$93M Producer Reveals His Scripting & Referral Playbook

What an honor to be sitting in the big capable shoes of Jeff Zimper mortgage marketing radio back on the airwaves and wishing Jeff. Well, he continues to battle cancer and I just want to start this off with something he left with us on a past show. And that was that the show must go on. This is his exact words and it's not what's happened in life, but how you respond that makes all the difference. So I took a little bit of time out to follow the protocol that I've been given in terms of chemo treatments to chemo treatments and then some Jeff recently developed a high fever and had a very moving post on Facebook. And I reached out to him this morning and I said, I'm thinking about you, man, what can I do for you? Name it and I'll do it. And he said, can you pinch it for me on my show? And I said, done. Let me grab a guest and not only did I get a guest. I have one of the most fabulous people and producers in our industry and the Bible is a division senior vice president of NFM lending. Let me just qualify this guy in terms of what he's been able to produce in three of the worst years any of us have ever seen. 2,023, 289 units for 75.7 million dollars. That's 2023. That was a terrible year. 2,024, 278 units for 83.6 million and in the year that just concluded 2,025, 302 units for 93 million dollars. So yes, production is climbing and he is soon to be if history is any indication a 100 million dollar man. But let me just say that he's not just originating loans. That's just a portion of what he's doing as a leader of a team. He had a great mentor and we'll get into his whole story. But first let me say hello to Andy Bigo. Andy, how are you? I'm doing great Greg. I really appreciate you having me on. Yeah, when I mentioned that it was for Jeff and what he has been going through you said I'm in put me in coach. So Jeff we're all wishing you well man. We all love you and appreciate your content and we're going to put on the show for you today. So Andrew let's jump right in. Where did it all begin because we have a lot of people listening to us here. Jeff has got an incredible following but they're not all 96 million dollar people like these are people that run the range right. And so let's go back to what got you into the business. What was that moment and then we're going to talk an awful lot about your ascent through each stage of this process. Yeah, absolutely. So I started in the business in 2017. I didn't know what a mortgage was but I had a buddy that was working in the industry and he seemed to be having a lot of fun. So I jumped on his co-tails and started as a loan partner on a team which was just a fancy way of saying you're going to cold call ad leads and set real through appointments for at the time the loan officer that I was working for Daniel saw. We're going to learn mortgage. So I did that until 2019 April 2019 I transitioned to be a loan regenerator myself after learning how a mortgage worked learning how to acquire referred business from real to partners and other industry. So I had a lot of other advocates and then I really had my ascent happen in 2020 and 2021 and unfortunately I didn't have any past clients to refinance because I had just started as an originator in in 2019. While everybody was catching you know the money falling out of the sky with refice I was chasing down real to partners having zoom calls with them because you know COVID prevented in person meetings and really just building my book of business on the purchase world. While everybody else was chasing down the easy money and so 2020 I did maybe like 230 units in my first full year as an originator 2021 stop there stop there stop there that's incredible wait a minute in your first full year as an originator you close 230 units. Yeah 230 purchase units. Okay we have to unpack that like that is like a dream how what are some of the things that you did to speed up that track from a guy from someone just getting into the business. Most people when they're just getting in in their first full year closing a couple loans a month you're you're closing ten times that in your first year. Yeah the I think the biggest thing that helped me excel in the growth of my purchase business is following a process and having a skill set that I was just a hundred percent dialed in on you know and that was being super diligent on clean scripting with my intake calls. Mastering my consultations when it came to presenting loan options for clients retaining clients you know with the contract transition converting realtor partners you know and how do I host a meeting with a realtor and pitch them on giving me a chance. You know I had some extensive you know realtor retention strategies that that executed on and then really just building out additional pillars of my business and structuring my week appropriately. I feel like those were really the things when I think back on that I just was a hundred percent dialed in on and focused on in my business instead of getting sidetracked with everything else that the industry throws at us or everything else that might look like the newest shiny hottest thing. So when you look at those different steps in the process that you say were the key to doing 230 units in your first full year as an originator not even what three years into the business at that point for your business yeah how long were you an L.O.A. for 20 months got it so when you look at this process that you just described. What would you say to you know look if you had to pick a couple. For somebody for somebody listening that's trying to make that next leap whatever it is what are