Banking Moments of Truth, Session 6

In the five previous Moments of Truth we briefly overviewed the basic concept of Moments of Truth, and the specific Moments of Truth of “who’s calling?” and “may I tell ( name ) who’s calling”, listening to our tellers and CSR’s, cross Serving as opposed to cross-Selling, and returning phone calls.

Today we emphasize a “time” Moment of Truth that should occur during our first 30 awake minutes of each day, or during the last 30 minutes before we go to bed: Making, and prioritizing, a “to do” list!

It’s a proven fact: the vast majority of people who make daily “to do” lists, and refer to them daily, accomplish far more than those who don’t. It just keeps us focused on doing the important things, not just the easy things! Will you accomplish everything on your list every day? No! Will you accomplish more if you work off a list? Absolutely!!!

A few quick tips: At least initially, limit yourself to a maximum of ten “to do” things on your daily list. Then beside each one, put an “A”,
“B”, or “C”, with “A” being the most important. Then rank each “A” as A1, A2, A3, etc. Try to have no more than four things on your “A” list. Now, the real key: since you’ve determined that the “A” list items are the most important, do A1 first, A2, second, A3 third, etc....and don’t do “B” and “C” things ’till the “A” list is done! If you only get your “A” list done, you’re way ahead of your “no list” competitors!

Making a “to do” list and following it as closely as you practically can. It’s the proven habit that helps you achieve your personal and bank goals. If you’d like more no cost, no obligation thoughts on “to do”
AND “to delegate” lists, call me at 615-477-2420, or contact me through our website.

Banking Moments of Truth, Session 5

Moments of Truth...small things which can have a large impact, positively or negatively. We’ve already overviewed four of them, and today we’ll add a fifth one to our brief discussions.

Someone calls you on the phone, but you’re in a meeting, with a customer, out of the office, or tied up in some way. They leave a number with someone in your office, or on your voicemail, for you to call them back. They don’t know how busy you are, that the bank examiners are in the bank, that tomorrow is Board meeting day...or whatever. They just want you to call them back. He or she may logically realize that you’re busy, but emotionally to the person leaving a call back number, calling them back is the most important thing you have to do today!

So what do you do if the whole day has rushed by and its time to go home and you have a stack of calls to return? You know the answer. Perhaps its a quick call to thank them for calling, and setting up a time for a longer time to talk, or calling and leaving a message that you’ve been tied up all day but that you’ll call them back in the morning. Then making a note to yourself to call them back in the morning....and calling them back the next morning.

I could go on and on, but the message is clear: never leave for the day without at least making an attempt to call back everyone who has left a message for you to call. Will you always be able to do that? Probably not. But openly and honestly trying your best to do that puts you way ahead of most of the competition with this important Moment of Truth.

Banking Moments of Truth, Session 4

Today we’ll briefly discuss another Moment of Truth...those small things which can have a large effect, positively or negatively, on our customers and potential customers. Today’s subject revolves around defining and practicing what I refer to as “Cross-Serving”, instead of “Cross-Selling.” I’ll only briefly overview it here, but if you’d like to discuss it in more depth at no cost or obligation, e-mail me or contact me by phone at your convenience. I’ll be delighted to help.

Cross-Serving represents an attitude centered around helping the customer or prospect. Cross-Selling in banking is focusing on products and services the bank wants to sell more than focusing on what the customer or prospect really wants or needs! There is a huge difference. When we and our staffs remember to ask ourselves, “What services do we offer that would really benefit (customer or prospect name)”, we’ve taken the right first step. Step 2 is a simple check of CIF to brief us on the services, if any, the person currently has with our bank. CIF also logically clues us to many services the person doesn’t have with us.

Cross-Serving is not bank focused. It is customer focused. And, the customer or prospect can tell the difference instantly! It’s the difference between trying to force a drink of water on someone, and asking a thirsty person in the desert if they’d like a cold drink of water!

Cross-Serving. Something you and your staff can learn to do that the customer or prospect will genuinely appreciate.

Banking Moments of Truth, Session 3

This session on banking Moments of Truth briefly overviews one element under the broad heading of, “ Listening.” In future sessions we’ll overview other subjects under this heading.

