ASKING THE CRITICAL QUESTIONS

The secret to your long term sales success is to get your customer base talking about you positively. The typical business spends six times more money to attract new customers than it does to keep old ones. Every time you complete a loan for a borrower or call upon a Broker as an Account Rep, you create an image in their eyes. What you must develop is their desire to sing your praises, to peers and competitors alike.

It is therefore necessary that you ask two critical questions of your customer base: “How am I doing?” and “How can I get better?” These questions are not asked often enough. The simple explanation for this fact is that people are afraid of the potential negative response. But wait - how can the response be any more negative than your customer base never using your services again and you not knowing why? Customers vote with their feet, and if they are not pleased with your efforts they will seek out someone they feel will serve them better.

The additional advantage of asking the questions suggested is that you inevitably strengthen your relationship with the Borrower/Broker/Lender. If, for example you have done two loans for me in the last eight years, you already have developed a rapport with me….if I didn’t like the job you did the first time I most certainly would not have called you back…but because of that rapport and personal knowledge of me, it should be easy for you to pose the questions “How am I doing?” and “How can I get better?”

My reaction, whether I’m a Broker, Borrower, Lender, Bank, Title Company etc. is where this month’s Sales Tip of the Month gets its punch. I will be honored that you have asked and pleased that you value our business relationship enough to show your concern about strengthening it. The responses you generate will not all be positive, but remember: FACT DOES NOT MATTER, PERCEPTION DOES. If you think you have done an exemplary job and the customer disagrees, guess what? The customer is right. By asking these questions as often as possible you will:

1. Strengthen your relationships with existing clients/customers
2. Indicate your concern to professionally build your business
3. Increase the odds of referral business
4. Learn about ways you can fine tune your efforts

Suffice it to say, the upside potential far outweighs the downside risks. So get on it………today.

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