Cross-Selling Know How! What to Say!

Spot Opportunities; Start Conversations

Cross-selling opportunities are abundant at the branch. Be on the lookout and the “listen” for cues the customer shares and respond with prompting questions and/or benefit statements. Always express congratulations to good news, compassion or regret to tough news.  Remember to assure your customer that you are willing and able to help.  Cross-selling is about helping the customer get what they need.  Branch personnel devoted to customer service will find cross-selling expertise is just another way to take great care of the customer. Stay alert to the opportunities that come your way every day.

 

Create your own scripts so you are prepared to start conversations and respond to the needs of the customer. It is easy to help customers get their needs met when you know what to say!

·         “I just started a new job.” 

Congratulations on your new job!  If you are going to have the opportunity to roll-over a 401K from your former employer many of my customers have found our investment area very helpful.  May I introduce you to one of our specialist?

·         “My husband got a promotion and we are going to celebrate this evening.”

What good news, that is wonderful!  Promotions usually prompt a pay increase and if that is the case for your husband that is even better news. Something to think about would be to start an automatic debit from your checking account and move any addition dollars into a savings or investment product so that your family benefits long term from a pay increase.  May I show you how that works?

         “We spent last weekend looking at colleges for our son who will graduate this year.”

What excitement that must be for you and your family!  I am hearing that from several of my customers that they have children graduating this spring.  Now is an ideal time to set him up with a student account. That will give him time to practice managing a checking account and, since we don’t charge for using ATMs anywhere, that account will work for him wherever he ends up going to college.  Of course, when he is off to college you can easily add to his account if you needed to; can I introduce you to Julie so she can get that set up?

        “Our A/C went out yesterday and I am worried sick over what the expense to fix it will be.”

We specialize in putting an end to worries.  If you have the time, let me introduce you to George Williams, he could talk with you about a line of credit. If you need money, a credit line is just the ticket for circumstances just like this.  I see he is free and I would like to at least introduce you, would that work?

Get busy spotting opportunities and starting conversations, you'll find you enjoy your job more and your customers are more receptive!

Still learning,

Honey

Cross-Selling Tips for Bankers

You must always set the stage for cross-selling with excellent service and a positive image.  Start your day off with cleaning up your work area, stocking it with supplies and marketing material.  Include brochures, business cards and if you have a special offer create a tent card for your window by tastefully mounting a screen shot or newspaper ad for display. Clear picture frames make excellent props for displaying brochures or advertising. Focal points generate conversation so you will want to support any effort the company has put forth in statement stuffers, signage and advertising.

There is an old adage that goes like this “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  How you convey that you care begins with a smile. 

Be Inquisitive, Engaging and Prepared

• Appear friendly and approachable
• Introduce yourself, look them in the eye
• Use their name
• When it’s appropriate start and end on a handshake
• Pay them a sincere compliment
• Get to know them as a person
• Engage them with questions that express care and interest

“How’s your week going?”

“Tell me about your family,”

“Tell me about your work.”

“What’s new with you?”

“Have any big plans for this time of the year?”  

Put these tips to work for you and you will ace your job at the branch!   

Still learning,

Honey 

What Stage is Your Team In? Teamwork Series

The Team Handbook*, says that teams go through four predictable stages of growth as they learn to work together effectively.  Key word here is "effectively."

Stage 1:  Forming

When a team is first organized or when there is a change up in who is on the team or who leads the team, forming will be the best way to describe the team.

At this stage, team members are exploring the boundaries of acceptable group behavior and trying to establish their position and status with the team.  While being somewhat excited about the opportunity to be on a team or reorganizing a team, they may be suspicious and anxious about how everything will work.  It is perfectly normal at this stage to see little progress, as the team may complain about the purpose of the team and are inclined to get stuck in discussions that end up nowhere.  Impatience and frustration are common symptoms of members on the team in this stage.