two I know they're all important but yeah yeah extract to that are like key key where you saw the biggest needle movers. I think the most important is practicing scripting. And a great example actually Tom Brady Jersey right behind you you know Tom Brady doesn't just show up on the football field and learn how to throw a ball when he's in the game. You know he threw the ball a thousand times at practice that week or more before he actually stepped on the field and he threw the ball 100,000 times or millions probably before he even got to a super bowl. And what I see in the industry a lot of times as I bring on originators and mentor them is they don't ever practice nobody in our industry practices but they want to be great. And so in my dreams literally sleeping at night my wife would wake me up and tell me any shut up and I was like role playing the rate for but also script in my dreams. And I just practiced so hard on getting the basics down because what I've noticed about this industry is that it's just a combination of doing a lot of the basic things 1% better than everybody else. And if I do 100 things better I'm 100% you know superior when it comes time to show up to the game. That was so strong. Is that is what you just said scripted? It should be but it wasn't that that's incredible practice if I can be 1% better than everybody else than I'm cumulatively 100% better than everyone else. The Tom Brady analogy is is great too. So scripting scripting was is my number one recommendation for new or seasoned loan authors right. What is it what does that look like like you talk about scripting is it. Is it the same predictable do you try and go down the same scripting path every time you talk or does it depend on the personality on the other end like what happens if you have somebody that's really conversational. Very gregarious they like to small talk and here you are looking at your script but then you have someone else it's very serious you know let's talk about the rate let's talk about the terms i'm talking to the bank down the street. So yeah I think it's I think it's having a road map you know I never had. A desire to want to stay on the exact script the entire time that I was on a conversation but just having the first 30 seconds of the introduction what are we going to go over on our call today it's an intro call what is the outcome that we're looking for in the call right and just creating a clear road map of what that client can expect from you moving forward. And then having scripted you know pieces for objections you know what's your rate what are your cost you know all those things just having an outline of what to say so that when you are faced with that rebuttal. You can answer it confidently and you don't sound all over the place or like you don't actually know what the answer is. And then getting them back on track with where the conversation actually needs to go so will you set that table in the beginning hello mr. Jones great to talk to you here's what I hope to accomplish on this call please tell me what you hope to accomplish like do you get ready to that is that how you do it. Absolutely I've got every single 30 seconds of the call the first 30 seconds is the same with every client I don't care if they're an analytical you know actuary or they are a salesperson themselves when I'm making an introduction it's the same scripted 30 seconds at the beginning of a call when somebody asked me what my rate is it's the same exact scripted rate objection in rebuttal. And a couple of other pieces through the process you know when I'm delivering our unique selling proposition at the end of the call the three things that I can guarantee them and the two things that I want in return so you know just having some highlights that I stay scripted on that give me a road map of you know what the sales cycle looks like is the rate the most consistent objection that you've got to talk about. No, I don't feel like it is because when I lead with the intro it's already eliminating the rate objection by letting them know hey we're going to get to that point at the end after we determine what your profile looks like identifying your goals and reviewing next steps. So in other words you take that off the table by saying I need to get accumulate all this information to be able to get to that part in the conversation because obviously if they are going FHA or DPA it's a lot different than if they're going conventional right so right. And when you do get into the rate script when that does happen when I do say to you as a client and I love you. You've told me that your rates roughly six and three quarters percent i've got a friend that just got you know an eighth or quarter lower than that down the street. What do you you know how do you tackle that. It's a great question Greg and glad you asked has a nationwide direct lender we have access to every financing program available in the industry ultimately when it comes time to lock in your interest rate we're going to lock you in. At the lowest most competitive rate for your specific situation that being said we want to get a full picture of what your goals look like and what you qualify for so that way we can set you up for success. When did you say you were looking to purchase a home. Yes and that's that that's the part where you get them back on truck and that's where I get them back on track and then somebody says well I got offered a 6.3 or a 5.5 or whatever the case is great we have access to those options as well. I'm going to show you exactly what it's going to take for you to get those options or better. Based on your goals and your qualification