What You Say
Sales: Educate and advise customers and members on institution product and services to cultivate a win-win relationship … benefiting the consumer and growing the bank or credit union.
What They Hear
Sales: Push products and services on customers that they probably don't need because my boss said to. I may get a couple extra bucks for my efforts, but ultimately it’s all about growing the institution.
Odds are that if you polled your staff, very few want to be in “sales.” The term has grown to have a bleak connotation. Seriously, go to Google Images right now and search “salesperson” … go ahead, I’ll wait …
Do you really want to be most of the bottom-feeders that show up in that search? Well, neither does your staff.
Yet, so many places focus on and preach about a "Sales Culture." You hire consultants and trainers and go to seminars and webinars … all in search of the secret weapon that will make your people "sell."
Here’s some free advice … It doesn't exist!
So, while none of your staff want to be greasy haired, panel jacket wearin’, slime balls – they do want to HELP people.
Most financial institutions focus far too much on the wrong things. Think about the last 12 months. What percentage of your staff training was on operational issues and transactional business? Is that where you grow your business? No, it’s grown by the relationship opportunities. The face-to-face, meaningful, “they came here to do something important” stuff. This is NOT the time to "sell," but the time to build rapport and trust.
There are 5 simple steps to the NON Sales Culture:
1. Get the customer talking
2. Listen for cues on financial need
3. Translate those needs into products and services
4. Describe how your products and services can fulfill the need
5. Ask if they want to open the helpful account while they are here
Facilitate Meaningful Conversation
The most important step is to get the customer to talk and to learn to REALLY listen. To get them talking, you simply need to ask the right questions, then shut up and know what to listen for. Here’s are a few starter ideas using checking as an example:
The Basics:
- Where do you have your checking account today?
- What do you like about it?
- What would you change?
- How do you use your account?
- What other important accounts do you have at other institutions?
The REAL Helpful Stuff:
- Learn about their family.
- Learn about their job.
- What d they do for fun?
- What life milestones are happening in their life?
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| This is a helpful front line tool that you can implement today to help your staff ask the right questions EVERY time. |
You don't need Zig Ziglar to fly in and train your team on this stuff. By discussing the power of Meaningful Conversation to your entire staff: tellers, new accounts, lending, investments, call center, collections – you’ll have an integrated relationship building machine that will help your customers and grow the business!
We bring these marketing philosophies to credit unions and community banks nationwide, and would love to bring them to your institution too. Contact us to see how.
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