Why You Should Be Selling in Person | Suzy Djilas (Arcasa)

Carter (00:01.39)
Hey, Suzy, give the people a little intro. Who are you? What do you do now?

Suzy Djilas (00:05.834)
Yes, absolutely love to. So I've been in the mortgage industry for over 35 years and I've been really able to see how it's changed from an extremely manual relationship driven process to a tech driven process in today's world. I started out in sales as a wholesale rep with Chase and I learned quickly the importance about relationships. After that, I was at Ellie Mae, which is now ICE and then nCino and I helped lenders grow.

using their technology and work smarter and become more efficient. Here at ACASA, I get to bring all of that together in something that is helping more borrowers get into their dream homes.

Carter (00:51.216)
Very nice, okay. And you had said this, but at Ellie May and nCino, you were selling mortgage software. Now you're selling more of a financing product at ARCASA. What's different about how those two deals get sold? Is there a lot of different or is it kind of similar? Like, oh, it's still relationship building, still quite similar.

Suzy Djilas (01:05.728)
Yeah

Suzy Djilas (01:10.285)
still relationship building. The biggest difference when selling technology, it's really about making things faster, easier, better systems, better workflows, becoming more efficient. Now the conversation is a lot more personal. It's about whether the borrower can actually get into the home or not. Since I've been on both sides, I understand how lenders think. So instead of asking, how does this integrate, the questions becomes more, is this going to help my borrower buy their dream home?

So it's less about features and more about trust and real results.

Carter (01:45.75)
Okay, that that makes a lot of sense. Our cost to just announce that cross country mortgage is live with the platform or with the program. When you're pitching a lender on something that feels new or unconventional, what has to happen happen for it to go from that's interesting for them to where they're like, okay, we're roll this out. This is awesome.

Suzy Djilas (02:06.623)
Yeah, great question. So it's really a couple different steps. So they're usually a moment when it clicks. They have to see how this is going to help their team and help their borrowers. They want to make sure that it's not going to create extra work and slow down their current process.

And they also want to make sure that it actually works. The importance of a rollout and having a successful rollout is it's going to go from just that idea to, wow, this really is making a difference and it's working. Once all of that happens, they usually get really excited and they can't wait to get the product out into their LO's hands and into their borrowers.

Carter (02:46.874)
So they're pretty receptive, usually if the product's good.

Suzy Djilas (02:49.853)
if the product's good and it makes sense, but there's definitely hurdles that they have to overcome. And that is like, does this make sense for us? Is this gonna create extra work for my team? Because they don't wanna do that. And then how is this gonna work in the real life market?

Carter (03:07.024)
Okay. Cause I was thinking about this because there's this whole solar panel aspect with our solar aspect with our casa at rocket mortgage. We were always nervous. When somebody would tell us they have solar panels on their house, we would get nervous by that. Yeah. Yeah. I'd be like, Oh no, this is, could be not, could be fine. Could be not good. So I'm sure a lot of lenders are hesitant or when they hear solar there, they may be think lean. know this is not our casa, but they're maybe thinking liens, maybe closing delays.

Suzy Djilas (03:16.586)
It's like, no.

Suzy Djilas (03:22.718)
Hahaha.

Carter (03:33.602)
In your pitch, are you leading with the word solar panel or do you bring it up later and kind of like you were saying, focus on that dream of how it's helping them more so than all that stuff.

Suzy Djilas (03:42.377)
Yeah, yeah, great question. And you're right. Unfortunately, there is a lot of people were put in a lot of bad scenarios with solar, but that's why we're here today and our cost is foreign today is because we're trying to make what went wrong into a positive situation. We are not a solar company. We're a down payment assistance program, and that's what I always lead with. At the end of the day, we're helping people get into homes and achieve their American dream. For a lot of powers that wouldn't happen without our program.

Solar is how it works. It's unlocking the down payment assistance. Plus there's a lot of added value and a lot of added perks to having solar on there. Utility savings, added equity to their home and becoming more efficient. So honestly, I love what I'm doing. Last week I was just in Florida with the top female loan officer for Cross Country and she told me that this program is the best thing since sliced bread.

You know, hearing that, seeing that she gets it, it is what I love about my job and what I do every single day.

Carter (04:47.374)
That is pretty awesome. What objections usually come up when you're talking to these lenders and these lending teams and how are you getting around these?

