By Todd Duncan

In the world of business, especially the mortgage business, most Loan Officers experience enormous amounts of pressure to perform. And, for most, this pressure has an exponentially negative impact because we are, at our core, inefficient. We may be good at making it rain, so to speak, but because of a host of other issues like lack of quality, lack of systems, lack of proactivity and even lack of Level 10 sales skills, we are working harder and harder, rather than smarter and smarter.

Top producers coached by Todd have increased their sales by more than 400%. It is not uncommon for his students to double their business and double their time off. For organizations, he has been able to produce results with focus groups that outperform the rest by 10X. The constant buzz is "I'm working less. Making more! And having more fun."

By Todd Duncan

In last week's article we discussed the fatal mistake of skimming: pulling out all the stops to establish a relationship with a customer, then bailing out on the marriage. It’s doing all that needs to be done to earn a sale, then doing nothing to keep a client. Avoiding the mistake of skimming in your relationships is a matter of moving your business from a reliance on prospecting to a reliance on partnering. Salespeople who are perpetually on top know that it takes a selling symphony to create a never-ending crescendo of sales success. Here's five steps to transition the relationship from client to referral partner...

By Todd Duncan

Since every twenty-third person in the U.S. is a salesperson, we can say with a high degree of certainty that the sales profession is very competitive. But I bet you already knew that. If you’re like most salespeople, you probably don’t have to look beyond the walls of your own company to find good competition—sometimes of the friendly variety, other times of the antagonistic variety. In fact, you may even have to compete for your job on a regular basis. Simply put, selling competition is everywhere. And the truth is that even if you begin selling an innovative product, you can be sure that you won’t be the only one selling it for long.

By Todd Duncan

To be successful in the sales profession, you must understand that connecting with your customers is everything. The truth is, when you take the time to earn a prospect’s trust at the outset, ask­ing for business is just a formality. And there is certainly no begging necessary.

By Todd Duncan

Gambling in your sales career is no different from placing a bet and rolling a pair of dice. The odds are against you. In either case, your success is based on random chance, on what compulsive gamblers call “Lady Luck.” And if you know anything about the gambling addiction, Lady Luck is a ruthless, unpredictable woman. Just when you think she’s on your side, she’ll take you for all you’re worth. And something very similar happens when you rely on luck in the sales profession.

By Kristen Gielow

Selling is about helping people see how our products or services — or the pursuit of our vision — can help them in business and in life. When we experience disappointment in the sales experience, we cope with things like apathy, fear, desperation, arrogance, greed, ignorance or complacency. These "Sales Sins" give us temporary relief, but end up preventing us from reaching our professional goals.

By Sally Hogshead

Fascination is an intense emotional focus. When customers are fascinated by you and your message, they're more likely to trust, believe, and respect you.