Meet Dave Cook

We were lucky to catch up with Dave Cook recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dave , so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?
Even though I really love my job, I’ve had my fair share of burnout moments. There’s hardly any downtime in what I do, and it can get pretty intense. Over the years, I’ve learned how important it is to look after myself. If I don’t, burnout just creeps up on me more often. My self-care kicks off with a solid morning routine. I’m up by 4 am to hit the gym for a good workout. It’s early, but it works for me. Then, when I get back home, I spend some time meditating and catching up on some reading all before 8am. Also, I’ve noticed I feel a lot better when I drink more water and eat healthier. It’s these little things that really make a difference for me

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
In my daily work, I’m mostly engaged in conversations with individuals seeking loans, navigating through emails, texts, and phone calls. With a career spanning over two decades in the mortgage industry, I’ve built a database of over five thousand contacts, which provides me with ample opportunities to reconnect with familiar faces.

A significant portion of my job involves managing this extensive database within my Salesforce CRM. It’s a task that requires meticulous attention, similar to tending a garden – without regular care, it can become overwhelming. Regularly touching base with people, whether through a simple greeting or sending out friendly notes, is a crucial part of maintaining these relationships. Along with this, there’s the continuous task of updating contact details and keeping track of significant life events like new homes, new babies, death, divorce, retirements, and so on.

Experience has taught me the value of nurturing relationships with those who already know and trust me. This approach has proven more effective than investing time and resources in reaching out to new contacts. Thankfully, my existing network often leads to referrals from their friends, family, and colleagues, which has been invaluable.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My business coach often says, ‘The loan officer with the most friends wins,’ a sentiment I wholeheartedly endorse. While having in-depth product knowledge is crucial, the ability to connect with people on a social level is equally important. Without these interpersonal skills, both life and business can become unnecessarily challenging. The essence of building friendships lies in showing genuine interest in others and supporting their aspirations and goals.

In my interactions with clients and referral partners, I focus on making the conversation about them. This involves asking thoughtful questions and showing authentic interest in their responses. Being an attentive listener is central to this approach. I strive to be fully engaged in each conversation, absorbing every detail to better understand their needs and how I might assist them.

My approach with clients extends beyond attentive listening; I also take comprehensive notes and ask insightful questions, which I then meticulously record in my CRM. This system allows for seamless follow-ups, even if months have passed since our last conversation. For anyone new to this field, my top three recommendations would be: 1) Listen with genuine interest, 2) Ask meaningful questions, and 3) Develop a reliable method for retaining the information shared, like taking detailed notes.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
This past year, I’ve really focused on pushing myself both personally and professionally, stepping out of my comfort zone. You know, it’s easy to feel safe and content in familiar territory, where everything seems to make sense. But I’ve realized that real growth doesn’t happen there. I don’t want to look back on my life and see a lack of progress or personal development.

So, I decided to take on several challenges that initially seemed daunting. It was tough at the beginning, but now, when I look back and see how far I’ve come, I’m truly grateful for having embraced those challenges. It’s amazing how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to such significant growth.

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