e003- " Logic and data can only take you so far, Story is where we really connect" | Ed Bilat with Christy Soukhamneut, SVP, National Sales Performance at Certainty Home Loans

Christy Soukhamneut is a 20+ year veteran of the mortgage industry who is dedicated to turning possibility into reality.  A gifted strategic thinker, she knows that you must cut through the clutter, clearly articulate the vision, and then rally support at the street level.  Christy accomplishes this by helping loan officers build their unique selling propositions around their individual strengths and then holds them accountable for achieving their dreams. Everything she does is evaluated against these three bars: Will it make your life easier?  Will it help you & your team be more productive? Will it help you grow your business?  WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE: How one tragic phone call changed her life Christy's Grandmother's amazing story How she started her first job as the President of a mortgage company at the age of 20 How Christy got into sales What to do to get people to take you seriously Why the financial industry and why mortgages? How people make the $100 decision How to help salespeople see something within themselves that is just below the surface Why today's sales leaders need to be bold and brave What does the Art of Storytelling mean to Christy and why Empathy is so important.   SHOW NOTES [00:15] Introduction [01:02] Welcome Christy! [01:15] Type of business stories that inspire [01:22] Resilience in the face of adversity – her Grandmother's amazing story [04:06] Commodity exchange [07:32] Standardized tests [07:58] It's never about "do you have enough information?" [09:20] How Christy got into sales [10:31] Challenges she faced early on in her career. [10:52] Getting people to take her seriously [11:24] Taking it slowly and learning from others [12:44] Why the financial industry and why mortgages? [14:06] Type of stories that excite her customers [14:32] Working with first time home buyers [15:09] How we make decisions [17:41] Starting her first company at the age of twenty [17:51] Helping people see things in themselves [18:41] The connection between yoga class and sales class [20:05] Challenges facing sales leaders today [20:18] Listening to others and having empathy [21:27] Encouraging others [22:30] The Art of Storytelling [23:22] Connecting on an emotional level [23:43] Contact informationHow one tragic phone call changed her life WAYS TO CONTACT Christy:  You can find her being social on: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn