413. The Missing Link: How to Ask for the Business and Convert More Deals
·8 min
The episode opens with host Steve Kiles posing the central question of how loan officers can grow their business without working more hours. He immediately introduces a case study: his friend Greg, who went from closing two loans per month to eight by making 'Tuesday Just Ask' calls. Steve explains that many loan officers make prospecting calls but fail to include a direct ask for referrals or business at the end. He uses a detailed analogy of baking a chocolate cake with all the ingredients, mixing it, baking it perfectly, but then leaving it uneaten on the counter—comparing this to having a great conversation without a call to action. The host then shifts to practical application, offering specific scripts for different scenarios. For clients, he suggests asking, 'Do you have any friends, family, coworkers looking to buy, sell, or refinance?' For real estate agents, the script is, 'Who do you have today that I could help you get pre-approved to make sure it's a good use of your time?' Steve emphasizes that agents need great loan officers to close transactions, framing the ask as mutually beneficial. He advises listeners to learn a set of 'three or four closes' and practice them until they become automatic, suggesting putting scripts on a screen while making calls. A key system discussed is tracking every conversation; Greg uses a blue marker for the contact name and a green marker to indicate if the conversation included an ask. Steve stresses that this tracking must be done on every single conversation, not just occasionally. The episode concludes with a call to action to visit loanofficersuccess.com for help with the closes and to join the Loan Officer Leadership community for ongoing resources. Throughout, the tone is instructional and focused on actionable steps rather than theory.
