3 Things That Loan Officers Should Be Paying More Attention To

I generally decide what to write each week based on the current questions and concerns of my team. Lately, I’ve noticed 3 key areas that deserve more attention, and I think this applies to the industry at large. If enough attention is placed in these 3 places, then you’re almost guaranteed to have a successful business in the long term. Here are some things to consider:

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Persistence

Prospecting and connecting with potential clients are key areas of focus if you’re building your book of business. In order to maximize your efforts, though, you have to be persistent. There are a couple of common missteps to avoid here. So often, professionals make one or two follow-up attempts and move on — they don’t want to come off as pushy, so they abandon their efforts; but maintaining a relationship with your prospects doesn’t have to be pushy. What can make you come off as pushy is not paying attention to your follow-up strategy and sending too many messages too close together. When it comes to persistence, the goal is balance. A good CRM system can be a great tool here. Loan officers need to design a follow-up strategy that sets a framework for all of their outreach attempts. That way, they can be persistent with multiple follow-ups, and never cross the line into pushiness. More on the importance of persistence for loan officers, here .

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Client Experience

Loan officers who don’t prioritize creating a top-notch client experience can’t expect to succeed in a competitive market. What does that look like? That will be largely dependent on what you hold most important. Personalization and customization are essential, as is communication. Making your client feel like a priority and sharing your knowledge with them are also key aspects. The real mistake here is in not having or utilizing a strategy. Loan officers need a client experience strategy that helps them communicate their values and vision to every client. When you don’t invest the time in creating a client-experience strategy, you risk delivering a lackluster experience.

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Consistency

Take a look at your marketing, branding, and online presence. These are foundational components of a loan officer’s work when used correctly. One of the biggest mistakes LOs make here is being inconsistent. There are several ways this can happen. The first is having an inconsistent brand and messaging. It’s not that the different representations of their brand are saying conflicting things, but they’re not reiterating the same messages. Loan officers need a strong brand that’s recognizable across multiple platforms — and one that reinforces their main message. When it comes to online presence, a lack of consistency can impede success. To gain traction with your online presence, you need momentum; and that momentum comes from consistency. Stay active online by regularly posting content and engaging with your audience. Creating a content-management system and calendar is a great way to help keep yourself on track, week after week.

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