To Solidify the Member or Customer Relationship, Ask About Their New Year Resolutions, Dreams and Goals
As we enter a brand new year, there’s a good chance you made some resolutions or goals you’d like to achieve in 2020 and beyond. Many of your customers or members probably did the same including some financial goals. Besides wanting to lose weight, travel more, change jobs or buy a new car, many consumers want to reduce debt, save more and become financially fit. Many resolutions tie into goals that require improved finances and possibly one or more of your products.
“Oh, one more – Get my finances in shape to make the rest of these happen.”
Are you ready to seize this unique and timely opportunity to discover your customers’ or members’ goals and dreams and to help achieve them?
In our first post of the year, we’ll give you two easy questions your staff can use to engage customers or members about their New Year’s resolutions. By opening up the conversation about resolutions that tie to their dreams and goals, you could very well provide a product or service to help with achieving them and improve their financial well-being at the same time. Think how you’ll also fortify the member or customer relationship. We’d be really surprised if this approach doesn’t spur some organic revenue in the next month or two and help people at the same time.
Demonstrate Your Bank or Credit Union Cares by Zeroing in on Your Customers’ or Members’ Emotive Drivers
Engaging them about their emotive drivers demonstrates your concern for their well-being, builds trust and leads to sales opportunities. Think how much more fun and easier it is to engage a customer in a conversation about their New Year’s resolutions than to talk about online banking or a credit card. So rally the troops and get your staff ready to try these approaches:
Engage customers or members about what drives them emotionally.
During Onboarding – We all know that with new customers and members it’s important to make them feel comfortable and welcome. So besides asking about their family and how they enjoyed their holiday season, drop in a goal question when the time is right and share your own resolution. For example…
“I enjoy setting a goal each year and this year I resolved to save more each month so I can buy a new car and take my kids to Disney World. How about you, what are your New Year’s resolutions or financial priorities for 2020?”
With Existing Members – With existing customers or members you know personally, you can really have a great time with the survey approach. For example….
“How did you enjoy your holidays? I’m taking an informal survey about New Year’s resolutions and goals. So far about 25% of my customers want to get in shape physically, about 25% want to travel or have more fun and over 50% want to either save for something special, reduce debt or get financially fit. How about you? What are your goals for 2020?” (If they don’t mention finances, you can easily recognize resolutions that will require some kind of financial assistance).
Why This Approach Can Be So Effective
Please note the above two questions include three key success factors for staff. One, they both begin with a transition statement that sets the stage. Two, they both include an open-ended question. Three, they avoid product pushing and instead focus on engaging customers’ or members’ about something important to them. Your task is to listen carefully and offer a solution.
Be ready to offer a solution – Many of our clients’ FSR’s, MSR’s and personal bankers tell us typically when asked about goals, customers and members will often share anxieties or dreams such as reducing debt, taking a trip, remodeling or purchasing a home, enjoying retirement and more. Once you engage them in this kind of conversation, you’ve hit the jackpot! Without any product pushing, you now have a cl
ear opening to clarify further and ask, “What are you currently doing or planning to make that happen?” Listen carefully, gather more information and confidently offer to help with your solution, rather than a product. Focus on building trust. Member or customer relationship management has never been easier!
Once you are finished talking with the customer or member, be sure to record the information you discovered in their profile in your CRM software.
Start 2020 strong and seize the opportunity a new year offers! Get your staff ready and have fun discovering what really matters most to your customers or members. Make January Goal Discovery Month. Continue it month after month and watch those relationships grow and revenue flow!
If your team is ready to move beyond transactions to relationships, ask about our financial coaching training, Create High Definition Customer/Member Experiences™. This training will enable your staff to acquire the confidence needed to transition from functioning solely as a salesperson to becoming a relationship manager, financial coach, trusted advisor and valued financial partner. For more insight, visit Financial Wellness is a Revenue-Generating Opportunity and see the comments below.
Have a happy and successful 2020!
Barb
Financial Coaching Testimonials
“I was just meeting with a customer and we went over the budget and the financial wheel. SHE IS PUMPED about saving money, fulfilling her dream of buying a new house and creating financial stability for her family! She is going to go home, fill out the budget with her husband and is coming back for more coaching with me. She said, “I didn’t know a bank did this stuff and I had no idea of any of this. Thank you so much.” It makes me so happy to help a family this way.” — Financial Coach participant
“Without question your excellent Financial Coaching program has done the most to excite, engage and empower our staff to help members achieve financial success and improve their well-being. The interactive tools make it easy for staff to engage members about their goals. In fact, rather than leave with just a product, our Financial Coaches ensure members leave with a plan to get them on track. Plus, our investment advisors are benefiting greatly from the increased referrals.” — BayPort Credit Union executive
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