From Sticky Notes to Strategic Wins
When you work at a bank that’s been around since 1858, you learn a thing or two about history. At Fifth Third Bank, a lot of our success comes down to a few key things: a full-service approach, a focus on affordable lending, and an incredible team of loan officers (LOs). Many of our LOs have been here for 15, 20, or even 30 years, and they're still actively working with client lists that are just as old.
But a legacy of success doesn't mean we can't modernize. As the Mortgage Marketing Program Manager, I was brought on specifically to help our LOs embrace new technology and move beyond the days of managing their books of business with sticky notes and spreadsheets. Our mission was to get our team up and running on a modern CRM and customer engagement platform.
That's where Total Expert came in. We chose Total Expert because it offered a complete solution. We didn't just want a CRM vendor to provide tech. We wanted a total partner that could unify customer insights with marketing content. With that, we knew we could streamline our internal processes and position our teams to grow. The goal was to reduce friction for our LOs, and that's exactly how Total Expert has come through for us.
Meeting LOs Where They Are
Our biggest challenge wasn’t just getting new software up and running; it was getting our seasoned LOs to adopt it. The mortgage business is constantly changing—rates, regulations, products—and LOs have to adapt quickly. We knew we couldn't just force a new system on them. We had to show them how Total Expert was a tool to help them drive their own business. It had to be something they’d want to use, not something they were told to use.
My approach has always been to meet them where they are. During our training sessions, we don't just talk about the platform's features. We talk about their individual business plans. If an LO says they want to call on five new Realtor partners, we show them exactly how to use Total Expert to send personalized content and track their interactions.
By doing this, we make it less of a situation where you need to use this, and more about here is a way for you to grow.
For our LOs who thrive on checklists, we've even incorporated scorecarding into their process. We identify key metrics—like using customer Journeys or engaging with new leads—that naturally align with their daily work.
And the results have been incredible. We have 70-year-old LOs embracing QR codes and lead capture apps because they’re able to see the real value in them. The whole team is leveraging the technology to reach more people and, in the words of one of our LOs, "get more homeless veterans into homes." That kind of passion and adoption is a huge win for everyone involved.
A Smart New Take on Customer Intelligence
One of the most powerful features we’ve leveraged is Customer Intelligence. These aren’t just alerts; they're conversation starters. Total Expert alerts us when a client qualifies for a lower rate, when their loan is nearing its maturity date, or when their home equity is changing. We’ve automated Journeys that send out an initial email, but we’ve also built in a crucial follow-up task for the LO.
I always tell my team, "Don’t think of it as a task. Think about the potential earnings or potential family you are helping." That's because our Customer Intelligence-based Journeys have led to real, tangible success. We’ve seen a remarkable number of loans come in from something as simple as a birthday email. We're using Customer Intelligence to identify new opportunities, such as finding past residents who received a loan four years ago and are now established doctors with new financial needs. It’s not just about selling them another loan—it’s about providing them with a full financial perspective and fostering a deeper relationship.
Building a Culture of Modernization
We’re not just implementing a new tool; we’re building a sales ecosystem. Our management team is fully bought in—they're not just supporting the initiative, they're using the platform themselves for recruiting and managing their teams. This top-down commitment, combined with our strategic, LO-focused approach, has been the “secret sauce” to our success.
Total Expert is more than a vendor; they're a partner. They listened to our unique needs and helped us customize the platform to fit our full-service banking model. We’re working together to drive a new level of efficiency and customer engagement. At the end of the day, it's about using powerful tools to give our dedicated team of LOs the resources they need to serve our community, one member at a time.
