MAGAZINE. Amado Hernandez. Executive Agent of the Month. Inside Features: Adriana Avina Alpine Mortgage Planning Sylvia Duran Allstate Insurance

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1 EXECUTIVEAGEN TM MAGAZINE Amado Hernandez Executive Agent of the Month Inside Features: Adriana Avina Alpine Mortgage Planning Sylvia Duran Allstate Insurance

2 Let your buyers lock in today s low rates while they shop for a home. Finding a home for your clients can take longer than expected. And while you re looking, rising mortgage rates could add another twist and turn to the rollercoaster ride of buying a home. But what if your buyers could protect themselves from adverse rate movements while they re looking? Not only would they get immediate peace of mind, they d also be able to maintain critical focus on the task at hand: Finding Their Dream Home! Introducing the Lock-N-Shop program from imortgage Lock a low-interest rate today while continuing to shop for a home 120 and 150-day locks available * An accepted home-purchase contract is not necessary If rates drop, use a one-time, float-down feature to get an even lower rate! Your buyers enjoy protection from rising interest rates along with the flexibility to capture an even lower rate, if available. Use the imortgage Lock-N-Shop program to remove interest-rate worries and get happier, more-focused buyers. Find out how our Lock-N-Shop program can help your buyers! Call today! (909) Richard Hedrick Branch Manager Direct (909) Mobile (714) NMLS ID richard.hedrick@imortgage.com imortgage 8686 Haven Ave., Suite 150 Rancho Cucamonga, CA Rates, terms, and availability of programs are subject to change without notice. Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act CRMLA Corporate NMLS ID All rights reserved * Interest-rate locks require a buyer-paid deposit equal to 0.50% of the loan amount. Buyer will receive a credit at closing for the lock deposit. If buyer does not close the loan with imortgage, there will be no reimbursement of the lock deposit.

3 contents Southern California s Publication for the Real Estate Professional ExecutiveAgent Magazine OCTOBER, 2015 Cover Story Inland Empire Editorials 10 - Tony Alessandra: Exercise Emotional Control Anne Bachrach: Values Based Selling: Fred Arrias Executive Publisher PO Box San Clemente, CA Ph: (949) Fax: (949) Info@eamag.net Web: Roxanne Batson: How Business Women Who Are Positive Thinkers Win ADVERTISERS INDEX Alpine Mortgage Planning Patricia Fripp: The Genius of Teamwork City of Hope...34 imortgage Vikram Kumar: The How s And Why s Of Brochure Printing i Photography Studio Matt De La Cruz...24 PWAOR...30 Amado Hernandez Executive Agent of the Month Chris Widener: Being An Extraordinary Leader Through Tough And Challinging Times The Termite Guy...9 TIGAR...35 Marketing Director: Frank Arrias Editorial Manager: Trudy Van Graphic Designer: Garon T. Arrias Photography: i Photography Studio, Ian Wiant, Rob Paino Writers: Lalaena Gonzalez Figueroa, Shannon Hartsoe, Haley Freeman, Steven McReynolds Adriana Avina 12 Sylvia Duran 04 Copyright 2015 Executive Agent Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Executive Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. ExecutiveAgent Magazine 3

4 EXECUTIVEAGEN TM MAGAZINE Written by Haley Freeman For twelve years, loan officers have trusted Sylvia Duran to counsel their valued clients about their home insurance needs. Her conscientious and knowledgeable guidance ensures that home buyers not only get the best protection, but are also fully educated about the coverage they are buying and the range of options available to them. Sylvia began her career as a loan officer at Countrywide before transferring to their insurance department. Today, Sylvia is an agent with Alsop & Associates Insurance Agency, a trusted name in the Inland Empire community for over 25 years and an award-winning Allstate agency in California. Allstate is an industry leader providing both standard and niche coverage options for homeowners policies. The agency has options to place any type of home, Sylvia says. If the transaction involves a home in the mountains, a historic home, a condo, or someone with claims, our industry partners can have confidence that the loan will continue to move forward. Balancing the Needs of Two Clients Sylvia sees herself as having two clients: the home buyer and the referring loan officer or Realtor. Her first concern is to make sure that each client is fully and adequately insured. The home buyer is putting everything they own in my hands. I take that responsibility very seriously. Sylvia Duran ExecutiveAgent Magazine

