Lesson 02: Communication Skills for Loan Officers
Lesson Overview
- Use the skill of listening to ensure that what is being heard is what the customer intended to convey.
- Use open-ended, closed-ended and lending questions to quickly get the information needed to help the customer.
- Use positive phrasing to keep the relationship with the customer on a positive track.
- Use verification techniques to ensure that the information being obtained and conveyed is accurate.
- Control conversations to request certain documentation or to make future arrangements and conclude calls in the least amount of time while maintaining a high degree of customer satisfaction.
Lesson Excerpt
Obtaining accurate and complete information from customers is essential to being able to help meet their needs. Because the telephone does not always provide the clearest communication, a customer with poor communication skills or a customer who speaks with an unfamiliar accent can make understanding difficult. To add to the problem, many letters in our alphabet such as "B" and "V" sound alike on the telephone. Numbers can also be confused. For example, "fifty" can sound like "fifteen".
Three verification techniques can be used to clarify and confirm customer statements. These techniques are as follows:
- Re-spelling
- Re-numbering
- Re-stating
When you transact business in person, you have a lot of communication methods open to you besides your voice. In person, you can show a customer what you mean. When you transact business by phone, your meaning and your personality are entirely conveyed by your voice. To project a professional and business-like telephone personality, focus on the following elements.
- Tone of Voice
- Volume
- Rate of Speaking
