Some Ideas for Earning Trust from Prospects and Clients

For loan officers who want to grow their business, there are no shortcuts or magical solutions you’ve been missing — to be successful in the long term, you have to earn the trust of your prospects and clients. Prospects that trust you will have greater incentive to do business with you, and clients who trust you will want to tell their friends and family about you. Here are a few ideas for earning trust to further your success:?

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Authenticity

Trust comes from developing a relationship with your prospects and clients; and just like with your personal relationships, it only works if it’s reciprocal. You want your clients to see who you are apart from being an LO — you want them to be able to relate to you. A ‘strictly business’ approach won’t get you the results you’re looking for; you want your clients and prospects to see the person behind the business. This doesn’t mean relaxing your professionalism, it just means that you need to be authentic. Your prospects want to work with someone that can understand their situation, and someone who can empathize with their concerns and stress. When you focus on developing genuine connections, trust will follow soon after.

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Attentiveness

Now for the reciprocal part: just as your clients need to see the real you, you need to demonstrate your interest by finding out who they are. If you interact with each prospect or client in the exact same way, some of them will have a tough time seeing that you have their best interests at heart. When you’re attentive, however, and take a genuine interest in them, they’ll have no doubt that you’re invested in their success. Personalize your approach wherever you can.

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Honesty and Transparency

Your prospects and clients don’t want anything sugar-coated — they want you to be honest, direct, and transparent. Any obstacles that pop up should be addressed as soon as possible and with full clarity. Your prospects and clients need to trust in your ability to lead them through the complex borrowing process, not shield them from difficult realities. Be straightforward in all of your interactions, and you’ll find that you form connections much faster.

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It’s always going to take time to develop trust, but these ideas can help shorten that time.?When you put in the effort to earn the trust of your prospects and clients, you’re going to see a better closing ratio, stronger relationships, more referrals, and more raving reviews. I wrote recently about making your clients feel like they’re your top priority, here , and that ties nicely into this article.

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