| I have a fun test for you. This test will give you | | | | about what to do in today's market |
| an idea of your ability to think through situations. | | | | condition.Many originators look at their options, and |
| Believe it or not, no matter how fun it is to | | | | they find 1 or 2 recommended solutions that may |
| answer these questions, this exercise is still | | | | or may not work as advertised. What happens |
| relevant to generating realtor business. Are you | | | | when the marketing approach doesn't bring in the |
| ready for this? Here we go:Question #1 - There | | | | desired results? They give up! Why resign |
| are 6 eggs in a basket. 6 people each take 1 egg. | | | | yourself to mediocre results or to a less than |
| How can it be that 1 egg is left in the | | | | fulfilling career when there are so many solutions |
| basket?Question #2 - Acting on an anonymous | | | | still out there?By using our own brainpower and |
| phone call, police raid a house to arrest a | | | | the mountain of information available to us, there |
| suspected murderer. They don't know what he | | | | are simple solutions available at our finger-tips just |
| looks like, but they do know that his name is | | | | waiting for us to implement. The problem is that a |
| John. Inside, they find a carpenter, a cab driver, a | | | | fine balance needs to be struck between creative |
| mechanic and fireman playing cards. Without | | | | lateral thinking while adhering to sound and proven |
| asking his name, they arrest the fireman on the | | | | business truths.Try approaching your challenges |
| spot. How did they know they had their | | | | from a different angle. Apply critical and lateral |
| man?Question #3 - A man escaped from prison | | | | thinking to the hurdles that you face to find |
| and is making his way home on foot. After | | | | solutions where previously there seemed to be |
| walking about 2 miles from the prison on a rural | | | | none.As long as originators continue to implement |
| country road, he notices a police car coming | | | | the same strategies and approaches that |
| towards him. Despite knowing that all squads will | | | | everyone else is using, they will continue to get |
| be looking for him, he ran towards the car. Only | | | | the same results they always have. It's amazing |
| when he was about 10 feet away did he turn and | | | | what a little brain power and creative thinking can |
| run into the woods. Why did he run towards the | | | | accomplish. Take a look at the answers to the |
| police car?You will find the answers to these | | | | questions above to find out what the answers |
| questions at the end of this article. So what is the | | | | were.I think you'll be amazed at how simple the |
| point of presenting you with these questions? The | | | | solutions were. Yet due to our own limited view |
| above scenarios were designed to test an | | | | of situations and the world around us, many times |
| individual's lateral thinking ability. What exactly is | | | | we create our own mental prison. Free the |
| lateral thinking?Lateral thinking is approaching a | | | | creativity within yourself, and apply these |
| problem from diverse angles instead of focusing | | | | principals to some of your most pressing |
| on one approach at length. All of the above | | | | challenges. I think you just may surprise |
| questions had relatively simple answers to them, | | | | yourself.Answers Key:#1 - The last person to |
| but when presented in the context that they | | | | take an egg took the basket with him.#2 - John |
| were, the scenarios can seem confusing.I used | | | | was the only man in the room.#3 - The criminal |
| these scenarios to demonstrate the way we as | | | | was on a bridge, and was much closer to one |
| loan officers approach our own business. | | | | side than the other.Written By: Chad Weber |
| Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where | | | | Joe L.O. provides hype-free marketing solutions |
| there seems to be no easy answer. In fact, | | | | for loan officers. |
| many loan officers are feeling downright confused | | | | |