Thursday, November 29, 2012

How to Stand Out in Business

Kyle Moseman
Product and Service Manager, CBAO Service Corp

Being well into my sixth decade of life and fourth decade of a business career, I feel qualified to provide historical perspective on some things, and offer unsolicited advice. If you are not interested, you are free to ignore it, I know you know how.
At the beginning of my business career in the late 1970’s, there were really only three ways to communicate: in person, by letter (delivered by the US Postal Service), and by telephone (including what we called “long-distance”, which was relatively expensive).  So if you wanted to communicate with someone, you went to see him, sent a letter (of which you kept a”carbon copy”), or called on the phone (which sat on his desk).
My first boss, “Bud”, was a retired Army Colonel and a veteran of WWII and Viet Nam. I’d like to be able to describe him as “no-nonsense”, but in fact he was “much-nonsense.” He played practical jokes, teased and tormented me (and others) for entertainment, sexually harassed all the women (aged 25-70) in the office as a matter of course, and took several of us to a two hour lunch nearly every day. At lunch he normally had several cocktails-expensed it all to the company-and drove us back to the office for an afternoon of more of the same.
Bud is not my role model, but he was very successful and gave me some advice that has stuck with me for decades. Bud said that if you want to stand out in business, it is very simple. Here is what you do:
1.     Take phone calls, but don’t take a phone call when you are with a customer.
2.     Return all phone messages as soon as possible, always before you leave the office in the evening.
3.     Reply to letters with a letter. If it is going to take some time to do that, acknowledge the letter with a phone call.
4.     Don’t make the receptionist (receptionists were what we had before voice-mail, frequently an attractive young woman whose job it was to answer the phone) do your dirty work. Don’t hide behind the receptionist. If someone you don’t want to talk to is trying to contact you, let them know why you don’t want to talk to them. Be direct, but not mean. If there is bad news to be delivered, stalling on the delivery doesn’t make it better.       
Communications has certainly changed! Fed-Ex, fax machines, voice mail, cell-phones, e-mail, e-mail on your cell phone-all have come into being since Bud gave his advice. Yet, it is still possible to stand out in business by following this advice! How often do you say “thanks for calling me back” as if this is a novelty? In reality, sometimes it does seem like a novelty! While communication potential has changed, communicators have not.
It is just common courtesy. We all know what that is, because we practice it when it comes to dealing with our superiors, people we want to sell something to, when we are trying to get a job, etc. The test is whether or not we practice it in all situations. That’s how you stand out, and you stand out because many of your contemporaries and competitors don’t do it. It really is just that easy!
Thanks Bud. I’ll always recall your advice, and that you were generous towards me in every way. May you rest in peace.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

CBAO Board of Directors shows support for HB 510 at Ohio Senate Committee Hearing

The CBAO Board of Directors took a trip to the Ohio Statehouse to show support for HB 510 at the Senate Ways and Means and Economic Development Committee Hearing this morning. Each board member introduced themselves to the Senate committee members and other attendees, representing statewide support for the Financial Institutions Tax bill.

Scott McComb, CBAO board member and President & CEO of Heartland Bank, testified in favor of the FIT Bill. "The current tax on financial institutions in Ohio is obsolete and inequitable, particularly for smaller community banks. HB 510, if passed in its current form as voted on by the Ohio House, will level the competitive playing field for Ohio's community banks... The potential savings under the new FIT will allow community banks like Heartland bank, and community banks throughout Ohio to be able to provide more capital to loan to our customers, hire additional employees, deal with the new onslaught of burdensome regulation, and continue to support the local communities they serve."

Monday, November 5, 2012

Notice to Loan Originators and Mortgage Loan Originators Regarding 2013 Renewal Process

The Ohio Division of Financial Institutions encourages Loan Originators and Mortgage Loan Originators to file their annual renewals as soon as possible. The annual renewal period began on November 1 and ends December 31. Early renewals are being processed with quick turnaround times. As of the close of business on Friday, November 2, 2012, 161 licenses had already been issued.

To renew an Ohio license, Loan Originators and Mortgage Loan Originators are required to complete eight (8) hours of approved continuing education in order to meet the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Act and the Ohio requirement of authorizing a new FBI background check.  In addition, Originators should check “license items” on NMLS to see if any other requirements have not been met. After resolving a license item deficiency, Originators should immediately notify the Division at webdfi-cf@com.state.oh.us so that the license item can be cleared. Directions for viewing license items are in the NMLS Status and Deficiency Quick Guide. After all SAFE Act and Ohio requirements have been met, including Continuing Education; Originators will be in renewal-eligible status. Failing to clear license items or submit supplemental documents to the Division will result in an incomplete application and your license will expire by law on December 31.

For guidance on how to renew an Originator license, please consult the NMLS Renewal Handbook for Individuals.

Please be aware that delaying your renewal process increases the possibility of not having your license renewed by January 1, 2013