When I first started out as a loan officer, one of the things I found to be the toughest, was taking an application over the phone. I just didn't seem to have the skills, nor did I have a plan. I was literally calling people China Bearing Bushings Manufacturers on the phone and saying something to the effect of; Hello, my name is Jay Conners, and this is what I do, and this is why I am calling, would you be interested? No wonder I wasn't having any success.Knowing that my pathetic tag line wasn't going to cut it, I knew that I would have to change my approach.Over time, through trial and error, and a whole lot of sales training, I was able to incorporate my own six step process for making a sales call.Keep in mind that this approach works just as well face to face as it does over the phone, and can be used in many situations, not just selling mortgages.
Follow these six simple steps, and you'll be on your way to taking more apps.1. Be prepared* Have a clean desk, a clean desk is proven to provide a less stressful work environment. Plus this way you won't be searching for that elusive pen.* Have everything you need at your fingertips. ie; pens, pencils, calculator, scrap paper, computer on, and of course a blank application.* Not having all of the necessities readily available, leads to having to find them, and having to find them leads to dead air, dead air can kill a conversation.2. The personal touch* Once you have your customer on the phone, and have introduced yourself, it is important that you relax them.
Engage them in small talk about something other than a mortgage, ie; the obvious one, the weather, if a dog is barking in the background, ask about the dog, people love to talk about their pets, etc., etc. This technique gets them talking and gives the conversation a personal tone that will last throughout, and once the conversation turns to business it becomes all the more easy.3. Make your assessment* Ask probing questions, find out exactly what it is your customer is looking for, if they are unsure, you can help to educate them. Also, ask open-ended questions. An example of this would be; Tell me more about why you have decided to refinance your home? The tell me more part of the question forces them to go into greater detail than just a one word answer.
These techniques will help you come to assessment of just what product or program best fits your customer's needs.4. Make your pitch*Now that you have gathered all of the appropriate information, you are ready to make your pitch. Start by saying something in the area of based on what we have discussed this evening, I think this product would best suit your needs, A challenge you may be confronted with might be, well I need to think about it. One way to meet this head on is to ask if there is any thing you did not explain clearly enough, and that you would be happy to go over everything again. Once you have an agreement and your customer is comfortable, you can then move on to step five.5. Close the deal* Once your customer has decided on a mortgage product, do not let them off the phone without their 100% buy in, say something to the effect of; Now that we have decided on a program, lets not waste another minute, I will go ahead and order the appraisal, title, credit report, etc. If you are discussing a purchase, ask permission to contact their realtor so that you may introduce yourself.6. Follow up*
Step six goes without saying, but it bears repeating. The follow up is extremely important. Customers hate to be left in the dark. Every time something happens, give them a call. When their appraisal comes in, give them a call, when their title comes in, give them a call, etc. The more you keep them in the loop, the stronger the relationship becomes, and the better the chance they will refer you business.So there you have it, the six step sales process.I understand that every scenario is different and sometimes these six steps will not apply. But please don't be afraid to give it a shot. Make an attempt to commit the six sales steps to memory. Make it fun, give it your own name, roll play with an associate for practice, or personalize it by adding, or tweaking a few things of your own.
When I was growing up in the tiny town of Gaston, Oregon (population: 325), there was a week-long festival in the "big" town of Forest Grove six miles away.It was called the "Gay Nineties" and featured a parade with babbitt metal suppliers townspeople wearing clothing from the late 1800s. There was plenty of ice cream, a petting zoo, an imported carnival in the shopping center parking lot, and a dunking booth populated by local teachers and business owners.Back in the 70s, this was seen as the highlight of the year for kids in my town. Sure, we had the Gaston Good 'Ol Days parade, and we were guaranteed a spot by simply showing up with our favorite farm animal, but it was not nearly as elaborate as the Gay Nineties.
After all, Forest Grove had over 10,000 people, so their events were much more exciting than ours. They had a marching band and a queen!I went out of state to attend college in 1978, traveled around the world during my senior year in 1982, and when I came back to Gaston for a visit after graduation, I wasn't too surprised to learn that the Gay Nineties had been discontinued. You see, "gay" was no longer a word that meant "happy"--it was a word that meant homosexual. Gay Nineties was no longer considered an appropriate name for a town's annual festival.I moved to Japan, met my wonderful husband-to-be, and after our wedding, we spent time in Palm Springs. My aunt Linda, a divorcee, lived in a charming cottage there and gave us the scoop on her new city.
Unimpressed by the pool of eligible males, she told us that Palm Springs was referred to as the Gay Nineties--because all the men were either gay or in their nineties!In 1988, my half-brother Dennis, a brilliant ex-Foreign Service official and executive director of an international business council, called to tell me that he had been fired by the board for marching in Chicago's Gay Pride parade. An openly gay man, he was stunned that his good work could be viewed as less important than his expression of pride in his sexual identity. He moved to San Francisco, became a high school history teacher, and shortly thereafter, became ill. He was diagnosed with AIDS, and died within a year.During the 90s, my father--who announced he was homosexual back in 1964, his dumbfounded Mormon wife forced to pack up the three preschoolers to go live with her parents--would vent hostility at the mere mention of the word "gay."
Never one to speak honestly about his own sexuality to his children despite the fact that it was stunningly obvious, he felt the word "gay" was somehow demoralizing.In 2003, my younger brother Lynn, who had struggled mightily since the age of three with depression and an overpowering sense that he was not who he was, took his own life. He had been in counseling to find the courage to explore and embrace the seemingly shameful but unshakable notion that he had been meant to live as a woman. It didn't take.I never miss the Gay Pride parade here in Portland.
Every year, it's held on Father's Day. It is a joyful celebration of diversity and acceptance in all shapes, sizes, colors and preferences. I see a little bit of my loved ones there.It bears absolutely no resemblance to the Gay Nineties parade of my youth. There may be petting, but no farm animals. It is raucous, bawdy, bittersweet, and full of tremendous affection and humor. There are wild costumes and vivid colors accented by throbbing music and boisterous dancing.In short, it is gay--in every sense of the word.Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches creative and powerful eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation.