5 E A Sylvia s industry partners refer to her with certainty, knowing that she adheres to a shared standard of customer service excellence, creating a seamless customer experience. I explain their needs and why I feel this is the right policy for them. I take the time to break down the policy with the client and explain exactly what we are insuring. When someone refers a client to me, they need to know I m going to take good care of them. I want that customer s loan to close knowing they were given great customer service by anyone who contacted them, and I know that my service reflects back on the professional who referred me. According to Sylvia she also understands the unique needs of her industry partners. I ve been in their shoes and know how difficult it is sometimes to approve a loan and stay within the limits of the client s debt-to-income ratio, Sylvia says. Homeowners insurance can make or break a deal if they re not qualifying within their DTI. I ve been on the other side and know how hard it is to work on a loan and have everything fall into place. I think it s nice for loan officers to have an insurance partner who can relate to what they re going through. Of course, Sylvia s first priority is to fully insure her client, but she also goes the extra mile to work with lending professionals to make the numbers in a transaction work. I make sure I do my due diligence for both. I cannot strip a policy so the loan will go through, because I have to be responsible in the event of a loss. Trusted Advice Sylvia provides her analysis on a question commonly asked by new home owners, What is better, an insurance policy that pays off the balance of my mortgage in the event of my death, or a standard life insurance policy? A life insurance policy puts a family in a better position than insurance that pays off a mortgage, Sylvia explains. With life insurance, you get a fixed amount and have the choice to do whatever you want with the money. A family will get a check in just a few days and can use their discretion on how to use the money paying final expenses, continuing to make the mortgage payment, or as supplementary income for lost wages. Sylvia s husband and three sons are her most valuable assets in life, and she thinks of them when she is helping her clients make decisions for their families. I really do care about my clients. They become my friends. I ve learned the most important thing is to be honest, put myself in the client s shoes, and do what I would want someone to do for me and my family. It s a very big responsibility when people put their dreams and future in my hands. Sylvia Duran Alsop & Associates Insurance Agency 9155 Archibald Ave., Suite H Rancho Cucamonga, CA Tel: SylviaDuran@allstate.com Lic # og19153 Alsop & Associates is a full-service agency, providing home, auto, life and business coverage. When Sylvia assists a client with home coverage, she goes above and beyond to make sure they are informed about all coverages available. I try to look into the future with them and do my due diligence to offer all the products they need to know their family will be okay if they suffer a loss of property or life. ExecutiveAgent Magazine

6 The Genius of Teamwork True teamwork is the rarest, most exhilarating, and most productive human activity possible. Every business wants to harness this incredible energy, but achieving such a level of motivation and esprit is not always easy. A team is not just a group of individuals who work at the same location or have the same logo on their business card. A real team is made up of people who may be unequal in experience, talent, or education, but who are equal in their commitment to working together to achieve the goals and good of the organization, each other and their customers. If we are going to be successful, we can no longer look at our organizations as departments, divisions, or branch offices. We must look at the bigger picture and resolve to work together in ways we may never have done before. We may even need to cooperate with the competition. Think of all the mergers and acquisitions in the past few years. Your number one competitor today could be your partner tomorrow. Futurist Bob Treadway CSP, from Littleton, Colorado often gives the Mensa IQ Test to participants in his seminars. He has found that many average people, when working as a team, test at genius level or higher. Participants contribute in different ways. Some brainstorm. Some work alone and then report back to the group. Treadway finds that a team becomes a genius when everyone works together. Treadway also noticed that when a team is working at optimal performance, it is hard to know who the leader is. In other words, the team runs the team. Such teamwork doesn t happen by accident. It requires commitment and effort, a willingness to accept the uniqueness of others, and an appreciation of diversity. We build teams in our companies the same way we build relationships with our friends and coworkers. High-functioning teams establish us and our companies as reliable, internally and externally. We then project this image to our customers, vendors, competitors, and communities. 6 ExecutiveAgent Magazine

7 With downsizing and restructuring, many managers today are responsible for as many as 250 people. More than ever, these managers need to build responsible and committed team members if they want the best performance from them. But how do they go about it? A very dynamic, productive example was the team led by Mike Powell, when a senior scientist at Genentech. Because of its past successes, his ten-person team was given the most important assignments. I asked Mike how he managed to keep his people highly motivated in an environment with long hours and a great deal of frustration. I keep them happy, he said. Now, every manager wants to do this, so I pressed Mike for details. Ten years ago, he continued, I told team members only what I thought each needed to know. Now I tell everyone everything. It may slow them down a bit while they are filtering through all the information, but they get the big picture. Then they can then decide what it is they need to know and do. He added, I also gave them lots of positive feedback via and voice mail. One group at Genentech lost their leader, but they stayed incredibly productive. I left a voic message for one of them, saying Everyone in the company is talking about how well you all are doing. They were really effective as a team and appreciated knowing it. Building a real team gets real results, but it can t be done with slogans and directives. Ed Stair, Senior Vice President at Gap talks about Gap Heroes, everyone who uses innovation to find ideas to save money or improve productivity. Start by respecting each person s individual contribution, showing appreciation, exciting them about their possibilities for achievement, and sharing with them that their group effort has the potential for real genius. Good luck! Patricia Fripp, CSP,CPAE is a professional speaker on Change, Teamwork, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You Want! And, a Past-President of the National Speakers Association. For information about Patricia s Keynote presentations, please contact The Frog Pond Group at FROG (3764) or susie@frogpondgroup.com; com. ExecutiveAgent Magazine 7

8 Now You Can Get Executive Agent Magazine Online! We ve Gone Digital So You Have Access To All Executive Agent Has To Offer-On The Go, Anytime, Anywhere Link directly to Advertisers Search for Articles Interact and Connect Executive Agent Magazine

