3 Ways To Get More New Prospect Calls From Calling Officers
by Rick Wemmers, BOL Guru
The American banking industry is becoming more and more competitive in part due to the new need of having to capture new small business accounts. These are the accounts that can best absorb the new fees most banks will have to start implementing.
Our Bank Officer Call Program continues to work for banks across America. I'd like to give the key ingredients so you might try them for your bank.
First it is important to identify those officers who have the courage to make outside bank cold prospect calls. If you don't know how to identify them use one of the professional sales assessment tools for a quick answer. Assemble them and share the following:
Tell them to stop "selling" and start "helping" prospects. Most bankers want to help people/businesses more than sell them. While it may seem minor, we're seeing that changing this simple term helps reluctant bankers make more cold calls. Send them out to find "problems to solve."
Ask your officers to identify 5 new high-quality prospects and make five personal visits during the next 14 days without taking any bank literature or trying to sell the bank. They are to just ask 3 questions (about the prospect's business/industry) and that's it. NO SELLING. When reluctant people are asked by their boss to just ask for information and not sell, the pressure is off. It is also good to have each officer take a news item about the prospect's business as a "crutch". This can often be found on the Internet.
Initiate a 'call tracking form' and report selling activities of all participants. This is good accountability but also helps with achieving positive end results.
Don't double team on prospect calls. This is usually done to help dilute the fears and hesitations about making sales calls. It also 'scares' the prospect and usually doesn't give a good reaction.
Make sure the bank CEO is fully involved. Without this the end results will certainly be disappointing.
Put someone in charge who can coach the calling officers through their fears and disappointments…..which will come. This person will hopefully have some formal training on how to coach others.
This action program may sound too simple to work but I can give you many banks that have done just this and been really surprised at the positive results. If you'd like to discuss any of the above just contact me for a free consultation.
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