Putting the Relationship Back into the CRM w/Kevin Ducey

On this episode Kevin Ducey, President of Whiteboard CRM, joins Kenneth and Sean to talk about the current state of the CRM market. Kevin discusses how MLOs are reinvesting their time to building out their CRM, why text capabilities is important, and why using the CRM to focus on the relationship is vital to long-term success. 

2:00 Intro
3:45 The CRM market
6:05 CRM only works if you use it
9:25 Why the CRM is vital to your business
15:05 CRMs are going to take work
17:30 Being personal with your customers
19:05 Focus on features and ease of use

Quotes:

“There are a lot of MLOs reinvesting their time back into building out their CRM.”

“Sometimes you need that reminder to send a text, make that call, send a note so you can get that repeat business.”

“You need to let the CRM do what it is supposed to do so you can focus on the sale activities that you need to do.”

“The access we have to successful loan officers and their campaigns to build out Whiteboard is a big advantage.”

“We have put text at the front of any campaigns to take advantage of the high open rate.”

Links:

Mortgage Success Academy -onedollarmsa.com

Next Level Loan Officers -https://www.nllodigital.com/mortgage-success-offer

Loan Officer Events -loanofficerevents.com

Whiteboard  CRM - whiteboardcrm.com

Social Media:

Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

Text the word: nextlevel to 36260 to download our app

Transcript

spk_0:   0:00
If you want to stay in the

spk_1:   0:01
same situation, then continue doing what you're doing. You guys get on board and go down this four lane highway and just rock it out. And you don't have to have a decade of learning process. Meet people where they are. If you wanna have all types of clients, be aerobics, meet them where they want to be met. We have to know our numbers. We have to know how much we want and then what? I mean deals. So I have to close to make that a reality. What I want to do over the next half hour, so give you clarity on the items that really are gonna generate money for you, allow you do things you want to do. If you're not currently being coached by the people in the industry that are doing it at the highest level, then you're working too hard to get there. This is the next level Loan officers podcast. A proud founding member of the rial disrupt podcast Collaborative. You could check out more awesome podcasts at real disrupt dot com And now Kenneth, Travis and Sean Zalman off

spk_0:   0:57
over body. Welcome to next level loan officers. This is our humble podcast. I am joined by the incredibly humble and talented kind of drivers. Kenneth, how're you today? A good man. But you left off handsome. No, I didn't. I didn't. Okay. Hey, Also we want toe always provide the most value for you. And today, many of us might be at home a little more often now than we were in the past. Don't Don't forget about all the past podcast that we have to bring value. But today, if you want to go to the website $1 M s a all spelled out $1 m s a dot com, you can get a trial of next level loan officers are digital site for just $1 for seven days. Man, that is, like more than free or for what that's gonna cost. And, as always, Katie will give you a double your money back guarantee. If you don't get value out of it, he's going to send you to Chris. $1 bills in the mail. We're also joined by by special guest Kevin Ducey. Settle, Kevin and I have known each other. Katie and I know we've moved. Known Kevin for quite a few years now. Uh, Kevin is presidents of whiteboard, crm. And like, the thing that I love most about Kevin, I've heard him talk. We'll probably a dozen times about crm give presentations, toe sis loan officers with crn in man. Kevin, like you've always just been so real with everyone. And, you know, like, if you're happy with your CRM like, it's still worthwhile for you to listen to Kevin because he will give you tips, tactics, what they're building out with with white board And what you can use your own, Sarah. Because because I heard Kevin say it 1000 times, dude. So I'm sorry if I steal your thunder, do your happy to see him. You don't need to switch. But if you get the chance to listen to the president of company whose got a pretty badass one that they're building and continuing to build on top of year, then you're probably gonna gain something that's gonna help you, especially in today's market. So, Kevin, Welcome, man. Thank you so much for joining us today.

spk_2:   3:02
Well, thank you for the kind words, Shawn. I can't tell you how much I appreciate those kind words, you know, especially for a cardinal fan to say such nice things about this company. And over here, normally you're talking mess about me. So I appreciate it.