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10 E A Exercise Emotional Control... What causes an emotional overreaction? It s generally prompted by the speaker himself or by something he or she says. For instance, going to an elegant party dressed like a bum might influence the hosts negatively. On the other hand, wearing a high-powered, Wall Street-like suit might put a rural businessperson on the defensive against a supposedly notto-be- trusted city slicker. Severe emotional overreaction can also be caused by loaded topics, such as ethnic, racial, religious, or political references. Differences in values, beliefs, attitudes, education, speed of delivery, image, and a host of other factors can cause a disruption in communication. So, as listeners, we tend to tune out when we see or hear something we don t like. As a result, we often miss the true substance of what s being said. When your emotional reaction begins, you ll have an almost irresistible tendency to interrupt, to butt in, and to argue. You may feel your pulse speed up, your breathing become more rapid, or your face become flushed. You may lose your train of thought. Once you recognize this negative emotional reaction, you can redirect it with the following techniques: First, pause to delay your response or reaction. It s the triedand-true approach of counting to ten, or taking in some long, deep breaths. These can really work to calm you down. A second calming technique: Think about what you have in common with the speaker, rather than focusing on your differences. Maybe you don t disagree with the person s motivations-such as raising more money for the school. You just don t agree with her solutions. And third, imagine yourself calm and relaxed. Think of a time in your past when you were laid-back, on top of the world, and feeling incredibly great. Visualize that experience as vividly as you can When you exercise emotional control, you ll find that active listening is no longer a struggle. Dr. Tony Alessandra, CSP, CPAE has authored 13 books, recorded over 50 audio and video programs, and delivered over 2,000 keynote speeches since Dr. Tony Alessandra is recognized by Meetings and Conventions Magazine as, one of America s most electrifying speakers. Copyright 2004, Tony Alessandra. All rights reserved. For information about Tony s keynote presentations, contact the Frog Pond at FROG(3764) or susie@frogpond.com; ExecutiveAgent Magazine

11 E A Written by Tony Alessandra ExecutiveAgent Magazine 11

12 EXECUTIVEAGEN TM MAGAZINE Written by Haley Freeman With more than 15 years of industry experience, Adriana Avina is a lending professional who knows how to get loans done. Her willingness to go above and beyond means that she consistently exceeds client expectations and has become known as a go-to resource for hard-to-close transactions. Adriana spent ten years in the medical billing field where she cultivated her attention to detail and talent for working with numbers. An enterprising young woman who was looking to expand her horizons, Adriana also obtained her real estate license and then went to school to become a loan processor. She graduated in the top ten of her class, and due to her outstanding performance, she was offered an entry level position with a mortgage company in Costa Mesa. Adriana was so determined to learn the lending business, she drove all the way from her home in Victorville to Costa Mesa every day. Dedicated to her Craft Adriana Avina Adriana saw that greater opportunities lay in becoming a loan officer, so she asked her boss if he would be willing to teach her how to write loans. She was told if she could bring in some referral business from friends and family, he would help her learn. Adriana recalls, I m the loan officer who said one morning, I want to do mortgages. And I started bringing in deals. Adriana s tenacity paid off. In a short time, she became a full-time loan officer with a strong client base. Today, she is a senior loan officer at Alpine Mortgage Planning, where she is part of a company that works as hard as she does to make sure her clients dreams of home ownership come true. ExecutiveAgent Magazine

13 E A The Power of Perseverance The whole structure here gives loan officers the support we need to originate. We all work together to get the job done. It s great having someone behind you saying, We ll be here to take care of it. Just bring in more loans. Adriana was also attracted by the company s core values: teamwork, empowerment, positivity and excellence. I m a people person, and I m very sensitive and very caring. I take people s feelings very seriously, and I think it s what allows me to help them and get them where they want to be. I like working with a company that treats people the same way I do. Over the years, Adriana has acquired special knowledge and expertise to assist families who might otherwise give up on their dream of owning a home, including down payment assistance programs offered by municipalities and funds offered by non-profit organizations. AMP s strong selection of lending products, competitive rates and dedication to customer service further enhance Adriana s ability to help clients, even those with challenging circumstances, to qualify for a home loan. I ve done some loans throughout the years I feel really proud of. My greatest achievement is finding a way to accomplish it even when I know it s going to be tough especially when everybody is telling me no, but I know it s just a matter of figuring out the right way of putting it together to make it go through. Then I ve achieved something not just for myself, but for that client who was sweating to get into their home. When I see how grateful they are, I feel proud of being able to help them with such an important event in their life. Adriana frequently receives challenging loans from other loan officers who don t have her patience and expertise. She recently closed one of those referrals. After we got the loan done the client was so happy and grateful. He told me I came highly recommended, but he didn t think the loan was going to happen. He loves his house. That s my satisfaction as a loan officer. Remaining Focused Through the ups and downs of the market, Adriana has remained focused on her goals for herself and for her clients. When the market crashed and she learned she was pregnant with her son, she entertained leaving the industry. But ultimately, she realized she would always be able to find business, even during tough times. She also affirmed that this is the business she loves more than any other. I took the bull by the horns and rebuilt my business, she says. I realized this is what I love, and I m always happy doing it. Adriana s positive spirit and perseverance bring great results. I always try to find solutions to a problem and am willing to work hard to meet my clients goals. My goal with every client and every new loan is to close and get those keys in their hands. Adriana Avina MLO Alpine Mortgage Planning Kamana Road, Suite 203 Apple Valley, CA Tel: AAvina@alpinemc.com 2015 A division of Pinnacle Capital Mortgage Equal Housing Lender NMLS WA CL AZ BK Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. Regulated by the Division of Real Estate Colorado.. ExecutiveAgent Magazine

