We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christine Atkinson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Christine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Showing clients you appreciate them is something I think most folks want to do – but it’s not always clear how to do it in a meaningful way. What’s one of the best examples of client appreciation you can share with us?
We focus on building and maintaining client relationships as a key mission of our business. We care most deeply about building a relationship with our clients based on trust, transparency and exceptional service.
We start with an initial consultation via zoom or in person where we take the time to walk through all of the qualification questions, show them how rates work and then through a detailed understanding of the estimated payment and funds to close. This starts our relationship off on the right foot and we then make sure that we are very responsive to any questions throughout the loan process and to actively communicate with them throughout the process so all their questions are answered and they always know where we are and what lies ahead.
We work hard to stay in contact with our clients after their loan closes as well to remain their trusted partner. We love connecting with our clients and have appreciation events, send annual reviews of their loans and provide a number of sources of valuable information via newsletters, mailings and videos.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started my finance career with Ford Motor Company, where I learned the importance of scenario analysis in evaluating major financial decisions. Later, as a financial management consultant at PwC/IBM, I helped guide clients through their own decision-making processes. Today, I leverage my years in finance and management consulting to deliver an uncommon experience for every one of my mortgage clients.
Whenever possible I meet with my clients at the start of the loan process. We spend our time reviewing and discussing their financial situation – so I can offer informed advice and so my clients can confidently make decisions about their future. I then guide my clients through the mortgage process, maintaining open communication and full accountability from beginning to end. I believe it is my transparent, proactive approach that has allowed me to build a track record of consistently reliable performance since entering the mortgage industry in 2011.
While technically not a Colorado native, my family moved to Colorado when I was 3 years old and I grew up skiing and enjoying the outdoors. After nearly 12 years on the East Coast, I returned to Colorado in 2005 with my own family, and we now do our best to escape to the mountains at every opportunity. I hold a BS in Business Administration from the University of Colorado in Boulder and both an MBA and an MA in International Relations from Boston University.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients for me are my past clients. I work only by referral so focus on building these relationships for the long term. I work to offer value by using my years of knowledge and experience in the industry to help them formulate a financial plan that works for them. After we have closed a transaction I work to stay in front of them and to continue to build our relationship and become their trusted resource for any financing questions for them or their friends or family.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
We have a Client Appreciation Program that we put all past clients on which includes the following – client appreciation events
– post close client gifts
– monthly newsletter
– annual mortgage snapshots
– birthday cards
– monthly mailing of an item of value
– quarterly postcards
– informative videos
Contact Info:
- Website: www.columbinemortgage.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColumbineMortgageLLC
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/christineatkinson