spk_0:   3:13
It's OK, you know. You know, when you were 140 years old, will be celebrating the second World Series victory. So that school, maybe I am in Katie. Katie knows, man. My third favorite team every single week is whoever's playing the Cowboys. So, Kevin, uh, you've been with white board for a for a couple years now. You've done incredibly well there. You're now president of the company, man. Just like in the these changing times that we're in right now. You just talk to us just a little bit about crm what you're seeing overall in the market for people utilizing it. I mean, it's obviously more. I mean, it's like Seems like every day it's more important than it was before. But now it's even more important than ever was before again. So, man, what do you see in the market? What's what's going on and crm

spk_2:   4:10
world? It's kind of interesting right now. We've got a lot of people who are reinvesting back into their CRM, and that's great. And I'm seeing some people that, you know, we're getting some folks that are coming to us because they're not happy with what they're getting or they don't have the features that they necessarily need, because I think that for the most part, loan officers air understanding that we need to speak and communicate with your partners and your borrowers from a digital source right now like like automated CRM is more important than ever. You know, right now, you know, we're sitting, we're stuck at home your partner's air stuck at home for Well, no. But you know, you're borrowers are definitely stuck at home, and they need to understand the things that are available out there for them. So utilizing that CRM, whether it's texting or email automation tools that are at your disposal so so very important as we know no, like we've all been stuck on zoom calls for hour after hour after hour every day. It's kind of same ideas that you got to utilize those platforms to get your message out. You got to utilize it from a marketing standpoint. It's been a lot of fun for us to be, to be honest with you. We've had customers have been with us for a long time that are coming back to us and saying, Hey, listen, let's let's build out some new stuff Let's create a new campaigns Let's create some some new products within this unused review processes. Excuse me within the system, Teoh better suit them for reaching their partners and borrowers. So it's an interesting time. I don't want to say it's fun by a stretch social extra work that I am. It's driving me a little bit crazy. But I'm very excited about what we're able to do right now with our customers to be able to really like, plant those roots with them and help them through this tough time. When you help somebody through a tough time, Lord knows you create and cultivate that that loyalty with custom that is so, so, so vital, like a set. And then we're also getting I mean, we're doing demos everyday people reaching out to us because they're realizing that this is the way they have to communicate that excel spreadsheets not gonna go for so,

spk_0:   5:59
you know, I'm a firm believer, Kevin, that like the best CRM on the planet is the one that you use, right? Absolutely. Yeah. How many loan officers do you fame? Just from my experience. And I mean, you talked a lot on off certification on that. I do as well. How many yellows out there originated? Do we know? Do you think have no crn whatsoever?

spk_2:   6:21
Oh, goodness. I'm surprised when I run across it, but I still say it's probably somewhere like 15%. It's still it's still a shockingly high number in 2020.

spk_0:   6:31
I think that the Mawr Interesting question is how many loan officers actually use the Sierra? Yeah, because, you know, many companies provide one, but like anything besides the the automated happy birthday email that gets sent out inside of it, they could probably don't. They probably belong to new in six or seven months. Yeah,

spk_2:   6:50
it's so true. Uh, you know, it's I deal with several loan officers. We deal with it all the time, will come to us, and they've had four CR ends in the six months, and we're like, we're just gonna be your fifth and a, um, it's not a man, it's it's not. It's not me. It's, you know, it's like breaking up with a girlfriend.

spk_0:   7:09
You know what? That you know, What is it to see are like your your loan software?

spk_2:   7:14
No, you know, uncovers a k. Alex. We're not seeing her. And they were the first to tell you that.