14 E A The How s and Why s of Brochure Printing For many years now, brochure s have always been a part of business. When it comes to advertising a business, the success of these brochures really is astounding. To obtain future customers, this is a major way of communicating what your business does They are also a reflection of your image. Because a brochure printing is very powerful on the image of the business, it is important that your brochure is visually appealing and attractive. To get into the competition of advertising, brochures are just one powerful way of doing this. If you have a brochure that is not attractive, it will simply not get noticed. For this reason, it is important that you choose the correct printing service. This printing service will look after the printing of your brochures. Printing brochures really is very easy. But you need to know what it is that you need and what you want to come from them. Always pick the right brochure printing service that suits what it is you are after. Before you decide on the service to use, have the layout of your brochure already designed. Think about how your advertising message will be displayed. Always choose the design and text carefully. Once this has been done, you are now ready to decide on the printing options. There are two options that you can choose from. These options include: digital printing or off-set printing. These printing methods can print a very large amount of brochures in high quality tools. How do off-set printing and digital printing differ? The difference between these print options is that off-set printing uses the 4-color printing method. Its metal plates move the images from the plate onto the paper. This provides the brochure with images of highresolution. Digital images are designed for the printer 14 ExecutiveAgent Magazine

15 E A to use a laser beam that creates an image. However, if you use this option, you can only do a small amount of printing. It might cost less, but the amount printed can only be small. The paper is the next thing to consider. It is the important part of the brochure. The paper is what causes the brochure to look appealing. The right sort of paper to use is coated-paper stock, heavy weight or glossy paper. Why? Because the paper makes brochure printing appealing and exciting for anyone. As well as this, the way of folding brochures should also be considered. There are three ways in which brochures can be folded. They include the: tri-fold, z-fold and single-gold styles. Once you have thought about these properly, you can now search for the right printing service. For your brochure to stand out, print them by using the fullcolor option. You can find these services in just about every brochure printing business. All brochure printing businesses provide these services. These can be found online which means you can access these services easily. Last but not the least, the use of a colored business card will help your clients remember you and your company s name more easily than is the case with a neutral black or white business card. Once your clients remember and recognize you and your business, you will stand a better chance of making your client interested in your business offers, thereby making business more favorable. Written By vikram kumar ExecutiveAgent Magazine 15

16 Nomination Form Nominate a fellow REALTOR to be featured in one of our feature stories; on the cover as Executive Agent of the Month, or as a special feature story. All candidates must be nominated by a real estate professional. The selection process includes a questionnaire, personal interview, reference check and final approval by the Advisory Council. Candidates are evaluated based upon professionalism, length of service and uniqueness of story, as well as industry and community involvement. I Nominate: Name Company Address City, State, Zip Phone Submitted By: Fax/ nomination to: Executive Agent Magazine PO Box San Clemente, CA Fax: Info@eamag.net Tel: Name Company Phone

17 E A Cover Story Amado Hernandez Executive Agent of the Month ExecutiveAgent Magazine

18 Amado Hernandez Excellence Real Estate Written by Haley Freeman - Ian Wiant Photographer A delightful conversationalist with a depth of wisdom to share on numerous and varied topics, Amado Hernandez is a unique and well-rounded real estate professional. With 27 years in real estate spanning virtually every facet of the industry, Amado has built a reputation for his superior knowledge, uncompromising standards of customer service and down-to-earth servant leadership. Real estate is the second career in which Amado has excelled. It is also the one where he realized his true potential and passion. As a young man with a large family to care for, he took a position with Rockwell International Aerospace, where he supervised quality assurance standards for B-1B bombers and interfaced with Air Force officials. At 30 years old, Amado read two books that had a profound influence on his life, Common Sense: A Simple Plan for Financial Independence by Art Williams; and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. At that point I made the decision I was going to become an entrepreneur. Having a job was okay, but being an entrepreneur was better. My dad was 46 when he retired, and he always encouraged me to go into commerce. Amado took a year off between careers and travelled the world on a journey of self-discovery. He explored Europe and the Middle East, making the trek from Holland to Jordan with many stops in between. ExecutiveAgent Magazine

19 Transforming himself from engineer to entrepreneur, he obtained his license and went to work with Tarbell Realtors. Always enthusiastic for life and eager to learn, Amado quickly rose to the top as a producer and also as a leader. He found joy in recruiting and developing agents for the organization, sharing his innate people and sales skills for the betterment of all. An enterprising Amado set his sights ever higher, and went on to own a series of real estate-related entities, including a mortgage company and an escrow company. He has also been a trusted partner with several banking institutions, charged with liquidating a large number of distressed properties. Today, he is a broker/owner and regional director at Excellence Empire Real Estate, where he continues to develop life-changing opportunities for homeowners and real estate professionals in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. A Progressive Culture Amado is dedicated to creating a people-centric culture where clients dreams come true and agents thrive. At the end of the day, people all want to have their dignity and want to be respected, Amado observes. Everywhere you go, what they want most is to provide for themselves and their families. Amado is looking for both quality agents and offices interested in joining the Excellence Empire network. Our network charges a fee of $200 per closed transaction besides broker/agent splits. Most others charge eight percent. We have a very nice transition package for agents, depending on their level of expertise. We provide signs and marketing materials, including comprehensive internet and social media exposure like videos on YouTube. The company also has a strong referral system, with a lot of buyers coming to the Inland Empire from LA. Best of all, agents have the benefit of working sideby-side with Amado himself, who generously shares his knowledge and experience and has a proven record of coaching producing agents. Amado also continues to work as a producing manager, keeping his skills sharp so he remains in touch with the changing demands of the marketplace and real-world challenges agents are facing every day. ExecutiveAgent Magazine

