and determine any areas in which you may not be as successful as you like. Through a number of sessions they could help you to understand where you can make changes – changes that could be extremely beneficial to your business (provided you’re willing and committed to taking on board the advice).
Experience and knowledge
If employing outside help isn’t an option you can think about implementing an internal mentoring and coaching scheme. Older members of staff who have a deeper understanding of the market and the needs of customers could help to guide younger members. Assign each of your new starters an experienced staff member who they will be able to learn from.
Have those staff who excel in certain areas provide ‘coaching’ to other staff members – perhaps in communication skills or something as simple as having the correct telephone manner.
Often those with the most experience can share much more than industry knowledge. Their skills and ability at building customer relationships can be invaluable.
Of course, younger staff can have much to offer too. Perhaps those who are more technologically advanced, for example, could work with and guide other staff.
Putting into action a staff feedback system will enable you to find out the areas in which team member feels they need help while collecting customer feedback can help you to determine the areas that need addressing.
This is a competitive and ever changing industry and in order to keep up with your competitors you need to ensure your business is the best it possibly can be. As business heavy weight and former General Electric CEO Jack Welch once said, “An organisation’s ability to learn and translate that learning into action, is the ultimate competitive advantage”.
