Take a look at our April newsletter!
APRIL 2022
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Why We’re Proud of Our Admin Team MANAGING A LITTLE STRESS
There is a group of employees at CHB who ensure our day-to-day operations go off without a hitch. The members of our administrative team are the ones who do the paperwork and title work surrounding new loan applications. They process credit applications, and they upload pertinent data into our system. Without their expertise, diligence, and support, we wouldn’t operate as smoothly as we do. We typically have 12 employees in these positions, but we currently have two vacancies. What we discovered — and had long-suspected — was just how valuable having a fully operational administrative team was to our success at CHB. We brought on a temporary, part-time operations clerk as a way to relieve some of the added stress to our administrative team, and we are very happy to have their support. In honor of Administrative Professionals Day on April 27, our entire management staff at CHB would like to recognize the administrative team. They have shown incredible patience and hard work recently, and we wouldn’t be the company we are today without them! It’s fitting that during a month that celebrates the administrative professionals we would also recognize Stress Awareness Month. The team’s flexibility hasn’t come with some level of increased stress. It’s only natural when you have to
pivot like this. So, having undergone a small increase in stress ourselves, we felt it was necessary to dispel some of the myths surrounding stress. Hopefully, you can use this information to your advantage! According to The American Institute of Stress, the stress you experience before a task is due or when you’re scared is not bad for you as long as it’s remedied quickly. Chronic stress is the kind that can be dangerous for our bodies. As the institute points out, this form of stress often comes in the form of a lingering or long-lasting negative event, such as a difficult situation at work or a legal dilemma. Without proper forms of management, this kind of stress can cause emotional and physical harm! To relieve stress, find a technique that works best for you. Start by changing your perspective. The institute suggests looking for resources, examining your strengths, and using positivity as a way of managing chronic stress in the moment. It’s also beneficial to find an activity that allows you to decompress and relieve stress, such as getting exercise, creating artwork, reading, or meeting with friends. Our team suggests getting outside and enjoying gorgeous spring weather to relieve stress! It’s a welcome change from winter. Of course, nothing beats good stress. This is our body’s adrenaline response whenever something good happens, like the excitement you feel after a first date or when you secure a great loan for your client. We know that feeling well, and we celebrate it at our office! Despite this small bout of stress, we have nothing to worry about at CHB. Our administrative team and other employees are some of the most dedicated workers we know. There’s no telling just how strong we will be once our team is at capacity again.
CHB Updates!
As a reminder, CHB now has remote ink notary capability. Please call our team or schedule an appointment to utilize this service for your applicant who needs a notary regarding equipment financing requests. Thank you to everyone who attended the National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA) 2022 Finance Summit! We thoroughly enjoyed meeting with all of you.
Thank you for your continued patience, and a special thank-you to our entire CHB staff!
–Kit West & Ed Meyer
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HAVE A BEAUTIFUL LAWN WITH LESS WORK Greener Pastures
Mow smarter, not harder. For most people, mowing is their most time- consuming outdoor maintenance task. Since you spend so much time on it, you need some hacks. First, don’t bag or rake your lawn clippings; use the mulch setting instead. It’s easier and better for your lawn. Second, if you mow in rows, it’s time to switch up your routine. Instead, work in a spiral, starting at the edges of the lawn and working inward. You’ll save both time and energy when you don’t have to wrestle the mower into sharp 180-degree turns. Love it or hate it, lawn care needs to get done. These tips will help you get the process finished quicker, so you can get back to doing the things you love — whether that’s watching TV or planting even more flowers.
As we head into spring, it’s time to fire up the mower and break out your hedging shears. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you want your yardwork to take all day. If you’d rather be doing anything else, these tips will help you put away your gardening gloves all that much faster. And if maintaining the lawn and garden is your Zen time, they’ll give you time for new projects to beautify your home. Vanquish weeds naturally. Dandelions are ugly, but weedkillers are pricey and bad for the environment. If you’re battling weeds, attack them naturally with a pot of boiling water. The heat will kill the plants instantly, so this tip works best for isolated weeds growing between cracks in the pavement. If you’re planting your garden, lay down old
newspaper before mulching. It will prevent weeds from popping up, and the separate sheets make it easier to work with than landscaping fabric. Make watering easier. If you want a lush lawn and garden, watering is essential. But doing it too frequently can be wasteful — and that’s if you manage to remember. Try only watering your lawn twice a week, but for lengthier periods. About 20 minutes should do the trick, and you’ll save water overall. Meanwhile, if you struggle to remember to water the garden, automate the process cheaply. Take water bottles, poke two or three holes in the cap with a needle, and bury them upside-down around your plants. The slow trickle will keep them watered for a week or more.
WITH TIPS FROM ‘CHATTER’ Take Your Internal Pep Talks Up a Notch
You probably know about the benefits of positive self-talk, but have you mastered it? If not — or if you’ve never heard that phrase — “Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It” by Ethan Kross may be the most important book you read in 2022. Positive self-talk is something most of us engage in daily. It’s the “you can do this” nudge you give yourself to combat dark thoughts like “I don’t know what I’m doing” and “no one will take me seriously” before a big presentation. But few resources give you precise strategies for how to engage in positive self-talk effectively so you can make those negative impulses go away. “Chatter” is an exception to the rule, perhaps because it was written by an actual psychologist! Leaning heavily on scientific research and engaging case studies, Kross offers concrete tips for reducing negative thoughts (what he calls “chatter”) and giving your self-confidence a boost. One of his biggest tips, which drives a big chunk of the book, is the importance of creating “mental distance” during your internal pep talks.
goes over several ways to do this, including trying to “look back” at your current situation from one, five, or 10 years later; comparing this hurdle to tougher ones in your life; and shifting your internal monologue to third person so you can try talking to yourself as if you were your own friend. With these strategies, we can transform our thoughts, rather than avoid them.