20 Freedom Beyond Words Agents joining us have the benefit of one-on-one coaching with me as their broker. I go out door-knocking with my agents and teach them how to talk to homeowners, whether it s asking for listings or referrals, or converting a tenant into a buyer. One of the best skills an agent can have is to have a story and good dialogue, and to learn from people by asking the right questions. Amado describes his team of agents as very diverse, including younger and older people, as well as those with formal degrees and others with less formal education. In our career, what really gets you places isn t formal education, it s self-education. Amado is a gifted teacher, but also a dedicated student. As a life-long learner, he has made self-improvement an ongoing priority in his life. I can teach people scripts and how to be an order taker, or I can teach them to be a sales person based on principles and help them develop a career. That takes a little longer. I believe in order to develop your career, you have to work harder on you. I teach that every day has three cycles: eight hours to sleep, eight hours to work, and eight hours to do whatever you want. What you do with that discretionary time will make or break you. Are you using it to read, study and develop yourself? Scripture says redeem the time because the days are evil. To redeem means to purchase. If we re purchasing our time, why not use it wisely? Amado is an avid reader who uses his discretionary eight hours to the highest benefit of himself and others. He is a proud father of four and grandfather of five who remains active with family, church and community. ExecutiveAgent Magazine

21 Life has been good to me, he says. I have nothing but appreciation. A Realtor and former refugee from Vietnam, Thach Nguyen, who came here at five years old with his mom, dad and four siblings, teaches the formula Appreciation; Intention; Delegation (A.I.D.). I try to be appreciative of this great life by maintaining my physical, spiritual and emotional health. I set clear intention by keeping my eyes on one target to be coordinated and effective. That means always prioritizing to do the thing that is most important. I also think I m good at delegating. I have a great staff, and I empower them to do what they do and then get out of their way. I ve found that to be very effective. Wisdom From Experience According to Amado, he has witnessed three full cycles during his time in the real estate business. Based upon my experience and professional intuition, I feel the whole business is on a seven year cycle, he explains. When I go back and analyze the 27 years I ve been in the industry, I see a pattern every seven years. We re about a year into a good cycle now and have another six years before things get challenging or more opportune again. is fascinating because you can invest in the stock market, but who knows what s going to happen? A piece of real estate is physical and solid. To me, it has more substance and allows you more control than anything else you can invest your money in. Amado shares his leadership and expertise by participating in several business and community organizations. He serves on the board of directors for the National Asian American Coalition, and after the recent market crash, he joined with his colleagues to meet former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and lobby for law protecting homeowners who were seeking loan modifications. If you ask Amado what he loves most about real estate, one word stands out prominently: freedom. Amado uses his freedom to serve God, family and people. In real estate, I have the freedom to be me to express myself. I have the freedom to be a free thinker and help make changes in other people s lives and careers. How many countries in the world wish they had the freedoms we enjoy? Life is bigger than just a job or career. In real estate, we have freedom beyond words. Amado places his confidence in real estate, regardless of what phase the market is currently in. To me, real estate ExecutiveAgent Magazine

22 Amado Hernandez Excellence Real Estate Pigeon Pass Rd., Ste. O Moreno Valley, CA Phone: reoempire@live.com Website: CalBRE # ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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24 What is your main thing? -Matt De La Cruz Our days are built, we create them, our lives are built in the ways we handle them. We work so hard every day trying to do the best we can for our careers, our families and our futures but we need to ask ourselves: what is it all for? What are we working towards? Are we searching for happiness, success or maybe wealth? When all is said and done and you are no longer here on this spinning planet what would you say is your main thing in life? In Stephen Coveys book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, habit 2 suggests that we should begin with the end in mind. Mental visualization is extremely important. Covey says that all things are created twice, first the mental conceptualization and visualization; second the physical and actual creation. Becoming your own creator means to plan and visualize what you are setting out to do as well as your plan to accomplish it and then going out and creating it. Identify your personal mission statement and your principles will help. To begin with the end in mind is to me making sure that every day I am working towards my main objective in life. I strive to fulfill my personal mission statement and my purpose in life. Life is too short for: should have, could have, and would haves. It reminds me of Dr. Gerald Bell, a retired business professor at the University of North Carolina. Bell had conducted a study of 4,000 retired executives with the average age of 70. He asked just one question, If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently? 24 Executive Banker Magazine

