The first key to building long lasting customer relationships is to build rapport by asking questions and getting your customer talking. You should be asking three or four times as many questions than the customer asks you in your first conversation with them.

Keep this little fact of human nature in mind. When someone picks up the phone in order to inquire about obtaining a mortgage, they are planning to ask YOU the questions. So by asking them questions you can not only build rapport but you can also get them thinking about what is truly important (i.e. long-term goals) rather than what they called you about, which was almost certainly "what are your interest rates?"

By doing this you will not only set yourself apart from the majority of your competition, but you will also demonstrate your knowledge, skill and most important of all, caring.

So, the next time a new customer calls you, try a little mental game called "he/she who asks the most questions wins." If the customer asks you more questions that you ask them, you have lost and probably will never speak to that person again. However, if you ask the most questions the situation probably will be a win/win for both of you!