Face of Success

Since Superior Mortgage partnered with Lending Tree, I have had consistent success converting QFs to funded loans. Some of the activities that I believe strongly have a direct impact on the success rate are as follows:

First I believe verbal contact with the customer is imperative and use a 9,12,3 & 6 theory for contact with the borrower each day until contact (9am, 12, 3 & 6pm). Secondly I personalize every call by finding out something about the borrower that is unrelated to the application and I always ask permission to use their first name during our conversations. Third, I advise the borrower that I have a number of loan programs available for their specific needs, but my job as a mortgage advisor is to put the best program together for them to meet these needs because there will be many good programs but only one best program. Lastly, once a borrower has committed, I believe we can not take our second to none service for granted. I contact them each day to answer any questions that may have come up and update them on the progress of the application as we draw closer to closing.

Bottom line, each customer wants to be treated like they are the only customer you are working with each time you are on the phone with them. If this is done along with the above mentioned items I believe success rate will increase.

Mike Brannigan
Superior Mortgage

Build Your Skills on the Bayou -
Loan Officer Sales RallyMarch 8-10, 2007 - New Orleans, LA

Loan Officer Sales Rally is Fast Approaching

Let the Loan Officer Sales Rally help you meet your 2007 goals!

If improving your sales skills, being a top performer at your company or simply earning more money is one of your New Year’s resolutions, then make sure to register for the Loan Officer Sales Rally. Just around the corner, this event is the perfect kick off to 2007! With fresh ideas to grow sales and practical solutions to overcome roadblocks, this event will help take your business to the next level.

One session sure to give you a leg up in the New Year is “Recipe for Success”, presented by Vernon Roberts, founder of evoke Learning and a certified LendingTree trainer. Over the past few months, Vernon has conducted an in-depth study of how loan officers on the LendingTree network are achieving success. By analyzing which actions are beneficial, as well as which actions cause loan officers to stumble, Vernon has developed a formula to help loan officers consistently drive performance. His packed presentation will hit on topics such as professionalism, effective listening, overcoming objections and much more. Complete with interactive activities that will help you hone your skills and learn from others, this “Recipe for Success” is not to be missed.

LendingTree is committed to providing you with the highest quality professional development at the most affordable price. The Loan Officer Sales Rally will be our only loan officer facing event in 2007, and at just $199 per person, and $149 for Gold Leaf recipients, it’s a deal you don’t want to pass up.

For more details on all the Loan Officer Sales Rally has to offer, including highlights such as our keynote speaker Jeffrey Gitomer, loan officer awards and CEO address, check out the event Web site at www.LendingTreeSalesRally.com.

Don’t forget to reserve your hotel room before February 15 for extra savings! LendingTree has secured a discounted room rate at our host hotel, the Loews New Orleans. Call 1-866-211-6411 to take advantage of this special.

New Feature! - Consumer Delight Update

Did you know that LendingTree surveys all consumers who close a loan with one of our Network lenders? Are you interested in what our customers are saying about their experience with you and LendingTree? Here are the Top 10 Complaints we heard from our customers in December.

Responsiveness / No Follow Up
Rate / Loan Product
No Contact
Communication Etquette
General Service
Closing Cost / Fees
Process Expects
Appraisal Services
Offer - Accuracy
Denied Loan

Stay tuned each month for updated feedback, as well as tips to help you avoid some of these complaints!

Sales Tip of the Month: How Focused Are You?

Do you have the ability to focus? Take a moment and visualize yourself talking to a client, family member or teammate. Picture yourself so connected with them that everything else falls away. You aren’t thinking about what happened ten minutes ago or ten minutes from now. You are totally engaged with this conversation. You are in the moment! Here are a few tips to increase focus.

Commit to self-improvement: Create goals (write them down) and move toward them.
Listen to learn: When in a conversation, ask questions to understand.
Learn to grow: Place yourself into a mode of continuous improvement. Learn from mistakes.
Gain power over distractions: First, gain awareness of when you are not focusing, and second, create a plan that will enable you to re-focus.
Take responsibility for your experiences: Blaming others stunts our growth.
Have faith in yourself: We are powerful with the ability to evoke our inner spirit. Honor yourself by taking some time for yourself.

Reprinted from “Think Differently” a newsletter from evoke learning, September 2006

Loan Officer Certification Update

The criteria for achieving Gold Leaf status in Q1 is in place! Closed unit criteria is:

Purchase Prime: 6 units
Refinance Prime: 7 units
Home Equity Prime: 15 units

Purchase Sub prime: 6 units
Refinance Sub prime: 6 units
Home Equity Sub prime: 8 units

There will be exciting news about the certification program announced later this quarter! Stay tuned for more information you won’t want to miss!

He Said, She Said

Be the first, the last and eventually the only. Consumers on the LendingTree network are looking for lenders to compete for their business. They need to feel important and as if they are my number one priority, which they are. I do my best to call a new lead as soon as it hits my queue and with that, to be the first lender to get an estimate in their hands.

If the need for a pre-approval should follow, I will turn that around immediately. The first lender to respond sets the bar for all other lenders. By making a positive and lasting first impression, your client will subconsciously compare all others to you. Pairing this with consistent follow up, even if they have made it clear it could be months before they make a move, will leave you as the last lender standing after all others have trailed off or become pre-occupied with other clients.

Once a client told me, “You were the only one that seemed like you wanted the business.” Persistent “checking in” through to the end will leave the client knowing that they are my priority and I value their business. Being the first to respond to their lead, first to return phone calls and emails ultimately positions me in the right place to earn my clients’ business.

Nicole Poli-Dixon
Senior Mortgage Consultant
First Magnus Financial Corporation

Your Opinion Counts!

The Loan Officer Programs Team is always looking for ways to enhance communications with the loan officer network, provide you with relevant information about LendingTree programs, and give you insight into professional development topics which are all designed to help YOU be more successful. We are currently in the process of revamping the Loan Officer Update. Please let us know if there are features or topics you would like to see us add! Send your feedback to loprograms@lendingtree.com We want to hear from you!

Lender Rankings