As a two-time cancer survivor, Credit Union ONE Vice Presidentof Sales Renee Muccioli has learned to squeeze the most out of eachday.

“My philosophy is live for today, as there's no guarantee fortomorrow,” said the latest Women to Watch honoree.

The concept of making the most of experiences has served herwell. At the time she was recruited to the more than $810 million,Ferndale, Mich.-based credit union, she was working 65 to70 hours a week at JPMorgan Chase. Although she didn'tknow anything about the credit union industry, she was ready for achange and a new challenge.

“I got my degree in operational management at Western MichiganUniversity and anticipated a career in the auto industry,” saidMuccioli, who ultimately found her niche in banking. “Both myparents are in sales, and in working for a big national bank I gotto see and learn so much through mergers. To me, sales is fun andsomething I thought I could share to help make a difference atCredit Union ONE.”

As expected, Muccioli said she encountered strong pushback whenshe introduced and implemented a sales process for Credit UnionONE's 18 branches.

“I think of sales as helping members and a way to make suretheir needs are met. I think of (sales) as giving (members)options,” Muccioli said. “To help change the mindset about theword, I had to sell it as a service process, which was a strugglefor many to understand. It's about proactively helping members saveeven $60 a month or $5,000 over the life of a loan. By engaging ina conversation instead of being order takers, we can help changemembers' lives and they feel devoted to the credit union forlife.”

She added that building relationships served as the basis forher sales process. To that end, she facilitated daily huddlesbefore opening, and required branch managers not only meet with newmembers but also work the floor attending to member needs andcoaching staff.

An integrated needs-analysis program has increased cross-sellingand referrals, and she said a focus on training, coaching andincentives has gone a long way toward creating a sustainable salesculture. In place for some four years, the sales environment hasexpanded to include a specialized sales team of six dedicated tosimplifying the loan application process for members.

“We're getting there,” Muccioli said. “Employees understand thatsales isn't a bad word, especially when members give glowingrecommendations and come back to thank them with a hug. They seethe member actually does want and need a product, and that the'sale' is not that hard when you're making conversation to find outhow we can help them by providing options they might not be awareof. They've become believers.”

She added that it's been fun to see the evolution and know thatshe's had a hand in helping the organization as a whole make ashift.

“What inspires me is that I keep having these opportunities toconstantly challenge myself and others,” Muccioli said. “Myleadership and communication style are very direct. That connectionwith others is the most important thing to me. I put ­everything onmy desk aside to walk around the floor for an hour or so. Forsales, if you don't follow up, it won't be done. We're askingpeople to come out of their comfort zone and change, and that'sdifficult for anyone to take on. So it's important to spend thetime on the floor face-to-face following up on training, coachin gand engaging in conversation making sure we're meeting the needs ofthe member. You can't do that behind a desk.”

She recognized how easily the daily demands and responsibilitiescan take over, but time must also be carved out for talking toemployees and members alike.

“We've got to work with our staff to make sure their needs arebeing met as well. The process of getting a sale is no differentthan engaging employees, and knowing you care is the commondenominator. It's no different than coaching. Don't hide behindemail or a survey; go into departments have a conversation and getto know the person face-to-face, as it should be.”

Passionate about sales, she said she would like the industry asa whole to be more proactive when it comes to offering salesoptions to members.

“Do we go outside our box and solicit for mortgages coming dueor let members know they are ­preapproved for another auto loan at24 months,” Muccioli said. “Are we making the most of technology toleverage opportunities? I think these are the questions we shouldbe asking, and it's something we as an industry all struggle withas far as what aspects of our culture need to change.”

For Muccioli, that also means having a team dedicated to lookingforward.

“In order to improve employee engagement, our CEO Gary Moody haspushed for the creation of an innovation engine,” she said. “Hebelieves our employees will generate the best responses forchange.”

Here's how the innovation engine works: vice presidents serve asproject owners and research employees ideas for feasibility. Theirgoal is 30- to 45-day turnaround. Employees who submit successful,launched ideas are awarded Kudos Points, which can be used to makean online purchase.

“It's been a great way to encourage idea sharing and gettinginnovative solutions implemented,” Muccioli said. “It can besomething as simple as our recently adding a chat feature to theauto loan process. It's not something new but it makes a differencefor members. I am so proud of how we as an organization continueto grow and evolve. There's so much opportunity for creditunions.”