Stage 2:  Storming

At this stage the team members are beginning to realize that the task and responsibilities of the team are different and more difficult than first imagined.  Some may become impatient with the lack of progress and begin to vocalize their ideas and resist the need to collaborate. Others might simply withdraw as discussions may start to heat up.  They are beginning to understand one another and realize how the differences in personalities, agendas and communication style are going to impact them.  Storming takes on many different faces, but it is part of the predictable process of a team trying to work together.  Sometimes a team stays in stuck in storming and has a low success rate.

Stage 3:  Norming

This is the stage when team members are accepting the individuality of each person, beginning to trust the ground rules to keep equality in the process, and realizing that competitiveness must give way to cooperation.  They begin to look forward to the contribution of the others on the team as a sense of team spirit and dedication to a common goal unfolds.  With this shift in team energy, they begin to make significant progress.

Stage 4:  Performing

Team members now have insights into personal and group processes.  They recognize, and even anticipate, how they can each contribute to the mission.  They quickly identify and resolve interpersonal communication problems.  They develop a synergy that enables rapid progress.

What stage is your team in?  Encourage and lead the team to the performing stage!  For your free copy of a Team Effectiveness Survey, email honey@interaction-training.com.

Still learning, 

Honey

*Scholtes, Peter R. and other contributors, The Team Handbook.  Madison, WI: Joiner Associates, Inc. 1988

Teamwork Series - What Kind of Team Player Are You?

What are your contributions to your team?  Do you help it function effectively or contribute to it creating havoc?  Are you the leader?  Who is the leader?  Is your team well-fed or suffering from malnutrition?

Teams that are neglected will begin to malfunction.  Soon havoc and morale issues will set in for all those on the team and can quickly spread to those that have to interface with a dysfunctional team.  What shape is your team in?  Are you working at helping the team succeed or are you a bystander?  What do people on the team say about you?  How would you rate yourself at teamwork?

Signs your team is in trouble include:

Nagging

Judging

Sarcasm

Complaining/Criticizing

Blaming

Backbiting

No Accountability

Maybe you have a ringleader or member on the team that just can’t let something go or frequently uses sarcasm.  Scapegoating or blaming others is an ideal way for a troublemaker to take the focus and shift it to someone else. 

“Confrontation simply means meeting the truth head-on.”  Coach Mike Krzyzewski

Do your part!  Become a quality contributor and play a key role in the team working well together. Check out the following if you want to play for a great team!

Keep it real - What's the purpose of this team?

Have a compelling direction - What's the vision?  What are we trying to do?

What's the game plan? - Who is to do what?  Where are the limits and boundaries?

Where is the top of the food chain in all this? - How does the company encourage and model teamwork?

Can leadership lead?  Who has the whistle?  Can team members follow? - Who's the coach?  How supportive are you about coaching or being coached?

Still learning,

Honey

Money Matters for the Teller!

There are many key disciplines when it comes to handling money.  Here are just a few...

All currency in the teller’s possession should be face-up, appear orderly and stored neatly.

When purchasing currency, the teller should verify the purchase immediately turn the strap or replace it with a new strap, stamp the strap with his or her teller stamp, and initial it.  All strapped currency in the possession of a teller should have the purchasing teller's initials and dated teller stamp on the up side of the strap. In order to prevent misuse, it is important all used currency straps be torn in two.

The teller's cash handling responsibilities begin anew daily.  Starting with the moment the teller takes possession of the cash and right up to the point the money is returned to safekeeping at the end of the day.  A best practice is for the teller to start the day counting and recording the cash drawer validating the drawer is intact. 

If interrupted during counting, stop and start again.  It's better to take the extra minute than to shortchange or overpay someone.

Avoid making unnecessary conversation when counting cash or preparing a cashier’s check.  Discipline is important to avoid being distracted during the counting steps.

Ask customers to count large amounts of cash before they leave the window. As an added precaution, follow procedures for having customers sign for large amounts of cash, to indicate receipt of the money.

Handling currency and coin in a consistent and professional manner assures the work is simplified and the chance of error is reduced. Equally important, tellers develop the skill to concentrate on both the transaction and the customer.

