Jared was asking for the business 22% of the time when we started working together. He thought he was asking on most calls. He tracked it for a week and found out the truth. When he pushed that number past 90%, he put seven transactions in his pipeline in a single week. Nothing else about his business changed. The ask changed.
Most loan officers resist scripted language because they do not want to sound scripted. Here is what I tell them: you say your phone number the same way every time. Nobody accuses you of sounding scripted when you give out your number. That is because the repetition is in service of accuracy, not performance. The same principle applies to asking for the business.
Why the Ask Feels Hard
Sales has a bad reputation that it does not deserve. When I ask loan officers why they resist asking, it usually comes back to not wanting to seem pushy or transactional. But here is the reframe: every family that closes a mortgage does it with a loan officer. No agent gets paid on a financed transaction without a good lender. You are not imposing. You are offering to solve a problem for someone they care about.
Sales is the gift of solving a problem in a professional way. When you ask for the business, you are not asking for a favor. You are offering to help someone your contact already knows and trusts.
Script 1: For Clients in Process or Pre-Approved
Use this at the end of any client call, whether it is an update call, an approval call, or a check-in.
"Hey, before I let you go, could I ask you a quick favor? When you have a friend, family member, or coworker who is looking to buy, sell, or refinance, could I count on you to send me their information? I would love to help another great family just like yours."
That is it. One sentence. It takes ten seconds. The key is the word "when," not "if." You are not asking whether they know someone. You are asking them to send the person your way when they do.
Script 2: For Agent Partners on Active Transactions
Use this at the end of every Tuesday update call with a buyer's agent or listing agent.
"I have really loved working with you on this one. I would love to work with you again. Who do you have today that I could help get pre-approved?"
Notice the specificity. Not "do you have any clients" and not "keep me in mind." Asking who they have today makes it a real question with a real answer. The agents who have someone in mind will tell you. The ones who do not will remember you asked.
The Ask is Day 5 of the 5-Day Challenge.
You get all three scripts, word for word, plus the commitment ask that took my own conversion from 64% to 94%. Written out, worksheeted, and practiced before you close the session.
Start the Challenge. $297 ›Script 3: For Prospecting New Agent Relationships
Use this when reaching out to an agent you do not yet have a relationship with.
"I am a student of success and I would love to hear your story. Could we book a 30-minute coffee? I want to learn how you built your business and share a few things I am doing that might be helpful to your buyers."
This ask is different from the first two. It is not asking for business directly. It is asking for a conversation. That conversation, handled right, leads to business. The reason this wording works is that agents are constantly pitched by loan officers who want something. An agent who gets asked for their story instead is in a completely different posture.
Track It or It Does Not Improve
Put the three scripts in a Google doc. Keep it open while you make calls. At the top of your daily tracking sheet, add one column: Ask. Yes or no. Did you ask on that conversation?
At the end of the week, count the yeses and divide by the total conversations. That is your ask rate. The goal is 90% or higher. Most loan officers start somewhere between 20 and 50%. The movement from 50% to 90% produces a measurable pipeline change within two weeks.
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