25 The number one answer by a wide margin was: I should have taken charge of my life and set my goals earlier. Life isn t practice, it s the real thing. Here are the answers in order of rank: 2. I would have taken better care of my health. 3. I would have managed my money better. 4. I would have spent more time with my family. 5. I would have spent more time on personal development. 6. I would have had more fun. 7. I would have planned my career better. 8. I would have given more back. To summarize they regretted letting life unfold without creating a plan. They regretted the randomness of lives shaped by external stimuli rather than internal goals and focus. Study the list of responses. Chances are you are making some of the same mistakes as the respondents made. Don t wait until it s too late to decide your purpose in life. Life is now, it is not a practice. This is the only shot you get in life; make the most of it now so you have no regrets when it s over! Executive Banker Magazine 25

26 E A How Business Women Who Are Positive Thinkers Win Think back. Who inspired you on your path to leadership? We are all inspired by someone, somewhere, along the way in our career. It could have been a parent, grandparent, boss, friend or someone we just read about. Regardless, they did or said something that motivated us to attempt to achieve more and dream bigger. Aren t you thankful? When you look at the source of your inspiration, I believe you ll find someone who was positive at heart. Someone who never talked about how hard life was and how difficult the journey would be, but instead they were the kind of person who demonstrated positive thinking. How do I know? It is because dull, ordinary thinking never inspires us. Neither does thinking that drags us through the mud of all that go wrong and all that is bad in the world inspire us. As you lead people, whether it be children or employees or managers, remember that what you think is what you get. If you are to inspire people to greatness, you must think greatly yourself. This can only be done through positive thinking. As Ann Moore, Chairman and CEO of Time, Inc said in a recent speech at the 7th annual Wharton Women In Business Conference, All behavior emanates from the top and reverberates down the organization to the lowest level. Positive thinkers win! So, if you realize that positive thinking inspires and you realize that inspiration is what leads to achieving success, then how do you keep negative thinking from invading your space? Mark Victor Hanson, a great motivational speaker, once said If you hear that negative voice trying to stop you, just visualize putting a big red X through it. Before you go to work, or on your way, take a few minutes to meditate on what you want to accomplish during the day. How will you do it? What is the best end result in your mind? Then see it. Feel it. Do it. You ll feel the positive momentum the rest of the day. It does make a difference. By the way, there is a new World Positive Thinkers Club for those who want to expand their horizons and join the ranks of positive thinkers around the country. Check it out at Ken Bossone took 10 years of research and discovered the three word motto all Positive Thinkers have imbedded in their hearts, minds and souls that leads to constant winning and happiness. There are now over 500 members of the club in the professional sports and business world. All Ken s research resulted in this book Why Do Positive Thinkers Win. It is being considered right now for the shelves of libraries around the country. And remember, that it is you and your thinking that will help you achieve whatever it is that you are looking for in life. I hope you see a future full of lots of positive outcomes! Roxanne Batson is Managing Partner of WSN Sales 75 LLC, a global marketing company and Co-Founder, WomenCorp, an international women s leadership training company. She is a speaker, author and sales trainer with 25 years of experience in business development for companies such as Southern Living, Merrill Lynch and TurnerBatson Architects. Copyright Roxanne Batson. All rights reserved. For information about Roxanne s presentations, contact FrogPond at FROG(3764) or Susie@FrogPond.com; My own belief is that we should start the day visualizing positive events. 26 ExecutiveAgent Magazine

27 E A Written By Roxanne Batson ExecutiveAgent Magazine 27

28 Being An Extraordinary Leader Through Tough And Challenging Times Tough and challenging times will surely come. That is a given. The question is what kind of leadership we will demonstrate during those time. Those who are weak leaders will see lasting damage done, if not see the organization fall apart completely. With Extraordinary Leaders at the helm, however, an organization can actually become stronger and thrive in spite of the tough and challenging times. That should be our goal so here are some idea on how to be an Extraordinary Leader in tough and challenging times! 1. Keep Your Eye on the Big Picture. When things get tough, everybody s temptation is to become acutely focused on the problem. The Extraordinary Leader, however, will keep his or her eye on the big picture. This doesn t mean that we don t address the problem. In fact, we have to address the problem. But what separates a leader from a follower is that the leader doesn t get caught up in the problem. The leader sees the big picture and keeps moving toward the vision. The further they take their followers toward the vision, the further away from the problem they get. 2. Don t Get Caught in the War or the Friendly Fire. When it gets tough even the most loyal team members can be tempted to start shooting and, unfortunately, they sometimes shoot each other! Rather than focusing on the enemy on the outside, they begin to question each other and find many faults with one another that they normally would not have seen. The Extraordinary Leader is the one who can keep from being drug into the fray. They keep their eye on the big picture and act rationally and objectively. They understand that people are heated and are saying things they don t really mean. The people are firing because they are angry or scared. The Extraordinary Leader understands this and rises above it. This way, they take fewer arrows and they set the example for their followers. 3. Be First to Sacrifice. When it gets tough, like when there has to be cuts in salaries etc, the leader should do just that - lead. They need to not only be the one who is rewarded the greatest when all is well, but they need to be the first to sacrifice. The Extraordinary leader says, I know many of you are concerned with the salary cuts. I am too. In the long run we will be healthy again but for the mean time, this is necessary. Understanding this, I want you to know that I am taking a 20% pay reduction myself. I want you to know that we are in this together. The Extraordinary Leader is the first to sacrifice and will be rewarded with the loyalty of his or her followers. 28 Executive Banker Magazine