Suzy Djilas (04:56.571)
Yeah, so really it's about credibility. I've been in this business for 35 years. I've built a lot of relationships and I've built a lot of trust throughout the years and it's making it lot easier to be able to get into those doors and have these conversations. Having being on both sides, I understand the way that the lenders are thinking and I focus on showing them the product.

and being able to earn that trust. I still have relationships that I've had for over 35 years. So it's really, again, about building that trust, being honest, and believing, again, believing in the product too.

Carter (05:39.288)
Okay, that makes sense. And you maybe have answered my next question because I was thinking, okay, and CINO is a massive company. The brand I'm sure opens up some doors or at least people have heard of you. Your clients have heard of you before you talk to them. Our cost is much smaller. What do you have to prove much earlier in the sales process to get lenders to take the product seriously? Or is it just your credibility? You have a lot of relationships, so you have your own sort of brand that helps you get in there.

Suzy Djilas (05:49.264)
Yes.

Suzy Djilas (05:59.994)
Again.

Suzy Djilas (06:08.112)
think honestly it's a little bit of both. think the credibility that I've gotten throughout the years, just the relationship that I've built throughout the years. And then once they take the time to hear what I have to say, then they hear about the product and realize that this is a game changer for our industry. It is helping people. It's opening doors where borrowers wouldn't be able to get into homes before.

Carter (06:35.416)
And this is what I was really curious about because I saw Encino had an AE role and it was time. said 60 % travel. I see you're of course at a conference right now. It looks like a lot of your work involves in-person. So, you you said just last week you were doing an in-person training. Why is mortgages there's so much face to face rather than a lot? I mean, there could be a lot of zoom stuff too. I don't know, but why so much face to face in the mortgage industry?

Suzy Djilas (06:45.633)
Yeah.

Suzy Djilas (06:57.86)
You

It really I think it's just not not just mortgage industry, but I truly believe face to face is important at the end of the day. It's all about relationships, right? People do business with people that they like and that they trust. You share great information through zoom. However, the connection is made in person.

So when you're in the room and you can read the people, you're there to answer the questions, you see that body language, you see when someone is doubting you and you're able to address it, it makes a big difference and you're able to, again, get that person more comfortable with the product and yourself.

Carter (07:42.554)
So do you prefer to be in person then just because it is you're saying it's a much easier to close a deal that way and it's much easier to build a very strong relationship that way.

Suzy Djilas (07:52.644)
Absolutely. Throughout my career, doesn't matter which role I've been in person, has been the consistent, the thing that I haven't changed. Again, people buy from people that they like and trust. Being in person, you have the ability to build on that. And a lot of times people wouldn't tell you things over the phone or over Zoom, but you're able to kind of pull that information out of them a little bit more when you are in person and in that meeting room.

Carter (08:23.98)
Okay, yeah, that that makes a lot of sense. You were a director at Encino and then you moved into an AE role with ARCASA. I was curious why make that move and what did you want to get back to that you weren't getting maybe in leadership?

Suzy Djilas (08:39.372)
Yeah, absolutely. Honestly, I missed it. I love the challenge. I love being part of the whole sales process. What I enjoyed the most is really when someone, you're in the room and you're talking and that person you can just tell is not a champion, they're not into it, they're not listening and being able to have that conversation, ask those tough questions.

have that dialogue and turning that naysayer into your biggest champion. Like, I love that the most. I think that the leadership experience makes me understand the entire cycle and gives me that bigger picture and understand how to get things done a little bit better. I love being in the role. I love being a mentor, but honestly, I love being involved in the process from beginning to end.

Carter (09:32.942)
And then just as a final takeaway, do you have any quick tips for salespeople?

Suzy Djilas (09:37.951)
Yeah, one thing that, you again, I've done throughout my career has always being honest, being in person. You know, if you don't know the answer, tell them you don't know that you'll get the right answer to them. Also, you know, don't take no for an answer. I always say it's no now, but I'm going to get you. So it's just, you know, having that drive, believing in your product. And once, you know, you have that, you'll be able to get the sale.

Carter (10:08.816)
Do you, I was just thinking about this, at these conferences, do you get a lot of leads from these?

Suzy Djilas (10:15.296)
Again, it's not leads, it's introductions, meeting the right people. Most of the time, I'm not even with the right person. It's like, I need to get you in front of that person, but it's easier to have that warm introduction so that person at least knows about you, about the product, and then they have the ability then to get you to the right individual. So it's really about networking, meeting with other peers, and then having those conversations and warm introductions.

Carter (10:46.192)
Okay, excellent. Well, I think we got some good stuff here. I will end it here.