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 2015 and beyond. So guess what, many of your customers or members probably did the same. 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 in achieving 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’ll be really surprised if this approach doesn’t spur some organic revenue in the next few weeks and help people at the same time.
Demonstrate Your Bank or Credit Union Cares by Zeroing in on Your Customers’ or Members’ Emotive Drivers
Think how much more fun and easier it is to engage a customer in conversation about their New Year’s goals than to talk about online banking or a credit card. Engaging them about their emotive drivers will demonstrate your concern for their well-being, build trust and lead to sales opportunities. 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 2015?”
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 more for something special or get financially fit. How about you? What resolutions have you made for 2015?” (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’ emotions. Your task is to then 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 your currently doing or planning to make that happen?” Listen carefully, gather more information and confidently offer to help with your solution. Relationship banking 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 2015 strong and seize the opportunity January 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!
Have a happy and successful 2015!
Barb and Bob
Your Thoughts?
We are interested in your feedback. In the comments section below, please tell us whether you agree or disagree with the ideas in this post. Also, what challenges or questions do you have that we can answer in this post?
A Video Roadmap to Another Level of Your Sales Culture
View a 45-minute video of a presentation Barb gave at the CUNA OpSS Council Conference that provides a road map to get to another level of your sales culture: Is Onboarding the Beginning or the End? What’s Next in the Member Relationship? (and yes it applies to banks as well).
We Have Rebranded with a New Logo and Website
You know us as High Definition People®. That name still applies to our motivational speaking business. Our consulting and training side of the business is now High Definition Banking® Redefining How Banks and Credit Unions Generate Sales™
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