Customer Corner

DOES THE WORD "SALES" STRIKE TERROR INTO YOUR HEART?
You probably do not consider yourself a salesperson. There may be a couple of reasons for you to feel this way.

You may have a poor image of sales personnel (fast talking, wise-cracking, high pressure types). Or you may not be familiar with the skills necessary to succeed as a sales person.

Selling is a team effort, and we must be in constant training both in the branch and in operations in order to be successful. Everything we do, whether on the front line or behind the scenes, leaves a lasting impression on customers about our service and our products.

The banking environment differs from traditional selling because customers are buying a product (e.g. checking account, savings certificate) with little, if any, emotional appeal.

Let's face it, a new dining room set, or a Disney World vacation has much more glamour than the compound interest of a savings certificate.

People buy our services when we are able to win their trust. Money and finance are confusing to most people, and the news about our industry today makes them distrustful and even more confused.

The savings and loan crisis, mergers, poor earnings reports, and other financial news items make for a perplexed and annoyed customer.

Customers are looking for advice from their bankers, and if they don't get it, they'll find someone who will give them the information they need. Today's customers realize that there are a variety of alternatives in the financial marketplace.

However, we, as bankers, still have the best opportunity to satisfy customers because of our numerous personal contacts, mainly with tellers and service representatives. It is this personal contact, this feeling of being appreciated, that is the difference between keeping customers or losing them.

Customers appreciate bankers who care !

We all interact with many people each day in a variety of situations. We will repeat experiences that make us feel good. The essence of selling is understanding that people want to feel good about what they do.

"I BOUGHT" or "YOU SOLD ME" ?"
Smart sales people understand that a satisfied customer states "I bought" (their decision to purchase was ego-satisfying).

On the other hand, the customer who does not feel good about a purchase states "you sold me" (its the salesperson's fault if the product is not right or doesn't perform properly.)

We have a variety of products to offer our customers, and we have fancy brochures and product knowledge reference material for all of them to help in our selling.

But there is one very essential element not found in all this material-the attitude of caring for people.

'Sales culture' may be the new buzzword for today's competitive marketplace, but a 'caring culture' is needed before most sales will take place.

"CARE" IS A FOUR LETTER WORD that should be used often when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Take time to care, and you have completed the first step of being a successful sales person. Your interest and the way you care about the customer's well-being is the difference between you and the competition.

They might not remember all the details of the product you just sold them, but they will remember you, and the way their business was appreciated by you. In caring, you not only sell the product (i.e. savings account, CD, etc.), you also sell yourself. And THAT will guarantee you a happy, satisfied customer.

This is the first article of a sales and marketing feature that will appear periodically in Bankers' Hotline. The ideas, concepts and observations presented will apply to both "front line" personnel and "back office" types.

Copyright © 1990 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 1, No. 5, 5/90