In last month's Cooperative Trust column, Erin Steffen's message was clear: Don't be afraid to up sell your products to members, and start considering technology channels as critical components of your service. [See CU Times, April 4, page 17.]

Credit unions have established credibility in the financial services marketplace because of our white glove treatment for members in the past. And we certainly don't want to forfeit that. However, what Steffen and the body of research on which she stands, is suggesting is that members' notions of what constitutes white glove service are changing. For instance, where up selling used to be seen by a majority as suspicious, consumers are now more likely to appreciate having valuable product offers explained to them.

Up selling is something that credit unions can begin to easily and organically work into their sales and service cultures without huge capital investments. But what I am more often asked, from the perspective of my role in IT, is "What one technology should I invest in for 2012?" My usual answer is "It depends." The first consideration, of course, is what technology your credit union already has in place and how your members rate the value of those products and channels. The second consideration is your membership profile, the people who will use your technology offerings. Business intelligence and analytic tools can help you determine current member usage habits for your technology channels, and surveys are important for identifying the new technologies your members want.