This March has been an exciting month for me as a LendingTree Loan Officer, not only was I able to attend the LendingTree Sales Rally in New Orleans (which was FANTASTIC!), I was also given the Lending Tree award for Teamwork. In addition, to these phenomenal events, I also won the President’s Award for Chase Home Equity for the most booked loan volume in 2006.
I have 2 secrets to success:
1. Provide a WIN-WIN – In the highly competitive world of mortgages and equity products, everyone has the same programs.
How do you set yourself apart from the rest of the pack? On rate? Nope! I engage myself with the customer by using the golden rule from childhood – Treat the people the way that you want to be treated.
My first series of questions focus around the customer’s wants/needs and getting to the root matter. This is the key to providing the right solution for the customer. I am not comfortable positioning a product until my solution meets my win-win criteria, which means it exceeds the customer’s expectations and is a positive relationship/customer for us (Chase Home Equity). I think that WIN-WIN goes BEYOND just providing excellent customer service. It means anticipating and providing a solution BEFORE there is even a question. Based on the recent news about the sub prime market and foreclosures, this is a real world reality check for customers and lenders.
2. Teamwork: This seems like a strange topic for a loan officer considering the solitary/self driven nature of the position. I credit part of my success to being able to work in a team environment. You can learn more from mentoring and helping other teammates that you will ever learn on your own. I take a few minutes a day to listen to what my coworkers are saying to their customers…sometimes its the phrasing of sentences, ‘power words’, better questions. There is a TREASURE CHEST full of GOLD AND JEWELS just waiting to be discovered right next to you. Think about all of those years of experience and how much better each of us can be when we are able to share and help each other.
Mary-Carol Johnston
Chase Home Equity
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