Banks, credit unions and retailers have seen tough times of late. Specifically, bankers–and even some credit unions–are seeing a gloomy period ahead due to credit losses and the liquidity restraints due to the need for more loan-loss reserves. For businesses, much like consumers, liquidity is paramount to survival. Growing the balance sheet with low cost deposits will sustain an organization through this period, but credit unions lack the soft sales skills to matriculate a member encounter into a sale.

Our desire to exceed board expectations led us to consider the MSR as more than an order taker, and many organizations began changing the culture and compensation structure; many going to salary plus commission. Yet, changing the compensation plan may not lead to the desired behaviors. To succeed long term, a business must balance sales and service with an honest desire to help each person improve their financial lives. We are fortunate, however, as credit union employees are a trusted lot, yet we've grown complacent in our sales education and training of our employees.

Faced with the challenges of declining net interest margins, return on assets, loan yields and the like, many financial organizations have cut expenses. That tact, in the short term, will help improve financial performance, but what do you do next quarter? And the next? Increasing sales is part of the long-term answer. Most companies are spending huge amounts on advertising, yet what happens when your advertising hits the mark? Let's suppose your latest rate ad generates tons of lobby traffic and members and prospects flock to your branches. What will your MSRs do with these opportunities? This, my friends, is the moment of truth.

To maximize your advertising dollars, and bridge the liquidity gap by raising more low-cost deposits, your employees must do some fundamental things very well.

First, they must engage your members. Most customers feel intimidated in a bank or credit union branch. That's precisely why 94% of the members walk to the teller line, then right back out the door. The titles we use don't help either. Ask anyone if they know what an MSR or a branch manager does, and you'll get a wide variety of answers. For these and other reasons, we must engage folks when they take the time to come into our branches.

Consider what our employees do with their time throughout an average day: answer phone calls, serve members, answer e-mails, make outbound calls, send letters and attend meetings. Now consider what types of activities these are–proactive or reactive? Our members need our help in understanding their financial lives, and they need to trust us so they will divulge this personal information.

Instead of reacting throughout the day, why not attempt to establish a meaningful relationship and gain the trust of those already in the lobby? Advertising is supposed to lead people to make a purchasing decision, but it won't put the pen in their hands. Branch employees need to interact with the folks who wait in the teller lines, so our members can get to know who we are and what exactly we do. This lobby marketing approach will, over time, produce instant appointments that lead to deeper financial profiles of your members, which helps make financial recommendations and sales possible.

Second, show them how to save and make money–don't just tell them. I remember when I received my first job offer after graduation. The salary sounded good, but I kept considering other offers until I saw an offer letter with the salary in print. Something about that visual link to my future income was meaningful, and I accepted that written offer.

Seeing different financial scenarios in print, laid out before us, helps sear the advice in our brains long enough for it to make an impression, and, perhaps, long enough for us to make a decision. There are many financial tools which can help our sales people tell a story of the various financial roads, yet often our staff is not aware of these tools or not adequately trained to use them.

The clearer we can make the financial options for our members, the more likely they will be to purchase from us. The primary objective is to place the information in front of each member to help them make a decision. This altruistic sales approach was transparent to the member, and their trust helps aid the sale. In the end, the financial tools create a sense of urgency (cost of action versus inaction) in the mind of the member and produced sales results.

Finally, ask for the business. I recently conducted branch mystery shops for 10 local banks and credit unions. All 10 financial organizations pride themselves as being pro-small business, yet not one asked for my business account. I was greeted in almost every branch, then handed brochures on various business accounts. The financial decision was entirely left up to me. I was not asked for my phone number, and only one person seemed excited about my new company. After approximately 15 minutes at each office, I left without being asked to open my account.

The branch employees are trained around products; some better than others, yet how many receive actual sales training? The core sales behavior of asking for the business is too often omitted from our sales conversations. Most credit union employees are friendly and helpful and others do a nice job of explaining the features and benefits of any number of products but allow the prospect to walk out the door without asking for the sale.

Michael J. Mickler is the principle of Sales & Service Consulting Inc. He can be reached at 904-571-0777 or michaeljmickler@gmail.com

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To Build Your Business, Use the Power of Lobby Marketing, Show the Product and Ask for the Sale

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