But what happens if you are shy and you just do not feel comfortable approaching strangers and starting up conversations? Either you find another job or you find a way to get around this hurdle.



Many loan officers that have this problem hide in their offices. They find ways to generate loans without having to do much interaction with customers: websites, direct mail, call capture systems. And these all work. But they work better when you back them up with people marketing: seminars, personal visits, networking, database marketing.

I just had a student in my Jump Start Your Mortgage Career E-Class ask me how he can be more comfortable meeting and interacting with new people. And here is what I told him.

When Sam Walton (founder of Wal-Mart) was a small town merchant he got everyone in town to like him. He did this in a very simple way. He said hello to everyone. Didn't matter if he knew them or not, he just said hello to them. He greeted them before they had a chance to greet him. And by doing this, people started liking him. They started asking their friends who he was. And they started going to his store.

You might have noticed that Wal-Mart uses greeters in each of its stores. This is a person that stands by the doors and says hello when you walk in. This was not Sam's idea. In fact the greeter is there to make sure no one walks out with any merchandise.

But Sam did use his technique in Wal-Mart. One year near the holidays he had an idea and broadcast it to all the stores and all the associates via their satellite system. He asked them do do something. He asked them that anytime they came within 10 feet of a customer in a store they should greet them and ask them if they needed any help.

Such a simple concept. Yet it worked. There are no numbers. But once they started doing it, Wal-Mart rose faster to overtake KMart and Sears in sales and stores.

Can you do the same? Even if you are shy? Sure you can.

Just say hello to people that come within a few feet of you. You don't have to yell across the street unless you want to. But if you see someone near you, in an elevator, a doctor's office, a subway station, anywhere. Just look them in the eye, and say 'Hello'.

Do this for a couple months and it will become a habit that will be hard to break. Mainly because it is fun. And hopefully profitable as well!

Happy Originating!