spk_0:   7:20
Yeah, Yeah. I still get a boner. I use, you know, compass point for my Syrian like, Whoa. And then just doesn't communicate, Which brings up a really good point. I remember back in the day the years ago, early maybe the first time in my career billing 8 82 83 Yeah, whatever. I'm up at work among, uh, this was, like earlier. This is like early two thousands, right? About 2005. Right? 2006. Still young in my career, 17 years now. And the now remember, I walked into Starbucks one day. This is no joke. And I see the former client of mine and I said, Hey, what's that? Oh, maybe doing great. Hey, how's the hacks? And they said, Oh, well, we saw Max actually about another one and like, Oh, you know, that moment right here every restraint goes to try, You know, and get me upset. You know, I didn't do a good enough job keeping in front of them on a consistent basis over time for them to think about me. I wasn't buying brain sales, but I remember that field and force us a word. You bob. How much was the house? It was like a $285,000 bouncing back then what we do is originated before too late. We get Kappler to maybe without times, you know, you're like cheese or whatever. And that was the time for me getting that. I was. You know what, man? I've got to get some sort of a dad that's in place to stay in front of people because I can't do it. I just can't do it by myself like it's impossible. And so So, guys, that's like, That's the boy, right? It doesn't matter business for 2 to 3 years or 15 years. There's a lot of people. Man had the paint about who should not been 50 years. I can't create a CRE announced too late. No, that's the furthest thing from the truth. So so wait, talk. You know, we've talked about this before So you should a little bit about the last Syrian. So to go into. Why crm right? And then that's so important for the originator inside the transaction in even after.

spk_2:   9:35
Oh, absolutely. So I I like your point. When I first was interviewed to come on a white board, I don't see orange for years. I mean, I worked on Salesforce Microsoft Dynamic Pipe drive. So I mean, I let I let a team of hundreds 100 sales reps at one point in time in six different time zones. So I dealt with high level CRM before, And so when I was looking at a whiteboard in the first question, I was asking, like, Why would anybody need this? And I All right, Kevin, of you purchase a home like actually gone through, You know, two mortgages in a refi who did your did your border? Just like Oh, remember that there was a lady last two times the same one because we did it within a year. Or did it re fights? Hard to forget who did that then? I don't remember Name. She's the darkness. Banks is great, ladies. Nice. Later. That's what I use her again. said, Yeah, absolutely one user again, if I could remember a name, there was no follow up. There's no long term. They don't know anything from her. It was a set it and forget it. Transaction out Green and I went through a bank. Probably a little bit of that. I'm not gonna dive into too much there. But so, like the thing about just like you said, if you had an automated process, if you had a CRM and we all do this now like things, this is not just something special White where we all do it. If you have a automated process there that would have put their funded date in his ex and had some kind of campaign was pre built via email and text to send them a note, you know, every other month, our, you know, a reminder to give you a call at six months, a reminder to tell you toe you know, put a put a thank you card or happy birthday card in the mail for them, a annual follow up where you're not only asking for a mortar to review for a potential finance, but you're also asking for a referral based. Those people probably don't came back to you. You know, you're very likable person, no matter what Sean says about you. But imagine people would do enjoy doing business with you again. And so that's where that CRM is gonna take it. Just getting that repeat business. And that's, you know, Beyonce Earth. That's kind of a set it and forget it. You don't need to pick up the phone necessarily and call these people a dozen times. You don't leave your l a way to do it. Let the system work for you. And when you're talking about, like, you know, capturing that lead in prospect and giving them to that 10 03 and into that application where CRM can work for you I said, I deal with so many loan officers, you know that will come to me and Kevin are top. You know, Scott grows always talked about it when I when he and I have spoke off the side about how you know loan officers deal with two problems he that they can't capture the lead or the prospect and get into that 10 of three states or they can't process alone. If you can't process alone Normal. You're not gonna stick around very long because, well, that's that's more on you. So where you really need a system that's gonna grab those folks the second that come into your system and start requesting information from them to spinal in funneling them to your 10 03 site? And if you have something that can do that from a automated standpoint from a text in an email, that doesn't require you to pick up the phone the second that come into that 10 03 like me that there's that's just your moving them along in the process. And then the next aspect is all right now I need to collect docks. I need to make sure that everything's on the up and up. How do I do this? You know, I'm gonna pitch whiteboard here a little bit, aren't needs us campaigns 55 days built out. It's gonna ask you for every piece that's needed in alone, and we have call task in there. But if you don't want to do that, you don't necessarily have to. It's gonna texting email text, you know, text email to track down those docks I see so many loan officers that are trying to like. We run into a problem where, like you talked about the loan officers who have a CRM that don't use it, that's just sitting there. It's so many of those folks that are the one person operation because they are so busy. They do want to have those conversations with the borrowers and partners on a day in and day out basis, and they think, Well, I can give. I also got to get back in here and email, and I got a text, email and text. And then before you know it, they're losing out on what you guys talk about all the time. Nobody does business with Fairway. Nobody does business with caliber. They do business for Katie. They do business with Sean. They don't doing business with us. A mortgage right there doing business with you guys. That's the brand. Get in front of your customers, get in front of your partners, have those one on one based of based conversations, make them feel comfortable. Be that Adviser B. That person like Sam Burst was to me that said, Hey, Kevin, listen, you're sitting on a lot of equity in your home. You don't necessarily need to go to a full loan. Ah, whole process of doing a little Let's get you a cash out refi. Let's look at the firm method. When he walked me through, that was a surprise. Said his name. Because I love the guy. Do anything for so you know when you're digging in your day in and day out basis. Those folks weren't letting the CRM work from because they said they don't have time. It's a complete fallacy. They need to let that crn do what it's supposed to do. So you can do it. You, sir, is supposed to do and don't make money by media partners in your borrowers and clients. And I could stop.

