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Loan Officer Training: Cost vs. ValueBy Chad Weber
How much are your closing costs? What is your interest rate on a 30 year fixed rate loan? Another loan officer quoted me closing costs that were $400 less than yours, can you beat this? How many times have you answered questions such as these? How many times have you listened to a prospect complain about your fees, the closts of closing, or a competitors "better deal" so to speak? Yes I know it can be annoying. But have you ever stopped to think about why we run into these situations? Whether we are hearing these objections from home buyers, sellers or realtors, the bottom line is that we need to be prepared. The best way to prepare yourself for these types of situations is to understand what is happening, and what is causing the objections to begin with. Most of these conversations come about because of a lack of education on the part of the client or prospect. Since the average home buyer, real estate agent or refinance prospect knows very little about the mortgage process, they don't know what else to ask about? In the eyes of the consumer, we're all selling more or less the same thing, with the main difference being the cost. If our level of service is roughly the same as all of our competitors, we are doing nothing more than reinforcing those misconceptions. Instead of letting price become the primary issue, why not focus your efforts on adding value instead? I ran across a great example of this concept put to good use a few weeks ago. Every year I have had my taxes prepared by the same company. As far as I knew, they did a good job for me. They were quick, efficient, and I had no complaints so I continued to use their services. A friend of mine has been pushing me to meet with his CPA for years now to compare the level of service. I finally caved a few weeks ago and met with this guy. Within 15 minutes of sitting down with him, he had asked me enough questions to make a strong recommendation to me, that will save me thousands on my taxes this year, as well as plenty of headaches. I left his office armed with this newfound knowledge, and with my mind made up that this office will get my business from this day forward. As I began calling friends and recommending his services to them, the question popped up, "How much does he charge?" A sudden realization washed over me that I never even bothered to ask him how much he charges! The best part of this realization is that it really didn't matter. As far as I was concerned, the value that he brought to the table far exceeded any difference in cost between him and my old tax preparer. I now felt comfortable that his expertise would make a difference and protect me from making any unwise changes in the structure of my company. Do you see what happened here? Value happened! By knowing what to look for, and what questions to ask, this professional was prepared to make recommendations that had an impact on my decision making process. He was prepared to demonstrate his expertise in a way that was not easily duplicatable. I did not ask about proce, because price was not important anymore. The value is what mattered, as he earned my business with his powerful recommendations. Can you incorporate this strategy into your own business? When you are meeting with a potential real estate agent partner, what value statements do you have prepared? Do you know your craft well enough to impress them with the value you bring to the table? Or better yet, do you understand the solutions to their marketing troubles well enough to offer advice that works and makes their lives easier? (If not, you may wish to visit www.averagejoelo.com) The same applies to prospects and future clients. Why should they even bother with the competition, if you have supplied them with powerful reasons to stick with you? Observe how other loan officers service their clients and fill the voids that are being ignored. Prepare a value statement that states exactly how you differ from your competitors, and what sort of advice you are prepared to give. Make it count, and you will be on your way to more closings and happier clients.
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