29 4. Remain Calm. Panic is one of the basest of human emotions and no one is immune to it. The Extraordinary Leader, however, takes time out regularly to think the issues through so they can remain calm. They remind themselves that all is not lost and there will be another day. They remind themselves that being calm will enable them to make the best decisions - for themselves and for their followers. Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory. 5. Motivate. In tough and challenging times, people are naturally down. They tend to be pessimistic. They can t see how it is all going to work out. Thus, they have a hard time getting going. The Extraordinary Leader knows this and will focus in on being the optimistic motivator. He or she will come to the office knowing that for the time being, the mood of the group will be carried and buoyed by them and their attitude. Above all else, they seek to show how the end result will be good - and with this they motivate their followers to continue on, braving the current storms, and on to their shared destiny. 6. Create Small Wins. One of the ways to motivate is to create small wins. The Extraordinary Leader knows that in tough times his or her people think that all is lost. They wonder if they can win. So the Extraordinary Leader creates opportunities for the team to win, even if they are small. They set smaller, more achievable goals and remind and reward the team members when they hit those goals. With each small win, the leader is building the esteem and attitude of his followers, digging them out of their self-created hole of fear. 7. Keep a Sense of Humor. Look, hardly anything in life can t be laughed at. The Extraordinary Leader knows that even if the whole company goes down the drain, we still go home to our families and live a life of love with them. The Extraordinary Leader keeps perspective and knows that we humans act irrationally when we get scared and fail, and sometimes that is humorous. Don t ever laugh at someone s expense in this situation, because that will be perceived at cold and heartless, regardless of what you meant by it, but do keep the ability to laugh at yourself and the situations that present themselves. By doing this you will keep yourself and your team in an attitude that will eventually beat the tough times. Chris Widener is the President of Made For Success. He teaches leaders how to become Extraordinary Leaders. Chris speaking and consulting services have challenged the best to become optimists, to pursue excellence relentlessly, and to dream big dreams. Copyright 2006, Chris Widener. All rights reserved. For information about Chris speaking and consulting services, contact the Frog Pond at FROG(3764) or susie@frogpond. com; Executive Banker Magazine 29

30 匀䄀嘀䔀吀䠀䔀䐀䄀吀䔀 䄀一䐀 倀刀伀唀䐀䰀夀倀刀䔀匀䔀一吀匀 䴀伀一䐀䄀夀 Ⰰ 一伀嘀䔀䴀䈀䔀刀 Ⰰ 㔀 刀䔀䜀䤀匀吀刀䄀吀䤀伀一伀倀䔀一匀䄀吀㠀㨀アハ ート䄀䴀倀刀伀䜀刀䄀䴀刀唀一匀㤀䄀䴀 ⴀ 㐀㨀アハ ート倀䴀 圀夀一䐀䠀䄀䴀䄀一䄀䠀䔀䤀䴀 䜀䄀刀䐀䔀一䜀刀伀嘀䔀 䠀䄀刀䈀伀刀䈀䰀嘀䐀 Ⰰ 䄀一䄀䠀䔀䤀䴀 Ⰰ 䌀䄀㤀 㠀㐀 刀䔀䜀䤀匀吀䔀刀䘀伀刀䔀䄀刀䰀夀䈀䤀刀䐀倀刀䤀䌀䤀一䜀一伀圀 圀圀圀 䔀倀刀伀一䄀刀 䌀伀䴀 一䄀刀 ⴀ 吀䔀䌀䠀 ⴀ 䔀䐀䜀䔀 䄀一䄀䠀䔀䤀䴀

