Overcoming Sales and Service Roadblocks Scott Butterfield, CUDE

First a word about sales and service… First, start with Why? People do not buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it. The first successful sale any credit union will make is with their team.

OVERCOMING INTERNAL OBSTACLES

“I’ll have more time for selling when things slow down”.. What it looks like – Tellers not having needs based conversations during the lunch rush. Why it’s important – It’s better to go fishing where there are lots of fish. What you can do – First, don’t freak out when there is a manageable line. Second, teller line need assessments can be done quickly and efficiently with practice.

“Nothing happens when I do something wrong… or right”… What it looks like – Consistent mediocre performance from people who have the skills and know how to use them. Why it’s important – A lack of accountability and system for rewards will reduce success and de-motivate your stars. What you can do – Measure and communicate performance, hold staff accountable and reward for results.

“I’m a great multitasker, I observe and coach on the fly”.. What it looks like – Managers count unfocused time on the sales floor as quality coaching. Why it’s important – Successful, highly focused observation and coaching results in consistent skill development, accountability and recognition. What you can do - Take observation and coaching seriously. Schedule time and make it happen. You can’t expect your staff to take skilled development seriously if you don’t.

“We were going to focus on selling, but that was before we were blindsided by the Reg. changes”… What it looks like – Reg Z changes sent staff scrambling in a dozen directions. Distraction took precedence, training, observation, coaching and selling took a back seat. Why it’s important – Successful selling cultures are built by consistency and strategic prioritization. They don’t allow things to get in the way. What you can do – Be better prepared, anticipate and plan for Reg changes, audits, risk assessments, branch openings, etc. If selling is a top priority, treat it that way.

“Our bank escapees swear they will never be part of a sales program ever again”.. What it looks like – You hired former bank employees because of their vast experience. However, after what they went through at Wells Fargo – they have vowed to never sell again. Why it’s important – Success depends on everyone committed and engaged in the process. Besides, if you get them engaged, they have a lot of experience to bring to the table. What you can do - Make selling about the WHY and make it needs based and service oriented.

“Silos are for wheat, not member service”… What it looks like – The centralized loan department is competing with the branch MSRs for loan cross-sells. Why it’s important – Team collaboration and cooperation results in greater efficiency, skill training and sales results. What you can do – Begin with reminding managers and the team, that we’re all in this together. Monitor, measure and hold managers accountable for working together towards the greater vision.

“That goal looks big, what if we fail”.. What it looks like – Managers or staff rarely take the initiative to stretch for more. Or, they fear that if they do more, it will only result in greater expectations. Why it’s important – The difference between surviving and thriving will be our ability to consistently reach and attain more. What you can do - Champion higher expectations. Reward stretching and strategy development. Build a culture that supports change, growth and results.

“I know were suppose to do it that way, but we need more training”… What it looks like – Staff have been out of training for three months now, you’re not seeing any measurable results. Staff blame it on poor training. Why it’s important – Successful training will result in behavior change. Behavior change is needed to increase sales. What you can do – Hold people accountable for applying their training knowledge. Observe and coach after each training to make sure training leads to the desired behaviors.

“With all this talk about needing loans, I feel like we’re being asked to push products”… What it looks like – You’ve promised staff that you will never ask them to push products, but loans are down now and you really need them. Why it’s important – Success depends on the teams commitment. Goal and purpose clarity will ensure buy in and trust. What you can do – Be careful with your message. Yes we need loans. However, we will find more loans by having meaningful conversations to identify specific loan needs.

“I love to process loans, but I’m not comfortable having sales conversations”… What it looks like – Employees do not have the appropriate selling skill sets. Why it’s important – Proper skill alignment improves results, employee and team morale. What you can do – Be honest in your assessment and have the courage to recruit (and retain) the team you need to achieve the objective.

“Do as I say, not as I do”… What it looks like – Managers don’t lead by example. They press for sales results, but when they are in a position to fill in, they suck. Why it’s important – Leaders who walk the talk, inspire others to follow. Team members take sales goals more seriously and achieve more. What you can do - Don’t expect your team to do anything you are not willing to do. Find opportunities to work with them and show them what you can do.

“It’s one week before month-end, what do you mean I’m behind my goal?”… What it looks like – Sales reports are calculated manually, staff fell behind in recording their results and its close to month-end before anyone finds out. Why it’s important – Regular and consistent coaching requires that the employee and the sales coach know where they are on a daily basis. What you can do – Find ways to improve sales tracking, hold staff accountable for timely recording and make sure you take time to frequently measure the results.

“I love my Stars… They give me more time to spend with the under performers”… What it looks like – Manager spends most of his/her time coaching and observing the under performers. Very little time is spent coaching the star performers. Why it’s important – it’s unusual for consistently low performers to become stars. The yield for coaching this group is less than the exponential growth possible by spending more time with your stars. What you can do – Spend more time with your stars. Help develop them to the next level and see your results soar!

“I care about my member… I don’t want the mean lady in loans to turn them down”… What it looks like – MSR loan sales are declining for no apparent reason. Investigation reveals that the MSRs have had a lot of loan referrals turned down recently. They don’t want to recommend a loan to one of “their” members if its just going to be turned down. Why it’s important – Lots of missed opportunities, and in a highly competitive market – every single loan counts. What you can do – Help MSRs by giving them a few tools to assess potential sales opportunities and have loan staff communicate directly with the MSR. Who knows, maybe the MSR knows something that will support an approval.

Action Steps 1.Consistently observe 2.Re-communicate the WHY 3.Measure and hold people accountable

Thank You! Scott Butterfield, CUDE, CUCE, CCUE Your Credit Union Partner