spk_0:   14:00
Yeah, I think what happens is so many yellows get so reactive. Been inside their business reactor toe what's in front of them at that moment and they're not using to CRM. They're not using something to keep them organized. Us after doing that for 368 months, maybe have a stack or a list of files remains or something, right, and then he's going through those all back up with him right since Tom was going on only to find out Oh, already closes somebody else, right? Or

spk_2:   14:32
you're or you're missing on the person that you met two weeks ago because you're filing up on something that was eight months old, like

spk_0:   14:38
exactly. So that's it? Yeah. Just guys that construct chasing your tail, as you know, as a little monsters pressured. And that's why not take all of this. All of this on this thing, right? Speech. These these things that we, you know, these referrals, these leads, all these all these things will be put into a process into a system. Now that I'm not gonna sit here bullshit between there, though, Kevin, it's hard to Senate Steel Ram. I mean, it takes time. It takes effort, energy. But you're gonna have toe. Say, Noto, your business. Ryan said this after going to say no to things you create space and time will be able to implement this stuff, and it is gonna take work. You know, sometimes people want an easy, but there might be any time to say the CRM regards to your setting it up with It's gonna take a little bit of top That's why I would. You know, Kevin's talking about earlier. It's like if we're going to your fifth CRM in six months, like you know, we're gonna be your move to somebody else two months later. Loan officer Who's been it before companies in the last two years? Man, it ain't the company managed. It's you like if you don't put in the time and invest learn systems and processes that are put in place, then it doesn't work. And you know, one of the reasons that you know, next level that we like you guys lying, referring you guys is, you know, just in the coaching world, like there's a lot of coaches in the mortgage business who and I mean maybe have never done alone but didn't didn't do alone through the great recession. Didn't do alone through the downturn in 2018 or didn't do alone through the cove. It crisis here and and haven't dealt with any of this going on. And, you know, Kevin, your your your founders runs. Ah, very successful branch. Not only the was it founded and built upon that, but, you know, he's still in the mortgage business that scripts everything that you guys test daily that you then released the people inside who have your CRM is is right. They're like it's being done, tested, built by loan officers.

