Today is the day many aspiring astronomers – and thousands of ACTUAL astronomers – have been anticipating for some time. What should already be starting in Texas at the time of this post is the first total solar eclipse in the United States since 2017. Stretching across North American from Mexico, through the U.S. and into Canada, the entire world will be able to witness at minimum a partial eclipse during this historic day. For most of Ohio, which is where I’ve set up shop with myCUmortgage, we’ll be in total darkness for nearly 4-1/2 minutes!
As a well-traveled alien who has crossed billions of miles and hundreds of galaxies during my lifespan, you may find it surprising that this will be my first total solar eclipse! On Amicitia, while we have a single sun like you do on Earth, we do not have a moon. We do have a thin asteroid belt encircling the planet, but when the sun’s light crosses the asteroids, it just looks like you have some floaters in your eyestalks which don’t last very long. Needless to say, I’m really excited for the total solar eclipse and look forward to celebrating this celestial event with my colleagues as we enjoy some Moon Pies and Milky Way bars.
In preparation for the eclipse, I’ve completed a lot of research and learned some interesting facts. For example, according to the experts at Astronomy.com, around the three-quarters mark of the eclipse, you’ll start to notice that the shadows around you are getting sharper because the Sun’s disk is shrinking, literally approaching a point – and a smaller light source produces better-defined shadows. At about 85 percent coverage, you’ll be able to spot Venus 15° west-southwest of the Sun. If any trees are at your site, you may see their leaves act like simple pinhole cameras, with hundreds of crescent Suns appearing in their shadows.
I’ve made some higher-level observations and conclusions of my own around the eclipse that my friends in the credit union mortgage lending business may find interesting and helpful.
This is a Unique Experience: For some, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see first-hand a total solar eclipse. You know what else is a unique experience that only happens a few times – or only once for some – in their lives? Purchasing a home. While those of us in the business support the homebuying process every day, the individual members going through the process with you are new to the game or have only done it once or twice before, most likely years prior. Keep this in mind and help them fully enjoy the experience at their own pace, answering their questions along the way.
Don’t be Left in the Dark: For those of us fortunate enough to be in the path of the eclipse, we’ll experience total darkness (or near total darkness as emergency lighting and lights on sensors will likely start turning on). Don’t let the lights go out on your members. Remember the homebuying process is rare for them, and they are going to feel in the dark about a lot of the steps being taken and paperwork being completed. Be their beacon of light from application to the closing table and beyond, through the lifetime of the loan and back to your credit union for their next mortgage.
Don’t Let YOUR Lights be Turned Off: Just as you need to help keep the lights on for your members, you also need to sharpen your focus so that you can be their guiding light. Stay up on industry trends and news by attending webinars, listening to market-related podcasts from good sources and subscribing to e-newsletters. Attend events that offer both professional development opportunities as well as networking, much like the myCUmortgage Partner Conference (more details to come soon!). Take advantage of the awesome learning opportunities provided by the myCUmortgage Partner Education Team, all a benefit of your partnership. Always make time for yourself and your team to learn.
Create Mortgage Syzygy: Syzygy is when three celestial bodies (in the case of today’s eclipse, the Sun, Moon and Earth) align perfectly with each other. Perfect alignment results in phenomenal results. Just think of the results that can be produced when you achieve syzygy with the member, their Realtor and you, their loan originator. When this happens, I’m overly confident that homeownership WILL be achieved, which is always phenomenal in my book.
The Brevity of the Totality: While the build up and the succession of the eclipse can be enjoyed for hours, the TOTAL eclipse will only last a maximum of 4-1/2 minutes depending on where you are on planet Earth. You need to be quick and focus if you’re going to hit that window of opportunity. This takes me back to our goldfish mentality (see, I told you I’d keep practicing it!). Just as the eclipse has a short time span, a goldfish has a short memory span. This is like the attention span of today’s members on marketing and media they see. Be sure to capitalize on this brevity of time by repeating your message – doing so will help your members enjoy the totality of homeownership.
I hope all of you have a chance to enjoy the eclipse, and please remember to do so safely. As the progression of the eclipse moves us closer to complete darkness, remember that it’s the darkness that can show you the light. Be that light for your members and look at this eclipse as the starting point for a brilliant and bright spring homebuying season!