The Impact of a Proactive Team on Customer Satisfaction

A little future planning could make all the difference.

There are two main attitudes or behaviors you can take in your business: Proactive or reactive.

With proactivity, you imagine and account for potential future events. This means anticipating what might happen and planning ahead just in case. Then, you’re prepared and better able to respond with agility.

With reactivity, on the other hand, you essentially wait for events to happen and then take action. You might find yourself thinking a lot more about the past rather than the future. 

Basically, reactive thinkers will always be at least one step behind their proactive counterparts. That’s because they need to make up a plan in the moment while the proactive person can just jump right into action. 

Proactivity and Customer Satisfaction

With the above definitions in mind, is it any wonder that proactivity and customer satisfaction have a direct relationship? In other words, when your business is more proactive, customer satisfaction tends to tick up, too. 

Let’s take a closer look at specifically why this might happen: 

Clients Prefer a Speedy Process 

In today’s mortgage market, borrowers are interested in speed. That’s right — an ICE Mortgage Tech survey from just last year found that borrowers’ very top concerns included keeping costs down, having an exceptional experience, and closing faster. 

And it makes sense. Placing an offer first could be your client’s key to finally achieving homeownership, particularly in this highly competitive market. Being late to the game on the other hand? That might send them right back to the drawing board.   

As an added benefit, when mortgage pros are fast and proactive, buyers might avoid a nasty bidding war and secure their dream home with little to no drama.   

And proactivity is the key to speed. When you plan ahead, you’re better equipped to respond nimbly, potentially cutting down on that time to close. 

Proactivity and Professionalism Go Hand-in-Hand

Because proactivity tends to correlate with success, people often associate proactive behaviors with consummate professionalism. This means that, the more you can flex your proactivity muscles, the more your clients might grow to respect, like, and trust you. 

For example, imagine working with someone who is:  

• Constantly firefighting issues as they arise, seemingly working in a state of chaos and stress. 
• Potentially missing opportunities, as they had no set plan in place. 
• Focused on short-term solutions instead of getting to the root of organizational issues. 
• Managing resources like time and manpower inefficiently. 
• Displaying signs of low morale or even burnout.
  

This person probably wouldn’t go on your shortlist for a professionalism award, would they?

Now, instead imagine working with someone who is:

• Constantly anticipating client needs and desires. 
• Gathering customer feedback and implementing it into future plans. 
• Identifying areas for improvement and generating actionable solutions before small issues grow into big ones. 
• Responding with speed and agility when something does go wrong. 
• Excited and energized by their work.

Talk about award-worthy professionalism! 

Not All Mortgage Pros are Proactive

Despite the clear impact on professionalism, the reality is that some mortgage professionals are simply stuck in their usual, reactive behaviors. This means that, if your client has interviewed one or more providers that didn’t seem agile and ready to take action, you have the potential to truly knock it out of the park with your obvious planning and quick reaction times.   

To demonstrate proactivity and set yourself apart, follow these five steps: 

1. Learn and grow before you need to put this newfound knowledge to the test. Dive into areas where your expertise might be lacking a bit, subscribe to a new news outlet, or find other creative ways to challenge your thinking. 
2. Develop long-term goals and plans. There are plenty of different goal-setting strategies you can explore, but one key part of proactive thinking lies in looking to the future. This might be a good exercise to walk through with each new client as well as on your own. 
3. Take ownership in executing your plans. It’s not enough to simply chart where you and the client want to go — you have to actually get them there, too. Take initiative again and again to set yourself apart from the rest. 
4. Don’t get bogged down! Proactivity isn’t always easy, but you have to persevere. Your clients are always looking to you – so change course when necessary, but try not to give up entirely. 
5. Look to mentors and coaches. If proactivity is new to you, or if you want some support in growing your skills, find a trusted leader. The right mentor or coach can help you grow your confidence and, over time, better support your clients

Ultimately, by simply doing your job proactively, you can provide buyers with confidence and deliver a superior experience!

Wrapping Up: The Impact of a Proactive Team on Customer Satisfaction

In the mortgage industry, customer satisfaction is everything. And one under-utilized path forward? Proactive behaviors. 

That’s right, with just a little future planning, you can cut down on the time to close, present yourself as a consummate professional, and set yourself apart from the pack. Trust us — your clients are sure to thank you! 

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