spk_2:   16:35
Oh, absolutely. It's, uh it's such a huge advantage for me that I get to walk down the hall and talk to BP of for cornerstone here in the home of bribe. Omar, Like you said, my founder, that runs, you know, did $100 million operation last year. You know, his wife, Heather Bomar, was top Hotard in the United States in total units. She did 448 oblique, but her 99th overall. You know, I mean, the access that we have is as a company to just be able to go down there and talk to them in our pre belts are pre built campaigns are our content was designed and derived from them. It's it's their language, it's their playbook. It's the things that they do that they have been successful with, and, you know, so it's not like you're getting some HTML code speak. You're getting riel. It sounds like a normal human beings written it, and the other aspect of it is like I like to say we're the only one that's truly built for the individual loan officer that's out there grinding every day. My systems not, uh, really built for your C suite. It's built for you, the individual producer. As a matter of fact, we need to get better. I own this. We need to get better. We need to be able to give some more of a top down approach to be able to capture some more of those enterprise level clients, Uh, and give some more transparency there. I don't run or hide from our weaknesses. You know, you talked about when people come on and you have to make that investment in your system. I think that's one of things that we do that's pretty unique, is how we're so personal with our on boarding and our coaching. So normally, when you when you come into a whiteboard, if you make your sessions, uh ah. Alone Officer will have between four and six coach half hour or 45 minute coaching sessions. Wonder one like this on a zoom call, face to face with somebody you get to know a little bit that's trying to understand your business and where you're trying to go and really modify and how the system works for you whiteboards. Everyone of the assistance is really robust. I mean, all my competitors, they built on great platforms. They do some amazing stuff. Nobody that is in their utilizing their CRM is utilizing their CRM 100%. So what will you really have to do is tailor it to you to work that 30% that could drive more visits for you. That can make you more probably in front of you Mars apart, like I talked about before. I joke around like people would understand. CRM is its customer relationship management. I love to say that we put the are in that because we really are focused on driving this relationships and this individual one the one communications with your borrowers. Reporters throughout the loan from from the day that come in is a leader of prospect till 10 years down the road.

spk_0:   18:54
It's tough, it's tough. So a man, uh, one of one of the features that really liked about your CRM is the texting integration. It's like how that set up for the interface for whether it's ah loan partner, loan officer. Whoever's in there and being able to communicate with the bar and you just take 36 men brag on a couple features that you have you guys having people come on and like And this is this like I wish I wish I had done but done this sooner. Have access to these tools and talk about the Easa. Like how easy is Brian Tabb? Romantic compared other Syrian? This is because that's the one thing I hear, although it is so easy, like just almost pointed it. I

spk_2:   19:36
think that's because it was designed by a loan officer was trying to understand what you guys are going through the day in day out process and that you don't want you click and navigate. You can move through the system really, really easily you don't need. I don't need to know, you know, 500 bits of information to get a bar or a partner in the system. It was pretty quickly. It's very easy to send it what we call ad hoc texting just right in there, as well as create those campaign text features. And it's all it's all contained in their note feel so you can really see how you're communicating with those folks. And any of shelling could talk about means 98% open rate. One of the key things I think that we're doing right now is we're starting to put text at the beginning of any campaign, even if its email based is to tell you Hey, we're sending you an email because nobody checks the frickin email anymore. Got guys that work for me. I'm sorry if they listen. This podcast there like, dude, check your email, but have to understand something, man. I'm 40. Like they're in their thirties. It's just not something they do. They check slack, they check text messages. But Lord knows I don't checking now. Neither your powers. New your partner. So when you're sending Hey, listen, I need you to look at this. This piece of information we're filing firing it text away first so that it doesn't end up in spam. And if it does by chance happen him end up in spam, they could pull it right out, and then they can start getting You did docks. They could start looking at your mortars playing analysis form. They can start looking at all that stuff. That's very important that so often times gets lost in the shuffle off, utilizing email off.

spk_0:   20:56
It's my damn Hey, man, Kevin, if somebody wanted Teoh, reach out to you and find out a little bit more about your CrossFit skills

