Do Your Clients Feel Like They Are Your Number-One Priority?
The first thing that comes to mind when I think about delivering the best client experience possible: I want every client I work with to feel like they’re my number-one priority. I don’t need to tell them—I need to show them. Everything flows down from there. How do I achieve this? By prioritizing client-experience, I’m able to view every interaction through a specific lens which continually reshapes and improves my standards and goals. Here are some of the top questions we can ask ourselves to ensure we’re doing our best to make each client feel like our top priority:
How Well Do You Listen?
Listening just might be the most important strategy to show clients they have your complete attention and focus. We’re all guilty of tuning-out at times when we have a long mental to-do list. Or, maybe we respond to clients on auto-pilot with the plan we’ve already formulated, rather than responding to information they’ve shared because we’re the experts. When you actively listen to your clients by giving them your full attention, you communicate how important they are and how much you value the relationship.
How Well Do You Speak?
As loan officers, we’re used to explaining the same things all the time, but it’s important that, whenever possible, we’re personalizing the information we share. Even something as simple as using our clients’ names more often in conversation can improve the dynamic. Do you pay attention to your tone? Do you reference past details they’ve shared with you? Do you reiterate their specific needs and concerns, and how they’re of concern to you, too? All of these things show clients we’re dedicated to their satisfaction.
How About Your Demeanor?
Our demeanor can significantly contribute to our clients’ perception of us and the overall experience. If we seem frazzled or rushed, it looks like we’re juggling priorities and we’re not sure where they rank. If we’re exhausted from a long day or frustrated by a situation at work and it’s apparent in the way we connect with our clients, it doesn’t make them feel like a priority. Before you meet, take a deep breath, set any other stresses you might have aside, and show up with a smile. You want your clients to feel that you have everything to give to them, not like they’re competing for a slice of your time.
How Accessible Are You?
If clients can’t get in touch with you in a reasonable amount of time and don’t hear back promptly from calls or emails, it becomes clear that you have other things you’re focusing on. And while you probably do have other things to focus on, ensuring that you’re accessible helps keep clients feeling like they’re important. Our clients know that we have other work outside of our direct communication with them, and most understand if we miss a call occasionally or take a couple hours to reply to an email. We just need to make a concerted commitment to accessibility and strive to maintain that as best we can.
Don Riggs
Area Manager
Nations Lending
303.249.8274
https://www.donriggs.com/