Announcing the New Class of LendingTree Certified Loan Officers!

We are pleased to announce the newest class of LendingTree Certified Loan Officers!

Since 2002, the Gold Leaf Seal has been the cornerstone of a program designed to recognize outstanding loan officers based on customer service feedback, adherence to LendingTree best practices, fulfillment of training requirements and above average production performance. In 2005, we are expanding the program and will recognize these outstanding loan officers on a quarterly basis. Get a list of all currently certified loan officers. Get more information about the Certified Loan Officer program.

Congratulations to the January 2005 MVP Loan Officers!

In January, LendingTree launched the Loan Officer MVP Program.

This program is designed to recognize and reward on a monthly basis the loan officer in each product group who exhibits the highest percentage increase in close units. Monthly winners will receive a $500 American Express gift card compliments of American Express Incentive Services.

There will also be a Quarterly MVP to recognize the highest percentage increase in close units in each product group. The Quarterly MVP will receive a $1,000 American Express gift card compliments of American Express Incentive Services.

The winners for January are:

Purchase: Ray Kuplaste (American Residential)
Refinance: Paul Soto (Lighthouse Mortgage)
Home Equity: Chuck Coy (First Horizon)
Auto: Jeff Symons (RoadLoans)

Congratulations to all of our winners! Good luck to all of our Network loan officers - we look forward to naming you our MVP next month!!

Don't Miss the 2nd LendingTree Loan Officer Sales Rally!

It’s not too late to register for the 2nd LendingTree Loan Officer Sales Rally!

This special event is designed exclusively for LendingTree Network loan officers and will give you the tools you need to be even more successful! You’ll enjoy informative sessions, great speakers and fun networking opportunities!

LenderWeb Apex Tip of the Month

How do I search Tasks?

As you begin using LenderWeb Apex, your ability to manage your time and customers will greatly improve. A key function being made available for this purpose is Task. The Lead Management: Task Queue function is your search engine for all outstanding tasks. This function is initially made available to you from Your Day at a Glance, by clicking on Task Search button on the right column towards the middle. You may also access this feature by clicking on Lead Management from your menu bar. Then click Task Queue. Yet an alternative access method, if you have been in the Work Queue, is to simply click the tab for Task Queue. The resulting screen is an enhanced search function for finding tasks by:

Due Date Range —
Priority — This is the priority of the task. It will default to All, however you can choose between All, Low, Normal, and High.
Type — Each Task is given a type to classify it for easy recognition. In Day at a Glance and QF Management the type is displayed using icons.
Status — To help you in tracking your tasks, a task status is used. This search enables you to choose what status you are looking for.
Loan Officer — This is drop down list of Users. It will always default to the logged in user. The list is based on your security access. Most users will only be able to see their ID in the field.
Show All Overdue Items — In one quick click, you can clear out the Due Date Range field and search across all outstanding QFs to return those which are Overdue.

Once you have chosen your search criteria using the fields discussed above, simply click 'Search' and the system will process your request and return the Tasks that meet those criteria. Remember, you can choose one to all of the fields to help narrow down your search, depending on your needs.

Sales Tip of the Month – When Good Enough Doesn't Cut It!

Originally Published By Art Sobczak, Business By Phone Inc.

Good Enough Doesn't Cut It

While on the road I stopped in a pizza joint to grab a quick slice for lunch. In the all-you-can-eat-buffet line was a super-sized fellow, who appeared to be not just overweight, but grossly obese. The two overflowing plates looked as small as poker chips his massive bear-like palms.

His buddy in line behind him, about half the big guy's size, ribbed him: "Hey tiny. Take one more slice. That'll help you get in shape," he yucked.

"Whaddya mean? Round IS a shape!" he chortled." Anyway, I'm in great condition. I own a treadmill and even used it once."

That's a sad example of how lots of people view their health. And it's very similar to how many others view their SALES health.

I hear these statements way too often:

From Managers
"Well, my salespeople are seasoned."
"My sales reps are veterans."
"The guys here are experienced."

From Sales Reps
"I've been through training before."
"I've seen that stuff before."
"I've been in sales quite a while."

"I do pretty good."

Let me put it in another light. What if you heard the following?

From a Cardiac Surgeon
"I had a class on heart surgery once back in medical school. That's good enough."

From a Professional Baseball Player
"I don't need to go to Spring Training, or take batting practice or infield before games. I've been playing for a number of years."

From an Olympic Figure Skater
"I practiced a routine once, a few years ago. I don't need to go through it again before competition."

Fat Guy at the Pizza Buffet
"I am in shape. I own a treadmill and even used it once."

Of course, those are all absurd statements. As are the ones from sales reps and managers who think they, or their people are good enough.

The fact is, "good enough" does not win championships, or make people excellent or wealthy. (And by the way, sales managers who think that experience alone makes for a good salesperson, think again. Experience measures attendance. Accomplishment and results measures success, and continued learning ensures it.)

So, what's my point this week?

You likely have not come close to reaching your potential as a sales professional. Few people have. I know I haven't.