spk_2:   21:07
or how bad I am at it,

spk_0:   21:12
which is a pretty good story to tell about

spk_2:   21:15
be dying in California that your brother was there. So it's all good eso they want. They want to reach us. I really encourage everybody. Listen, I don't title take customers about a demo, and some people think that's crazy like, Well, Johnny told me, It's great, like No, you got to see it. You gotta feel that you've got to touch it The last thing we want as an organization. Last thing. Hardest thing for us to deal with its an organization. If somebody comes on, it does business with this opportunity. Three months, real, real hard ones were people who turn in less than 30 days. That's a cost for us. I mean, we don't want that. We don't want to waste your time in only way stars, So we really want that customer. That's bought in and believes in it because I do believe I can help you close more loss. I do believe my system and my team can help you do that because you get both of you could get my team here that's sitting here coaching loan officers every day on how to use the system. They'll come up with campaigns that you probably don't think about because they heard it from somebody down in streets that's producing with it. So we want you to close more love. So the first thing I would encourage everybody to do is go to our website. Whiteboard crm dot com There's a features page. It's pretty long, pretty robust. It shows you all the things that we do. If you feel like that's something that you're not getting from your current CRM or something that you'd like to see implemented for you in a day in day out basis that go ahead and just schedule on book a demo and you'll get me or one of my sales reps. I still I still do demos because I want to stay and I will stay on the pulse of what my customers air doing. I want to know what's going on. And so we'll get you through a demo. And then, if you like, it will get you sign up and get to start coaching right away. That's a great time to invest in.

spk_0:   22:47
Yeah, so So let me active and get I know you're not a hard sell person. The guys If if you're listening this go at Sierra Or maybe you have a Syrian, We're looking for something different, like anyone that knows me know, Sean. But one. We don't bullshit about people that we don't believe you, right? Uh, and like, you know, I'm a huge fan of white water, okay? And what you guys do and just it's not just me, it's other people even inside next. Normal coaching people that I talked to outside externally, they raise about why toward Syria. But they love it, and it's just eased in the simplicity up right? It's not. It doesn't require some work in some participation like any other CRE um, but probably of all the civilians that are out there, I think you guys hold the, uh you know, the first position. I think you guys have done an incredible job Thank you, man. Because you're getting something to the mortgage industry in the plateau. A platform that people can used to generally change their rights. Right? I genuinely close more loans, moves the needle, makes the difference in Dude, I'm on land with you guys. I think are the best. Really? Did you mean so thank you for you.

spk_2:   24:06
I know you do not take an opportunity. Plug you guys, The vendors who might possibly stumble upon this is that I know that you mean that because I'll tell you this the first couple of times, you guys were very cool, very polite with me. But I wasn't in yet. It was like, Dude, you gotta prove it. And like you're welcome here to be a better you're welcome. Our customers need CRM way. No, Brian. But you you need to earn it. And it took a while. And you know, once I was welcoming that that team, that family, I feel like family and next level next level has been so critical to our growth as an organization. I have so many customers who come to me from people within next level who are using other systems because they know that I'm gonna take care of them. They know that whiteboard is going to take care of them. And I know that that same thing that happens for re score and the same things that's happening for Jeremy Jeremy, Indiana, with knives. If you are looking, if you are in this business and you are looking for somebody to partner with, like you know, I got the ancillary business to the mortgage industry, these guys will help grow your business like nobody else, because it truly is like a family. But you gotta earn it like you can't show up the first time and expect to sign up 100 like for US 100 license. That's just not gonna happen. I see so much growth from us, like months down the road because we have one bit and Janet says the same same thing. Page says the same thing. Jeremy says the same thing. I can't thank you guys enough for your partnership, and I can't encourage people that are in my situation that are insulated lords business to work with you guys or whatever. They can go to the next live show if we ever have one you know, and be a part of that. Meet some great people.

spk_0:   25:41
Really close this out. But, man, I don't think we need to. I think that was forced I that most about this for me, Kellan and shame. That's correct. Yet All right. OK, way. Appreciate you all joining us today, Kevin. Thank you, Kenneth. I know it is always a fantastic day for you when you get to see me. And, uh, guys, remember $1 miss a dot com. Go check it out. We're gonna give you full access or digital site for $1 loan. Officer vince dot com. Check it out. There's a moving dates on there right now with what's going on in the world. But if you want to find out where you can come find us next hot man, we can't wait. Like, truly from the bottom of our hearts. We cannot wait, have another event and get toe hang out with you all as soon as possible. Appreciate you all have an awesome and amazing day