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32 E A Values-Based Selling: What It Really Takes To Influence Human Behavior... The purpose of this article is to stimulate your thinking about what really influences human behavior and, if it s not working, to get you to think beyond your current approach to building long-term business relationships. There are three ways to influence human behavior. The most common and least powerful way is by addressing needs. More, but not the most, powerful are wants. And, by far, the most effective way to influence human behavior is through core values. Values-Based Selling is the key to deliberately getting people emotionally involved and creating trust. Don t confuse values-based selling with value-added marketing. I am not suggesting that you ignore needs; however, we no longer live in a needs-oriented society. Why are needs the least powerful way to influence human behavior? Needs are tied to shoulds. For instance, take statements like I should save money ; I should make more investments ; I should make better decisions ; I should get a financial plan ; or I should have more discipline. The key to guiding people toward smart choices is to get them to want to. Tangible wants are a step in the right direction. Tangible wants, such as early retirement, vacation homes, good schools for the kids, new car, estate protection, travel, and other goals are incentives to seek advice. But, in truth, even wants don t have the emotional pull that values do. Values are intangible feelings. Intangible, pure, undiluted feelings like love, pride, security, freedom, making a difference, independence, accomplishment, self worth, and so forth are key factors in influencing behavior. Values illuminate people s emotional motives so clearly, they must take action... for their own reasons. Needs have the power to illuminate emotional motives as much as the penlight on your key ring, while wants work like your average flashlight. Values, however, illuminate emotional motives like a row of halogen high-beams on the front of a Mercedes on the Autobahn. Your prospects and clients are most likely to take action on your ideas when they feel a strong emotional connection to them. Your job is to illuminate their emotions so they fully understand the relationship between smart decisions and fulfilling their life values. Your job isn t to be a traditional sales person and sell the old school way. Everyone has a unique values hierarchy. Just like fingerprints, no two values hierarchies are alike. When you stimulate a conversation with current and prospective clients about their values (what is truly important to them), they will become emotionally involved, you can touch on their ranking of values, understand them at a deeper level, and you can dramatically shorten the time it takes to gain their trust. Emotional involvement and trust are two critical elements in creating profitable client relationships. Without realizing it, you project your own values when you promote yourself. How do you feel when people project their values on you? Do you like it? Are you anxious to do business with people who project their values on you? You can t get people emotionally motivated when discussing your values. You do it by talking about their values. The first logical question to ask yourself is, How do I get people to talk about what is important to them (their values)? Then, ask yourself, How do I use that information in a positive way? How does this create trust? Listen for words and phrases like freedom, control, satisfaction, making a difference, independence, feel really good, pride, achievement, contribution, oneness with God, etc. These are indicators that you are on the right track, because they represent values. And values are emotional and they create positive emotional feelings in the person you are speaking with. The thing to remember is that when needs-oriented planning leaves your client flat, try focusing on your clients values instead. Needs simply don t have the emotional punch to influence human behavior. Remember, the least effective approach is to try to satisfy client needs. A better approach is to help clients get what they want and desire. The most effective sales professionals help clients fulfill their values in life. Differentiate yourself! Don t be a traditional salesperson, become a Trusted Sales Professional. Anne M. Bachrach is President of A.M. Enterprises. Copyright 1999, Anne M. Bachrach. All rights reserved. Anne has 16 years of experience training and coaching. Her main focus is training entrepreneurs and salespeople how to build high-trust relationships, on purpose (Values- Based Selling ). The objective is to do more business in less time through maximizing people s true potential, and ultimately leading them to an even better quality of life. For information on about Anne M. Bachrach, please contact The Frog Pond Group at FROG (3764) or susie@frogpondgroup.com; 32 ExecutiveAgent Magazine

33 E A Written By Anne M. Bachrach ExecutiveAgent Magazine 33

34 Tony had it all. A beautiful wife, a great son. And prostate cancer. He was only 44 and scared. He went online to find out who the experts were and everything pointed to City of Hope. We have the largest program for prostate cancer in California. And our surgeons have performed thousands of robotic urologic procedures using the advanced da Vinci robotic system. This surgery was part of the personalized treatment plan we created for Tony that saved his life. I m healthy now, and everything is working normally. I m one lucky man. If you have cancer, make us your first call. Or ask your doctor for a referral. We accept most insurance HOPE WE LIVE TO CURE CANCER. Science saving lives. cityofhope.org/prostate

35 Comprehensive Education CRMLS Award Winning MLS Provider Weekly Breakfast Networking Connections Political Connections through our Government Affairs Director TIGAR The Inland Gateway Association of REALTORS Successful Recreational Events Technology Connections via Facebook, Twitter, Live Streamed Meetings & More! Your REALTOR membership in The Inland Gateway Association of REALTORS Connects You with exclusive products, programs and services as well as becoming a member of the California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) and National Association of REALTORS (N.A.R.), benefiting from the strength of 1.3 million REALTORS across the country all committed to creating a strong and viable real estate marketplace. We make sure you are always connected using the latest technolgies such as Facebook, Twitter, and Newsletters to keep you informed with all the Real Estate news that affects your business. We pride ourselves as the member friendly Association of REALTORS. Our customer service team strives to make your experience with us the best part of your day. (951) The Inland Gateway Association of REALTORS 321 E. Sixth St. Corona, CA TIGAR The Inland Gateway Association of REALTORS

36 COME JOIN OUR TEAM! Your Dreams. Our Expertise. ALPINE MORTGAGE PLANNING IN ONTARIO 3990 CONCOURS, SUITE 350 ONTARIO, CA Alpine Mortgage Planning is a direct lender Retail branch of Pinnacle Capital Mortgage Corp 2013 Funded $7 billion Focused on purchase business Broker and banker In branch set-up, processing, and docs In-house marketing support CRM Production assistants to allow you to be in the field Employer paid health benefits 401K Multiple sources for jumbo product with excellent pricing and delegated underwriting We re proud to announce our new office in Ontario. Alpine Mortgage Planning is currently in the process of interviewing purchase-focused loan originators, sales managers, and teams to join our world class fulfillment team. If you re looking to take your business to the next level, you need the right support team behind you. Join us! VISIT FOR MORE INFORMATION! MARLENE HOOVER Area Manager MLO Cell Fax mhoover@alpinemc.com BRETT REICHEL Area Manager - Inland Empire MLO Cell Office breichel@alpinemc.com 2014 A division of Pinnacle Capital Mortgage Corp Equal Housing Lender NMLS WA CL AZ BK Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. Regulated by the Division of Real Estate Colorado.