Your Application Has Been Denied

I interviewed a loan officer the other day who told me that while a loan application may give him the numbers he needs, he still “banks the man (or woman).” He explained that a person’s character is still the most important factor to him in deciding a person’s loan worthiness. He asks himself, “Is he (or she) the kind of person I want to do business with?”

So how exactly does one make such a determination?

The banker I spoke with said he could just tell what a person was like from the face-to-face interaction they have during the loan process. After a few decades in the business, he claims it is pretty easy to do. Even if the applicant is a good businessperson, it is not enough for him. He has to like him. Not in a buddy-buddy way, but in a “I trust that you are who you say you are” kind of way.

Is that fair? Nobody’s perfect and judging others can certainly be risky business.

Attempting to determine a person’s overall character is certainly not about them being perfect – I am pretty sure most people disappoint themselves on a regular basis, and that’s OK.  We always could have done more. We could have tried harder. We could have handled that situation better. But character is not about not failing, it is about intent and heart and the desire to be a better person. It is about being the same person when you are alone as you are when you are in a conference room with prospective clients.

It is about knowing what you believe and acting like it. It is about boldness on the things that matter and grace in matters of opinion.

In other words, it’s being the kind of person someone you would want to do business with – or even lend money to.