With the holidays approaching, it seems appropriate to touch on a few strategies for ensuring that minor business problems don’t turn into major annoyances. Having in-laws in town for an extended stay recently seemed to strengthen the importance of exploring this idea.

As an example, watching football with my father-in-law can drive me crazy sometimes. The announcers get on his nerves, so he prefers to watch the games with the sound turned all the way down. Not a big deal when there is some action on the field, but when he decides that he wants to speculate about what the announcers are talking about during halftime, then asks for my input in the conversation, I get a little crabby and sometimes find it hard not to mention that if he wants to find out, maybe he should let me turn up the volume.  

A situation like this is worth mentioning, since it definitively shows how a minor, inconsequential annoyance, repeated over time, can easily become more and more aggravating. It is similar to the issues that many of us encounter in our professional lives, as we are forced to deal with some of the same problems over and over.

I think most people would agree that these issues always have a way of presenting themselves at the most inopportune moment.  Let’s face it - a problem that would have been a minor hiccup at work can be a major annoyance if it surfaces during a rare night out with friends. 

To that end, it seems worthwhile to mention a few scenarios that commonly arise, along with some practical solutions that will hopefully prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Scenario: A buyer keeps asking you for information about listings they found online that already have accepted offers

Solution: Create a flyer or save a draft in your email that details the various implications of listings with “Pending”, “Active,” and “Active-contingent” statuses.

Scenario: Just as you settle into the idea of a fun social outing with friends, who have all put their phones away, a buyer’s agent calls to let you know they want to write an offer on your listing.But they are unwilling to write the offer without viewing all of the seller disclosures.

Solution: Make sure that all of the pertinent information about your listings, such as lead based paint disclosures, surveys, utilities, floor plans, inspections, etc., are available online on the MLS. Never make a buyer wait to write an offer!

Scenario: A million tasks are running through your mind, concurrently, competing for attention, sabotaging your focus and making it seem impossible to know where to start.

Solution: “Clear the Cache.” Making a list, whether on paper or on a Notes application on your phone, can make big to-do lists not seem quite as scary. Doing the same thing for repetitive tasks, to eliminate the guesswork, can be just as effective.

Being proactive can be the key to heading off problems and eliminating stress.  Many of the recurring issues, questions and annoyances that come up in the course of business can be easily dealt with in the office and many have the potential to be easily solved if a system is in place for dealing with it.  Taking a few moments out of your day to plan, be upfront or create a list can save countless hours down the road, and this is especially important during the holidays.

For help with checking off any items on your list that need to be addressed prior to obtaining a mortgage, give me a call at the number below.

Patrick Stoy (NMLS Numbers 39527 and 39166) has 16 years of mortgage lending experience. Patrick is CEO of Wilmington-based Market Consulting Mortgage, which he started in 2005 with a mission to build lifelong customer relationships by providing real value. To learn more about Marketing Consulting Mortgage, visit www.macmtg.com. Patrick can be reached at [email protected] or 910-509-7105.