The Challenge
Since you’re reading this, you’re either thinking you need to turn your sales staff into relationship builders or you’re just trying to visualize what the heck that would even look like. Sometimes it helps to see what something isn’t to learn what it is. So here are some challenges we’ve heard bankers express. See if any of these scenarios apply to your organization:
- “We’ve done sales training but my people are still order takers, resist selling and only respond to an immediate need. They focus on selling specific products but don’t really “get into the customer’s head” in order to manage the relationship and continue to deepen it for the long-term. Once the customer leaves the branch, they feel that “task” is done and they’re ready to move on to the next one. There’s little continuity or none at all”.
- “I just don’t know how to be top-of-mind when a member realizes they have a financial need. I’d like them to think of us as a key partner genuinely interested in their financial well-being now and in the future, but it’s just not happening. When they need help or advice, I intuitively suspect some of them just shop around, especially those who don’t make in-person visits anymore” (We at High Definition Banking® coined a phrase for that: being viewed as Just Another Errand®).
- “Some of my employees are apathetic and disengaged when it comes to selling. I’ve had more than a few tell me they believe our sales program is just the “flavor of the month” and meant to just sell whatever we can. I’ve also had one or two tell me they feel management doesn’t genuinely care about the well-being of our customers or members. That hurts”.
- “Our staff is so transactional and product focused that I’ve heard some customers complain about being pitched over and over again for products that aren’t appropriate for them. I think our cross-selling may even be repelling some customers”.
- And the one that never seems to go away, “We’ve done sales training but it doesn’t stick”.
High Definition Banking® Solution
At its core, our solution is to help your organization redefine the way you generate sales, the role of your frontline staff and your current sales model. We help you transition from a focus mostly on transactional selling (which usually results in order taking and product pitching) to more of a focus on building relationships that keep you top of mind. Your staff experiences a change in both skillset and mindset from being order takers and product pitchers to true relationship builders.
New Skillset – The first part of our solution is the most obvious: train staff in relationship building skills. These skills are different from conventional sales skills that are more transactional and focus on selling specific products. Relationship building skills include selling but also discovering goals, dreams, life events and entering the information in a profile in your CRM or other tool and then applying that information to build the relationship.
Our process is very successful in getting staff to enter the information into CRM systems which is the basis for offering a product solution that’s a great fit. We’ve seen examples of customers or members pleased to have a “relationship manager” who truly understands and anticipates their needs and who contact their bank or credit union when a future need arises.
New Mindset – You don’t transform people simply by providing a new skill set. Do most of your people really want to sell? Not likely. They realize selling comes with the territory. However, many resist and do it reluctantly. That’s why we believe conventional sales training is not the complete solution for generating revenue.
Some believe management only cares about results and not the customer or member. But what we found is most bank and credit union staff want to contribute to the well-being of your customers or members and make a difference in their lives. Unfortunately, many don’t believe they can make a difference because they don’t see how they can do that.
We help you win your staff’s hearts and minds so they believe they can make a positive difference in the lives of your customers or members. Learn More. They see themselves as a professional building trusting relationships and turning your customers or members into loyal advocates. Because a relationship-building approach is in line with their values, they become more engaged in their job and achieve better performance.
The High Definition Banking® process is about transformation: mindsets, attitudes and skills. Most of all, we’re about Transforming Relationships Into Revenue®. At High Definition Banking® we help you create High Definition People®.
Get Our Organization and Staff Ready for CRM/MRM
Get your staff to see the value of your CRM system and use it to build member or customer relationships and revenue. Learn More.
