Every successful sales person creates a positive, enthusiastic image. It seems people love to be around this type of person and he or she is a magnet that attracts business, relationships, and positive emotions. This is the loan officer who never seems to be worried about rate or product and instead focuses on what seems to be so simple, yet so lacking by average sales professionals, exceptional value. Not the value that only comes from fighting to give the prospect the best “deal,” but the value that cannot be compared, that trumps price and product. Let’s examine this “exceptional value” and see how you can make it a consistent and powerful part of your sales and service process.
Exceptional value starts with your value proposition. The greatest secret to most sales people is that this exceptional value changes with every prospect whether Realtor or consumer. How do you discover what is most valuable to the prospect? You do it with “exceptional questioning skills,” These are simple questions but using them creates powerful and positive results. We can fit these questions into specific categories. Let’s take a closer look.
Category one: Get to know the prospects past experience with the mortgage process and if he or she has ever dealt with your company. Example: “Mr. Smith when was the last time you went through the mortgage process?” “What did you like most and least about that experience?” This question alone gains a wealth of information. It tells me what he or she liked and disliked. This is the first step in creating a value proposition. It is now easy for you to say, “Mr. Smith you mentioned you seldom heard from your loan officer during the mortgage process. How would you like me to communicate with you in a way that will give you the best comfort level?” You just created your first “value proposition!”
Category two: Ask questions that uncover present expectations. Example: “Mary, when you decide to form a partnership with a loan officer what is most important to you in making the relationship a successful partnership?” What the Realtor tells you begins to form your value proposition for Mary! To often the loan officer tells Mary what he or she can do without regard for what Mary values the most. The simple but amazing thing about sales is people will teach you how to sell to them if you will just stop talking and start listening.
Category three: Ask questions that create a need for what you do best. If you asked the prospect enough category one and two questions, you gained a wealth of information on what is most important to this person. Once you uncover the person’s greatest needs do not make the mistake that 99% of all loan officers make by “telling them what you can do.” Instead create questions that force the prospect to describe or ask for your product or service. Example: “Mary, you mentioned that one of your biggest needs was increasing the number of referrals you get from each of your real estate clients, is that correct?” (she said it you didn’t!) “Mary, would it be of value to you to have a proven system that not only gains you more referrals but can be measured and tracked?” I do not have to tell you Mary’s answer! “Mary could I share with you the details on how, together, we could accomplish this?”
Start today, creating a unique “value proposition” for every prospect! Remember there are only two things that people buy, exceptional value and solutions to problems. Stop fighting with the crowd on rate or product and start providing what the prospect really wants, but you will never know until you stop talking and start asking!