because I can give a client a 5.5 also they just might have to take it on a 7.1 arm or they might have to pay a point to get down you know or whatever the cases right I can offer the same exact rates is everybody else. So I never really get in this bad and then I have a loan consultation with them right where I educate them on what does it take to get to a 5.5 that their buddy just got well this is what the market is today this is your lowest cost option this is your 5.5 option hey I even have a 5% option all the way over here right but here's what it takes to get there. And once you educate the client on what that looks like it builds a lot more confidence from their side and clarity on maybe why their friend got the 5.5. So it's a full consultation it's a full consultation and that and that helps that helps right you take your time now now you just did. You know I got to go back to the numbers here but in 2,000 and 25 you close 302 units that's you closing those loans so are you are you personally talking to everyone of those clients up front with and running this or do you have a team that supports you. I have a phenomenal team now that supports me as well I have 3 loan partners who also have consultations I still do a lot of consultations I did over 100 you know consultations last year myself and closed over 100 of those loans personally I do talk to every client though that works with us. And then I also manage a branch of 10 loan regionators. We got to get into that because as a as a leader of NFM and I should say we are at the half point of mortgage marketing radio Jeff Zimper we love you buddy this is Greg share pinch hitting from NFM lending. We have Andrew Bible on the line here he's a division vice president of NFM lending man who's grown year over year three straight years in a row who just told you that he's got 10 loan officers he went from an L.O.A. in 2019 to a guy that's got who's doing 300 units himself for close to 100 million and has 10 originators under him and we're going to get into that we have to get into that right. But there's still a few more things that I want to I want to talk about here because to have three L.O.A.s as your business starts to ascend I would imagine letting go of that control has got to be a real thing. Because you're you're tasting success you want to hang on to that success you develop this line of dependability and integrity that your referral partners are used to seeing on the other end of the phone and all of a sudden now you've got a loan partner that's going to be handling that because you can't scale to 300 loans a year handling it all by yourself not if you want any of life. So what can you tell us about that process and is there any advice for those people that are maybe struggling or about to cross over that Rubicon that might be able to make it easier for them like in other words if you knew then what you know now kind of thing. Yeah absolutely I mean when it comes to building a team it is one of the hardest parts of this business that's why you don't see a lot of high producing teams because as the originator you've developed these relationships with your referral partners you've developed these processes most loan originators create processes that aren't scalable or you know able to be delegated. So you have to be able to create a repeatable process that somebody else can follow at the train them they have to practice their scripting daily and you know they've got to practice their skills at daily. But then you also need to this is the most important part of building a team is you have to create a positive feedback loop from your loan partner or your L.O.A. to the client and or the referral partner. So when my L.O.A. talks to a client we're ensuring that after that conversation the client is circling back with their realtor and letting them know hey I had a wonderful conversation with Logan and we've got everything taken care of. So now we're effectively creating trust between Logan and the realtor partner via the client and showing that Logan is capable and able to take care of their clients although Andy was the only one that had done that in the past. So creating the positive feedback loop from the client to the agent about your team is the most important part if you ever want the opportunity to be able to delegate those leads and those clients to others because if you don't then the moment one thing goes sideways. Your agent comes back to you and says hey Andy I only want you taking my leads if you're unable to do that that's fine I'll find another lender partner but if they've already heard five other times that Logan has been taking excellent care of their clients they don't care. So are you going to create that feedback loop close that link in the chain for me is that are you asking the client. You're liking how this is going can you please let can you please like the agent know you say that to the client. This is this is the secret sauce man you really you really want it all huh well I mean this is this is all about Jeff Zimper row I'm here for it I'm here for it so we're all here for Jeff so let's go. And then we'll pivot into another area because we still have one other thing to tackle that we left unpacked and then we'll jump into what this team that you have my goodness you close 302 loans. A year by yourself with a team and now you've you've got 10 LOs did you say you've got 10 loan officers under you now. Yeah 10 loan officers let's talk a little bit about that secret sauce you don't have to open up the bottle and pour it all on the table but give us like a tiny little sprinkle. You know in honor of Jeff and and you ask