Ace all audits by following proper procedures and being consistent.  Email me, honey@interaction-training.com for your free copy of the Audit Checklist for Tellers.

Still learning,

Honey

Well Done is Rare!

How many people do you meet that really love what they do?  Seek out people who love what they do and that love where they work.  Interview them; ask lots of questions about what they do, why they love the job they have and the place where they work. Learn all you can from those that have what you want to have.  Maybe right now is the time for you to take stock of what you want, what you are willing to do to get it and get busy building a plan to accomplish what it is you would most like to do.

Due to a variety of circumstances and key factors such as education, opportunity abundance and location some of us have an advantage over others but loving what you do and where you do it is completely up to you.  Employers that want to attract and retain exceptional and productive workers are constantly evaluating what they need to have in place to encourage people to pursue being highly satisfied.  No doubt, this type of employer is rare - as rare as the employee that is pursuing what they love to do.

Become rare!  Don't waste another day refusing to take charge of your thinking and your actions.  If you need to work somewhere else build an extraordinary reputation where you are while you hunt for the right spot.  If you aren't appreciated at work become the most satisfied person that isn't appreciated you've ever met while you are seeking a place to work that can do a better job at appreciating others.

Discover where your passion is and pursue excelling at it. You won't love or even like every aspect of what you need to do to ultimately do a job you derive high satisfaction from. Maturity is about understanding you can't have it all but you can come very close. Wisdom is about understanding life, including work, is what you make of it. At times it will require relentless pursuit to obtain happiness; at times it will just seem like a breeze. Happiness and satisfaction are not for sissies.  Very much like the tide both roll in and roll out. Faith is knowing it will roll back in again.  

Don't wait to be happy.  Don't put off being satisfied with where you are.  Make a list of what you have to be grateful for every day.  Look around to see who you can say a prayer for or seek out someone that needs a smile.  Work at getting your mind off of topics that poison your spirit.  Foster kindness and courtesy by demonstrating it at least 10 times each day.  Let up on putting off being happy and satisfied.  Laugh more.  Add 10 acts of kindness on your to do list today.  Consider the law of the boomerang and realize what an amazing return on your investment is coming your way.  

Explore who you are, where your talents lie, learn all you can and deliver more than is expected.  Champion life!  Become dedicated to doing your best to earn respect while you earn your paycheck.  Build muscle around being happy and satisfied where you are now. In our culture we are brainwashed that you need more of this and that in order to be happy.  Look around and you will see abundance without gratitude is not happiness.

The pursuit of happiness at home, at work, at life is exciting, it's hard, it's disappointing, and it’s a joy.  Look what the caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly. 

This business of life and work can be a conviction of love or one of disgust.  It’s a choice.  What will you choose?

Still learning,

Honey

Customer Service Reality Check

Have you ever noticed that some things seem so clear from the outside, yet from within, things become cloudy and confused? We often see this in politics, when we accuse—often with good reason—elected officials for being “out of touch with reality”. What seems like common sense to us just doesn't seem to filter into that bubble.

Bad customer service is almost ALWAYS a result of being out of touch with customer reality. It's really quite simple; and perhaps even too simple to grasp, since we're often in search of complicated answers to complicated problems.  Here's the insight to memorize:

Customers like to be treated

like they matter to you!

Do have an automated recording telling customers that their call is important to you—so important that you keep telling them this over and over that by the time they reach 10 minutes on hold, it actually becomes insulting for them to be told that they're important—when they obviously aren't?

Is your team trained to actually listen and find out what the problem is and what solution the customer would like, before they try and “resolve the situation”?  Learn how to provide training that will make a difference with my Training That Sticks workshop that is now available on CD-ROM.

Do you have a checklist of all of the things that you personally loathe about customer service?  Become committed to behaviors that ensure you excel at customer service and become very focused on the behaviors you want to eradicate from the workplace.  Send me your list of each one!

Still learning,

Honey