Tips of the Week Assessment for Highly Successful Sales and Service People Part 2 of 2 This is the part 2 of 2 that we promised in our weekly newsletter to you last week. Hopefully you took it to heart and wrote down your score for the first five components (goals, beliefs, responsibility, need for approval and controlling emotions). This week, let’s score ourselves on 5 more components that we believe are integral to success as a sales or service professional (including management) in the SBA lending business. Rank yourself 0 – 5: 0 = don’t have it at all 5 = totally have it 1. Have effective and consistent systems to order your work. _____ If you’re a sales person, do you have a prospecting system that works? If you’re a credit underwriting, processer or closer, do you have “tried and true” tools such as checklists, spreadsheets or ticklers? And if you are a manager, do you have the right tools to manage your team such as clear job descriptions and well defined processes? 2 Has strong and balanced self confidence. _____ Self confidence in sales and team oriented loan service delivery builds rapport, creates trust and credibility, and produces results. Having a healthy self confidence and respect for self frees you up to be your best and to be a person of action – doing the right things at the right time for the right reasons. 3. Follow the designated process for sales and service. _____ All good leaders are also good followers. Do you follow your policy and procedures faithfully? A good process is your road map (or GPS) to get you where you want to go with grace and ease. No shortcuts. 4. Has a strong desire for success and a “do whatever it takes” attitude. _____ Successful people don’t accept mediocrity, but constantly strive to achieve their goals. They are self motivated and willing to take measured risks to achieve results. They are committed to growth, development and life balance. They have a strong desire to be the “best” he/she can be. 5. Is a team player. _____ Successful sales and service people are team players. They believe that their success is dependent on others. They share in the successes and failures of the team and fully contribute to the success of the team. SBA lending is a team sport, are you a team player? We suggest you print this out, give yourself a score. Add up the scores given (1-5) and divide by 5. Remember, the closer you are to “0”, the more work you have to do to get moving in a positive, productive direction. You really need to focus on this in order to be successful. The closer you are to “5” means you’ve got it going on, so keep on doing what you’re doing! So add these scores up with your scores from last week. If you’re a perfect 5 in all 10 categories, you rock! Double check your honesty with yourself. No one is perfect, right? If you score over 4, you’re doing very well, you probably have some 5’s and few to no lower scores. Three and above is average – do you consider yourself average? If not, you may want to revisit these components and look for opportunities to grow. If you scored in the 2 range or below, you have opportunities improve. It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some successes, but it probably means that with some well defined focus on your part, you could be much more successful and enjoy the ride so much more. Good luck in your growth as an individual and as a team of SBA lending professionals. We all have opportunities to grow, improve and prosper. If you would like some outside and fresh perspective on how your team can move from good to great in the SBA lending world, give us a call. We can customize hands on coaching that will make a difference in your group’s morale and in your bottom line – fast. Take the right approach. Karen McHugh and Brian Burke | 