me to do this i'll I'll pour it all out because here's the actual differentiating factor as well as most people don't actually execute on things so everybody's going to listen to this hear it. Say oh yeah that sounds wonderful but nobody's going to actually execute on it because they're not going to be held accountable and that's why I continue to stay at the top and keep rising but. It sounds like a challenge it's a challenge radio let's go let's rise up so at the end of the conversation we always deliver our USP which is our unique selling proposition we're going to close on time we're going to proactively communicate and there will be no surprises Greg. The only two things that I ask for and return from you is that if you know anybody else looking to buy a salary finance don't keep me a secret. And after this call if you could just do me a huge favor if you could just let your agent know that we connected and we've got everything squared away and we're taking great care of you that would mean the world can you do that. There it is. Somebody's going to give you their verbal commitment most people want to be a man or a woman of their word. And so after the call they're going to reach out to their agent say hey I connected with Andy he's taking great care of me thank you for connecting us. We're going to have a positive feedback from that and find that application closes that closes that link and gets that good feedback loop now I had it we'll go back which is one more second yep and we'll go forwards I had asked you like you you went over a pretty robust set of yeah. And I said to you what are two things out of those seven or eight that you mentioned that really moved the needle more than others you just you pointed out one incredible thing that's practice like you loan off serves don't practice enough not enough practicing of scripting not enough practicing of consistency give us one other area. I think you know you'd have to argue that the realtor conversion you know and getting over for a partner is obviously a very important aspect of this business. So similar to my intake call similar to my loan consultation similar to everything that I do there's a scripted process to my realtor meeting and how I go through that the questions that I ask the realtor and being able to convert them to send me a lead. It's all I need is a chance and once I get that opportunity I'll execute and so to be able to convert a realtor and to get an opportunity you have to do two things well you have to get them to like you obviously that's that's very important. But you also have to be able to show them that you have a process that you will be able to deliver on that helps their clients achieve their goal of winning an offer. So in that realtor meeting I'm going through things with that for potential referral partner and showing them conversations that we have with their clients how their client can be as competitive as possible in a multiple offer situation how we can pre underwrite the loan to ensure a quick closing which will obviously make their offer more competitive. You know in a handful of other things but that is what I would say is also you know second most important part of building your business on the referral purchase side are you still prospecting at your level. I need to be but I haven't just because we've been building the branch the last couple of years. It's hard to do but I'm sure that if you do if you deliver this level of excellence that you're defining here and clearly you have the proof is in the pudding right your ascension speaks for itself. I would imagine when you do good things for the agent that they're telling the agent next to them and that you're getting opportunities in that way okay. Very cool now let's talk about this this grants that you're building so you started out as an L.O.A. for 20 months your your your learning had a spell mortgage right and then your first full year you do 230 units and you've never looked back. 2023 you did 75 million 2020 for you to 82 to 2025 you did 95 clearly I'm not going to ask if you're going to hit 100 million because. Duh yeah but in the midst of all this growth. You also have a team of 10 L.O.s right now and I'm guessing they know scripts pretty well that you you took what you learned from the professor and became a master and now you are a mentor to them. So let's start with what production did this branch do take you out of it in 2025. Yeah last year the branch did 250 million units on 870 or 250 million in volume on 875 units I was like said about 300 of that. My goodness so you so you are getting you're only a third of the production at this point of a branch you built. Yeah and how long did it take you to build that branch to go from zero to 10. I started our branch in 2022 that's incredible I mean it people talk about. Oh this this pie is really shrinking oh my goodness you know should I even stay in the business and what about AI and what about these realtor. Partnerships of L.O.s and you're meanwhile you're sitting here just barreling through proving that none of it means a damn thing. Yeah that's that's incredible so. You're you're you're an amazing story right and I know you had a great mentor and Daniel saw who runs a billion dollar division for NFM lending and when he first got to NFM in seven years ago he was I don't know maybe 80 million yeah he's he's more than 10x that so clearly a process really works. Tell us about the L.O.s like not names or anything but how often are you teaching them yeah and and just tell us that yeah we do a lot of training we do a lot of development. Our goal is not to get a lot of people but to help those