Face of Success

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:

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.

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

Exciting Changes to Loan Officer Certification!

The Loan Officer Programs Team is excited to announce two major changes to the Loan Officer Certification Program!

Beginning with the Q2 2007 qualification period, a training component will be added to the certification criteria. Qualifying loan officers must satisfactorily complete two specific courses which are part of our new, on-line training program, LTU On Demand. These brief, interactive courses will take you through The Loan Officer Commitments and The LendingTree Customer Experience. And best of all, participation in this program is offered at no additional cost.

Beginning with the Q2 2007 qualification period, LendingTree will be adding a new, more prestigious level of certification. The President’s Club will recognize loan officers who consistently perform at the top of their game. While core components for President’s Club will be the same as Gold Leaf criteria, the specific qualification metrics will be different. Look for the first group of President’s Club winners to be announced in July!

For complete information regarding the new LTU On Demand program and the addition of the President’s Club, please visit www.lendingtreetraining.com

Lender WOW Award Program!

What's in WOW?

It’s an instinctive reaction. When you experience the amazing, the incredible, the exhilarating, and the unexpected. And when you do, there’s only one way to express it: “WOW!”

All of LendingTree is focused on getting the WOW back into the customer experience. Across the company, all of our business line employees are finding new ways to surprise and delight customers. So much so that we have started an internal WOW recognition program and we want to share that with you.

Presenting the WOW Award! Each quarter we invite you to nominate an exceptional loan officer through the words of your customer. If you see an outstanding email or letter from a LendingTree customer about the service they received from someone in your office, please submit that as a nomination to lender.wowaward@lendingtree.com

Winners will be selected quarterly and announced to the network. We also will be posting winners and your nominations on a special WOW page on www.LendingTreeTraining.com so that everyone can share the excitement, and maybe get some new ideas, from customers that have experienced the extraordinary.

It's a Wrap - Loan Officer Sales Rally a Success

Thanks to the nearly 175 loan officers that attended the 2007 Sales Rally in New Orleans this month! This event was truly an investment in your future and we wish you great success as you return to your offices.

The city of New Orleans was the perfect destination to gather and get jazzed about building your business. From start to finish, this event was packed with exciting sessions designed to facilitate discussion and learning. And, of course, all had a touch of the Big Easy flair.

The consumer panel was definitely a Sales Rally highlight. Four former LendingTree consumers took the stage to share their side of the story – what they were looking for in a loan officer and what they needed during the loan process. Attendees loved getting this fresh perspective and really getting to identify with the many personalities and needs of our consumers.

Another big hit was our keynote speaker, Jeffrey Gitomer. Jeffrey’s no-nonsense talk was full of creative ideas and motivating stories. Attendees left with a new view on what it takes to really stand out and win consumer loyalty.

We hope you left the Sales Rally motivated and ready for a terrific year.