Page 3 - NRMLA RMM May/June Issue_Tab Article

Talking

Heads

Talking Heads continued from page 15
It was a weird kind of parallel. I felt comfortable being in what you said and have a response to it. That’s what I
front of people. My leadership and sales training took off mean by being present.
from that one call center venture.
RM: What makes a successful reverse mortgage loan officer?
RM: You’ve met a lot of businesspeople over the years. TA: Sales is sales. The product is secondary. When you
What are some common traits or qualities that make look at all of the sales programs, books, certifications etc.,
someone successful? they apply to any industry. A successful reverse mortgage
TA: There are common qualities across all industries and salesperson follows three essential tips: research, discovery
countries, but it starts with being humble and admitting and matching. Through research and discovery, you’re
when you have made a mistake or error in judgment, asking questions that can help identify an elderly client’s
regardless of your title. Another quality is not allowing retirement needs and goals in the same way that wholesale
your ideas and your identity to become one. By that account executives collaborate with their brokers/partners
I mean companies lose billions of dollars a year when to identify a “match” in their needs and what AAG has
people cannot admit when their ideas are bad and cut their to offer. Then you’re matching them to the appropriate
losses before the situation worsens. The last quality is the product and support options that help them achieve those
ability to remain “present.” Our CEO, Reza Jahangiri, is goals. In our industry, it is also very important to set the
the strongest executive I’ve ever seen who’s present when right expectations. Both B2B with our partners and B2C
he’s in a room. There could be 16 of us, that he asks 16 with borrowers. Knowing upfront that this is not a one-and-
different questions and receives 16 different answers, yet done transaction is very important. Follow-up is key and
three hours later he can go back to you and regurgitate often makes or breaks a sales conversion. Communicating
realistic and mutually agreed upon expectations, on both
sides, saves a lot of headaches throughout the process.

RM: At the 2019 NRMLA Annual Meeting, you gave
a presentation on how ego can impact success that was
very popular. Give us the highlights for our readers.
TA: Regardless of your tenure and position, before you
can succeed in your role, you must first focus on you as
an individual, as a human. Realizing that, where ego is
concerned, there is both a positive side and a negative
side. By default, when we all hear the word “ego” we
associate it with the negative side. When individuals are
asked what comes to mind when you think about “ego”
the word “arrogant” comes to mind five to one. On the
flip side, there is also a positive side to our egos. This is
where our ambition, our drive, our determination comes
from. Egonomics is the study and practice of identifying
the four early warning signs of when the negative side of
ego is about to present itself—not just identifying it, but
changing the way you respond to ultimately change the
outcome to a positive one. Alongside this concept, the
importance of creating and supporting a “we before me”

16 REVERSE MORTGAGE / MAY-JUNE 2020