Take an Outsider's Perspective

What does your business look like from the outside? Would someone describe your week as structured, productive, intentional - or as busy, chaotic, or exhausting?

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day whirlwind: answering calls, replying to emails, putting out fires. And while those things are necessary, the question is "are you intentional about when and how you handle them?" Fires will pop up, but they should be the exception, not the rule.

An intentional business is a well-run business.

The truth is, it’s easy to get stuck in the weeds. But when you zoom out and view your business from an outsider’s perspective, it becomes obvious where the cracks are and where your opportunities lie.

Speed Stats

This week, Carl White shared something that really stuck with me:

“You’re 21% more likely to convert a loan if you call a lead within the first five minutes of them reaching out. That number drops to just 10% after 30 minutes.”

Even more staggering?

Less than 7% of Loan Officers actually respond within those first five minutes.

Think about that. In a business where every deal counts, being fast isn’t just important—it’s everything.

And here’s another one:

You’re 27 times more likely to actually talk to a lead if you respond in the first five minutes.

Not 27% more likely. 27 times.

Carl told a story about a Loan Officer who missed a call at 9:12 and returned it at 9:21 - just nine minutes later. By the time he called back, the customer had already spoken to someone else and started the loan process.

That stings. But we’ve all had that happen.

Speed Wins

You don’t need to be the smartest or the most experienced. If you're accessible - if your systems are built for speed to lead - you'll win more often than not.

So ask yourself: Is your business built to move fast?

Do you have the tech, the automations, or even the AI in place to help you reach people in real time?

Do you have a scalable, repeatable structure that allows you to focus on execution instead of reaction?

Step Back and Assess

This is why we hammer the basics so hard in our bootcamps. Before you can build structure, you have to know what’s working. That means doing a real assessment - lead source audits, chunk-down planning, lead tracking, and DTRs.

Once the foundation is clear, you build structure that allows your business to move quickly and efficiently - without burning you out.

Take a “zoomed out” view of your week. Is it what you want it to be? Are your time, money, and energy going where they matter most? Check out these cool drone videos; they’re a great metaphor for how we should evaluate our business from a different perspective.

So this week’s question is simple:

What does your business look like from the outside?

Take a moment to zoom out, evaluate your business, and then tweak as needed. 

Keep Chasing Excellence