Scripting for Success

by Steven Marshall

I've found that one of the most effective ways of doing this is by going out of your way to make clients feel special when they arrive at your office or when they talk to you. My team members use the following script: "Hello, you have reached Steven Marshall's office, this is Patti, can I help you?"

When I am unavailable, Patti will respond to the client, "Steven is with clients, I am his senior processor, is there something I can help you with?" The key is that my team never says I am on the phone, or unavailable, or in a meeting. They always say that I am with clients.

When I am actually talking to the client, I go out of my way to make the customer feel appreciated and valued. I devote all of my attention to the client. I know of several loan officers who work two phone lines and one cell phone at the same time. That sends the wrong message to the client.

You don't ever want your clients feeling like you're too busy for them. You want to send the message to the client that they are your number one priority, and that you value your time with them.

And most importantly, I want to earn their referrals. Too often mortgage originators, consciously or unconsciously, send the message that they are "too busy" and, therefore, don't need the client's business or the client's referrals. But as you should know, referrals are the most effective way to maximize the potential of your business; and to try to succeed without them is simply asking to be frustrated.

Top originators Jim McMahan and Tim Broadhurst have mastered the art of scripting their teams' conversations with clients, thus setting up each new relationship for success, and opening the door for future sales with through client referrals.

There is much to learn from professionals like Jim and Tim on the power of wowing customers at the point of contact. For example, statistics show that most clients will bring up the "interest rate question" in the first two minutes of a conversation. Since this is the case, Jim and Tim have created and memorized an eloquent script that effectively handles such questions:

"There are really two ways to look at rates - quoted and real. Many lenders today will give you a quoted rate. But that is not always a real rate.

My goal is to help you make smart choices when selecting the right loan and the right rate and through integrating the loan and the rate into your overall lowest cost of borrowing. Based on that commitment, do you feel comfortable moving forward?"

You see, the key to top-notch selling, to raising your selling effectiveness to the next level, and to securing the loyalty of every client, is to prepare in advance how you will react and respond to your clients questions and needs. By scripting your answers to the most commonly asked questions, you will be setting yourself, your business, and your potential clients up for the highest level of success. And when your clients see that you are in the business of adding value to their lives, they will not hesitate to send more business your way

Avoid the most common marketing mistake originators make: “Not marketing to their past clients.” We make it easy to keep in touch! Educational Brochures Keep your clients educated about important topics. Send an Educational Brochure and offer free information that you feel may be of value to your clients, or even prospects!