Of course, those suggestions just scratch the surface of what’s offered in the book. Kross also goes over
how to help your friends, colleagues, and employees eliminate chatter, and how mastering your inner voice will help you thrive under pressure. The magazine Inc. named “Chatter” one of the “4 Business Books That Will Accelerate Your Success In 2022” — don’t miss it.
Mental distance is exactly what it sounds like — stepping back mentally from your worries and problems so you can gain a new perspective. Kross
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Brokers may be some of the most financially literate individuals in the world. After all, how can you guide your clients to the best loan options, ensuring they will seek your services again, if you don’t understand the basics of credit, loan servicing, and personal finance? However, it’s easy for brokers to fall into “the jargon trap.” They may think they are providing their clients with sound advice, but all they hear is the teacher’s voice from “Peanuts”! In honor of Financial Literacy Month this April, our team at CHB compiled our best guidance for borrowers. BY PROMOTING FINANCIAL LITERACY You Can Cultivate Lasting Relationships
One-Pan Chicken Tacos
Inspired by TasteofHome.com
INGREDIENTS • 1 lb chicken breasts,
• 2 tbsp chipotle powder • Canola oil (for frying) • Corn tortillas • Grated cheddar cheese • Pico de gallo and guacamole salsa (to taste)
sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tbsp garlic powder • 2 tbsp cumin
DIRECTIONS
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken pieces, garlic powder, cumin, and chipotle powder. Mix until the chicken is coated. 2. In a frying pan, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken mixture. Cook on medium heat for 5–8 minutes. 3. Remove the chicken from the pan, and add the corn tortillas (avoid overlapping) so they soak up the juices. Flip the tortillas and repeat. Then, add chicken and grated cheddar to each tortilla and fold it over the filling — in the pan. 4. Cook the tacos for 3 minutes per side until the tortillas are crispy and the cheese is melted. 5. Top with pico and guacamole salsa, and serve!
Share these explanations with your clients to develop a lasting relationship that’s mutually beneficial!
Balancing credit with budgets. Nearly everyone understands that a credit score can dictate the total
amount of a loan provided to a client. However, there can be some misunderstanding
about what a client can qualify for and what they can actually afford to pay.
Take a Break
As you know, a client’s income is also factored into a loan application, which can dictate what a provider is comfortable doling out. But it’s vital that you discuss budgeting with your clients. Just because they qualify for a high loan amount, this does not mean paying for that loan will be feasible for them. Disseminating common terms.
Most borrowers understand that the interest rate on their loan is the added percentage amount they will pay back in addition to the loan. However, this is commonly confused with the annual percentage rate (APR). While interest rates are the percentage at which the entire loan will accrue more debt over its lifetime, the APR provides the total of that loan with the added interest rate over one year. Both can be used to help a borrower determine if a specific loan is best for them. By not relying on one figure alone — interest rate versus the APR — your client gets a clearer picture of what they will owe over one year and the lifetime of the loan. There are some financial questions that are specific to clients and cannot be answered with blanket definitions. Please contact CHB for specific requests and questions regarding your clients.
BLOOM CLEANING EARTH EASTER
FLOWERS FOOL PRANK RAMADAN
RECYCLE SPRING TEACHER VENUS
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
C.H. Brown Co., LLC A PLATTE VALLEY COMPANY 20 W. Frontage Rd. • Wheatland, WY 82201 307-322-2545 • chbef.com
Inside
1 Thank You, Admin Team! (Plus Guidance for Stress) 2 ‘Chatter’: Your Guide to Thriving Under Pressure 2 Lawn Care Hacks You Need This Spring 3 One-Pan Chicken Tacos 3 Optimize Client Relationships With Financial Literacy 4 Create a Successful Referral Campaign
The Secret to Referrals 3 Steps to Greater Sales
2. Create Incentives: This can be tricky for brokers, since it’s not as simple as offering a discount on the next purchase. But consider fun incentives, like entries for a chance to win a new grill, or specialty seasonal gifts each quarter for those who continue to refer new clients to you. This not only makes a customer feel special, but it also inspires them to keep referring. 3. Actually Ask: Once you have built the foundation of a relationship and a referral campaign, it’s time to ask for a referral! How you do so is up to you. You could include the messaging in your marketing campaigns, add a line to your business card, or ask your client in-person. Either way, don’t be shy. It will feel less strange the more you do it. A Taste of Our Own Medicine While we’re at it, your referral is the greatest compliment you can give us. If you know a peer broker in need of CHB’s services, please don’t hesitate to have them call (307) 241-7005 or email kwest@chbef.com. You can also direct them to CHBEF.com . Thank you!
Asking for referrals is an essential component to success as a broker. People want to do business with those they trust and like, and nowhere is this more true than when it comes to the world of finance. Small businesses ask their industry peers which brokers were the most supportive, scored them the best deal, and found a great loan program that fit their needs. So, it not only pays to be all of those things that small business leaders want; it’s also necessary to be the broker other small businesses want and remember to tell others about! However, being a small business that serves your customers well will take care of the want part. It’s up to you to remind your clients about referrals. When you can do so, you can build a strong referral network that helps you close at a higher rate than cold leads. Here’s how to get started. 1. Build Relationships: As you provide good service to your clients, don’t shy away from building meaningful relationships with them. Stay in contact through print and digital mediums as a way of providing a constant but not annoying drip. Striking that balance is key.
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