In order to accomplish more of what you're capable of, I challenge you to look at your own "good enough" barrier and break through it, regardless of how high that bar is for you.

This invisible obstacle is what holds many people back. Just when people begin approaching an opportunity to put in a little extra, to invest in themselves, to seize a potential new achievement, many hit this mental boundary and say to themselves, "That's good enough."

Good enough is when talented people don't fully develop their abilities.
Good enough is when service slips and customers complain.
Good enough is when sales professionals do what it takes to get by, but miss growth and income opportunities in the process.
People who are satisfied with Good Enough cheat themselves, their family, their company, and their customers.

Action Step: If you're serious about sales as a career--not just something you do to pay the bills-- take a serious look at what you're doing to improve your "sales health."

Like I always say, sales is an art, a science, and a skill. It takes continual digestion and practice of new information, and practicing in order to reach new levels.

Just when you're about to say, "This is good enough,"push that barrier away. Go that extra inch.

Health experts suggest exercising 20-30 minutes at a time, 3-5 times per week. If you invested an equal amount of time on your sales health ...reading, listening to tapes and CD's, and even writing, you can accomplish things other people--with low Good Enough barometers—will never come close to reaching.

Using the Consumer Education Center – Is Your Customer Still Looking for a Home?

Do you have customers in your pipeline who are still looking for a home?

Your first step should be to utilize the "Find a REALTOR®" tool to get them set up with an agent who will work with you to close the deal.

After that, you still have additional LendingTree resources to help your customer find a home quickly. The LendingTree Consumer Education Center has articles you can share to put your customers in a home faster. Helping them find the home of their dreams will build trust and get you one step closer to closing that loan.

Below are links to some helpful articles you can send to customers who are still looking for a home. To send to your customers, click on the "e-mail a friend" icon at the top of the article:

Providing this type of service to undecided homebuyers will help speed the process and increase your close rates. The education center is updated monthly, so make sure you check back for new articles.

Also, let us know if you have ideas for future articles.

LendingTree University – Sign up for a FREE Webinar Today!

The LendingTree Webinar Training Program continues to generate tremendous interest and positive feedback from the loan officer Network.

This program was created in 2004 as a resource for loan officers to learn more about LendingTree initiatives and programs in order to increase their performance on the Network. Conducted in an interactive learning environment, these programs are designed for both veterans and newcomers to the LendingTree Network. There is no charge to participate in this program. We currently offer the following programs and have plans to offer new programs throughout 2005:

"Find A REALTOR®" Training
LenderWeb APEX Basic Training
Building An Effective Email Campaign*
"Cracking The Purchase Code"*
"The LendingTree Consumer Education Toolkit"*

* Indicates a new program for 2005!

This month, we will launch the latest addition to this program - "Real Estate 101: Fundamentals of the Home Buying Process." This webinar is designed to educate you on the basics of the home buying process. In addition, you will learn practical tips to help you work more effectively as a team with the real estate professional to get your Purchase customers to the closing table with as few complications as possible.

Click for course descriptions, dates and registration. Availability for each session is limited, so be sure to register early!

LendingTree University is dedicated to developing and providing a diverse training program to our partners and will continue to expand our offerings in 2005. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the Webinar Training Program, please contact loprograms@lendingtree.com

LendingTree Settlement Services Continues to Grow in 2005

To date, there are over forty Network lenders who utilize the services. LTSS has processed over 2,000 orders for appraisal, title and closings in record time, and we are adding new vendors daily!

Driving the LTSS operations in Jacksonville, FL. is Marianne DeAngelis. Marianne joined the LTSS team in October of 2004 as Sr. Vice President of Operations. She brings with her over 20 years experience in vendor management. Marianne was a leader in a centralized multi-state vendor operation for Lender Services in Pittsburgh. She has a wealth of knowledge in the mortgage and settlement industry from her years with Cendant, Wells Fargo and Mellon Bank. With Marianne’s guidance, LTSS will continue to develop new strategies and further develop our relationships with the LendingTree lender network.

Introducing LendingTree Consulting Services

Lending Consulting Services (LCS) is an auxiliary lender service designed to educate participating LendingTree Lenders on best practices for online loan origination with a comprehensive analysis detailing High Performance Characteristics in the following areas:

Close Rate Performance
Capacity Performance
Cost to Close Performance and
Customer Satisfaction

Lending Consulting Services enable lenders to achieve superior performance through the fact-based research on industry best practices.

Set your course of action. . .ask your manager to learn more about LendingTree Consulting Services or email us to learn more.

Ask the Trainer

Do you have a day-to-day sales challenge that you just
can't solve?

Every challenge is an opportunity to learn! If you have an obstacle or question, or would like simple advice on overcoming it, let us know!

We'll choose one sales challenge each month and ask our Sales Excellence Trainers George Gonzales or Jack Robinson to help you solve it. Send us your challenge. If we publish it, you'll receive a LendingTree gift.

Look for the first challenge and solution to be published next month!

LendingTree in the News

Check out these great articles on LendingTree!