LEADERSHIP LESSONS
Business Has No Speed Limits Clients want it fast, or they’re furious. BY HARVEY MACKAY | SPECIAL TO NATIONAL MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL
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uccess is a journey, not a destination. You may take a few detours, hit some roadblocks and arrive at a different place than you planned. Success comes in many forms and means different things to different people. In the working world, it is often defined as landing the perfect job, achieving a targeted income level, occupying a corner office or owning a business. However you measure it, success is sweet. And it doesn’t happen overnight. “Pushing the envelope” is a phrase that originated with American test pilots such as Chuck Yaeger and John Glenn in the 1950s. Each aircraft they flew was said to have an “envelope” of performance. In other words, it was designed to fly safely up to a certain speed for a certain distance at a certain altitude. The job of test pilots was to “push the envelope” by making the plane go faster, farther and higher. To me, “pushing the envelope” means pushing the boundaries and pushing yourself to maximize your
advantage to be better, faster and smarter and to get the results you want – in business and in life. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of speed in business. This century’s business is dominated by speed. Speed is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. Having a great product isn’t enough anymore. People expect things faster, cheaper and better. Every part of your business needs to be up to speed.
UP TO SPEED Take customer service. You need to speed up the time handling customer complaints. When you serve your customers in a timely fashion, you end up with satisfied consumers. Poor customer service equals dissatisfied clients. My motto has always been “Taking care of customers is taking care of business.” If you make customers #1, they will make you #1. Speed allows you to differentiate in the marketplace. Amazon’s emphasis on speed is a great example. If businesses don’t think and act fast, they get passed like jalopies on the freeway. Companies like Blockbuster, which stayed the same for years, was passed up by video streaming subscriptions like Disney, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Mainstay companies like Sears, Kodak, Xerox, Radio Shack, and Toys “R” Us, are all shells of what they used to be. Businesses have to
If businesses don’t think and act fast, they get passed like jalopies on the freeway. PEOPLE ON THE MOVE //
> Mortgage
Guaranty Insurance Company promoted Danny Garcia-Velez to vice president, business development.
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| NATIONAL MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINE
> Home Point
Financial appointed Perry Hilzendeger as the new president of servicing.
> Stephanie
Casper has been appointed to the role as vice president of sales for LendingHome.
> John
Lawrence was promoted to president of servicing and lender services for BSI Financial Services.
