2 Word Secret to Front Line Sales … or … 5 Steps to Sales Success

The Moment of Truth

A customer enters your branch … they stop, and scan the lobby, taking note of the décor and atmosphere. They then stride up to an available teller and say…

“I’d like some information on your checking accounts.”

This is the moment of truth!

Nearly every marketing effort ends with your front line staff. Whether it’s a walk-in customer or traffic generated by highly-targeted marketing, your front line staff define the success of your bank or credit union.

At MarketMatch, we’ve shopped, literally, dozens of banks and credit unions from around the country and we’ve seen every possible response to “The Moment of Truth” and I have a theory…

You can study all the psychology, sociology and sales training material available, but front line success comes down to two simple words:

Meaningful Conversation

Your goal, as the marketing professional/trainer/market share acquirer/attrition reducer/cheerleader is to help your front line staff have meaningful conversations and follow 5 simple steps:

1. Ask questions
2. Listen … REALLY listen
3. Hear the hidden financial needs
4. Transition those needs into product recommendations
5. Explain how the product benefits will help the situation

Here are some items to consider:

Tools

Provide your team with easy to complete forms that guide them through meaningful questions about the customer’s family, job, hobbies, other bank accounts, goals for their banking relationship, what do they like/not like about their old accounts, etc. These questions will generate all the meaningful conversation your sales team can handle.

Training

Don’t assume that your team can hear needs and tie them to product. Role-play and provide weekly “Meaningful Conversation” examples. Pick a conversation topic, mach-up some realistic customer quotes, spell out the hidden need and follow-up with products and benefits to address the need.

Programs

Consider programs that will help to focus conversations. I’m a huge fan of a Life Stage approach. Click here for more life stage information.

Experiential Conversation

“I understand that we have an easy to use online banking,” is not as strong as, “I use our online banking and it’s amazing!”

Or what about the power of, “Congratulations on your new baby! When my first child was born…”

There are 3 areas where your staff can share experiential conversations: 1) Personal product use – does your team use your products? 2) Personal experience – what happened in their personal lives that relates to the customer’s story? How did the bank help? 3) Case Histories. Use phrases like, “I once had a customer who went through that, here’s how we helped…” Your team changes lives everyday, share case histories among your staff so each has more stories to tell.

Take care,

Eric