people grow and so we do a dedicated 10 hours of coaching per month with every loan officer so we have a Monday skills skills at workshop we do a Tuesday sales meeting and then we have you know monthly one on ones with each originator. So we're putting a lot of time and effort into the development of each loan originator and some of them one of them that I always love to give an example of is Ryan he we hired him when he was 22 years old fresh out of college. He also didn't know how to spell mortgage and you know he's 26 now did 125 units last year on his own working on building a team right now we just set some goals this year which are exciting we've got a couple. He started he started as a loan officer right out of the gate he said that he he was a very ambitious kid and how did you feel about that knowing that you came up a certain way right that you know that hey this process works so this is where I would imagine the natural inclination is to say look I know this works look at me. Yeah was that was at a moment where you had to like check that at the door and say if you really want it that badly come on in yeah that's what it became I tried to pitch him on being an L.O.A. for me and he's of just a young and vicious guy and he's a hustler he's a smart kid and he just was like I think I can be a loan officer and I was like all right well let's do it he was the first one that we hired. And and then shortly behind hiring him we hired Diana who's just a rock star as well she did you know 24 million dollars last year on like 90 some loans she's a young hustler as well she's been in the business about four years total I think five years maybe this will be her fifth year. So. And you're in the Columbus area or outside the war right in the middle of Columbus yeah. So here's a here's a what I think is a fascinating question and you got three L.O.A.s right to help or your personal business of yeah 300 units a year which is climbing yeah but then you also have these L.O.s and you're taking them from scratch and building them up and so I think. A really fascinating question is what are the characteristics that these people need to have to convince you that they're worth your time because obviously your time is very valuable so what are some things that you look out for you looking for some people look for athletes some people look for scholars some people look for math majors engineers. What does that playbook look like. If somebody is willing to work hard. And they're open to coaching and being told what they're doing wrong and making changes. That's all that we're looking for I can teach somebody how to do a mortgage you know mortgages are relatively easy nowadays you got a US you got AI you know but are you somebody that's going to work hard. Are you open to feedback and coaching. And are you a likable person like when I sit down and interview you am I looking to try to end the meeting or am I actually enjoying the conversation that we're having and you know losing track of time because I'm just so intrigued because if you can hook me on those things then you can hook a potential realtor partner and referral source on sending you a lead and if you're going to work hard that's what this business takes early on. And I can teach you what a mortgages we have the systems we have the processes we have the tools you know to be able to develop somebody now you're we're going to have people listening to this that go that's the kind of leader I want to follow and you're in Columbus or do you ever consider taking on people that are not it right inside of your footprint have you branched out I mean there's nothing you haven't accomplished yet that you've set your mind to so is that something you've done yet or are willing to do it for the right person that's the next phase you know the expansion and the growth maybe it's right here right now maybe this is the beginning of that's true I'm afraid to ask you how you're feeling right now about this conversation is this one of those conversations you want to end or is this one of those conversations where you want to keep going don't tell me the answer please don't tell me the answer I think I think I know but I you know if it's not what I think it is I'll be I'll be absolutely devastated this has been such a fascinating 30s or so minutes with you I know how much Jeffrey appreciates this and and how much I appreciate it and and Jeff we're all pulling for you brother we're thinking about you were praying for you I know you're a strong guy and look we got your back man this has been a great conversation we're continuing this mortgage marketing radio legacy right here right now Andy Bible division vice president of NFM lending with Greg share pinch hitting for Jeff I think we're we're all done Andrew thank you brother I appreciate it Greg it's been great if if if people want to get a hold of you you want to throw out your email or a number or you know what what do you want to give them yeah yeah they can email me at a Bible that's B E I G E L at NFM lending dot com or on Instagram it's just Andy Bible yeah and you you married your high school sweetheart didn't you fifth grade she's been she's been my only girlfriend and definitely she's in the business she helps you in the business she's she's the beauty and the brains behind it all I can attest for both of those things having having gone to the Kentucky Derby with you a couple of years ago which was wondering number that's right all right guys and gals appreciate your time this has been a pleasure and an honor to sit in for Jeff Zimper get well soon brother Andy take care we'll talk to you soon thanks Greg thanks Jeff