In many banks the group in banking that management least tends to solicit input from, and listen to, is its tellers and CSR’s. These key staffers often see and talk with more customers daily than management sees and talks with in a week or a month. Plus, customers tend to open up to tellers and CSR’s about their likes and dislikes more than they tend to open up to management. As we recommend programs to banks to not only train their tellers and CSR’s, but also to actively seek their input, we occasionally get comments from management that focused efforts to seek teller and CSR comments would only end up in “ gripe” sessions!

In working with tellers and CSR’s for years, we can emphatically say that nothing could be further from the truth! As a group, tellers and CSR’s are dedicated to the bank and helping it succeed , and giving them opportunities to input is sincerely appreciated and effective for the bank. You may be able to initiate and develop these programs on your own, but if you need help, get it from us or from someone else you know can help. Soliciting input from your tellers and CSR’s. It’s a listening Moment of Truth that is much too important to delay acting upon!

Banking Moments of Truth, Session 2

Moments of Truth. Moments which may seem like small moments, but which can positively or negatively influence big decisions. In my last message I briefly referenced a Moment of Truth that happened to my wife and myself at a restaurant. Today I’ll throw out another Moment of Truth in the first of a series of Moments of Truth which happen every day in banking.

Someone calls the bank or a department in the bank, and asks to speak to (name). The telephone response from some bank employees is to simply ask, “Who’s calling?” What does that response mean to the customer or prospect calling the bank? Research tells us that many people have little or no positive or negative response. It also tells us that more than a small percentage of callers have the mental response that, “ If I’m the right person calling, I’ll get to speak to (name), if I’m not, I won’t get to speak to him/her.” Should the caller have that somewhat negative reaction to the bank staffer’s response? Probably not. Do many of them have it? Absolutely! It’s a Moment of Truth.

So what should the telephone responder say when the caller asks to speak to someone. Research tells us that the simple response, “ May I tell (name) who’s calling?”rarely evokes a negative response, and often evokes a positive one. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it’s a positive Moment of Truth.

Banking Moments of Truth

In banking, we deal with all sorts of regulations, policies, procedures, and systems. Some of these we can manage and control, others we cannot. Dealing with complex banking challenges tends to make us overlook simple things we can more easily control that are very important. In these brief comments, I’ll overview a subject, and in subsequent comments, I’ll develop it with specifics.

What are “Moments of Truth?” They are things which may seem small, but things which influence big decisions. To illustrate, I’ll start with an example away from banking. Several months ago after a Sunday morning church service, my wife and I went to a nice local restaurant for lunch. When we went inside, the hostess, with an expression on her face that said we were interrupting, looked up and said, “We don’t open for lunch for ten minutes.” We sat down in the waiting area, but we didn’t feel as welcome as we should have felt.

Perhaps the hostess felt bad. Or was rushed. Or whatever. But whatever her problem was, it should have been put aside when we came in. How much more welcome would we have felt if she had said something like, “Thanks for coming in. We open for lunch in about 10 minutes, but if you’ll have a seat in our waiting area, we’ll seat you as quickly as possible.” She might even have offered us a cup of coffee. It was a “ Moment of Truth “ opportunity that should have been handled better.

Banking “Moments of Truth.” We’ll be covering them in the next few messages.

To Quota or Not To Quota?

Today I was working on some updated guidelines for a bank's out-of-the-bank sales calling and contacting program. This client bank, an excellent bank and one of the best managed and top performing banks in his state and region, still faces the challenges many banks face of maintaining a constant, consistent, and effective sales contacting presence in the community.

Why is that? Is it time...or the need for better time management by his staff...or the need to set calling and contacting quotas....or something else? It could be one or more of these, or the challenge could be there for a variety of other reasons. In this particular bank's case, the CEO has wisely taken the time to really look closely at his staff to ascertain the things his particular staff needs to do to achieve the results his bank wants. And the bottom line is that it is really beginning to work! We are privileged to work with him and his staff in this effort.

How closely are you examining your staff to determine the specific things it needs to do in your calling and other efforts? Every bank, every staff is as unique as a fingerprint. There are no canned solutions. But the solutions are there to be found, and those solutions may be solutions that are unique to your bank. That's one of the exciting challenges banks face. And the solutions are even more exciting than the challenges! It may be to use quotas...it may not. But whatever it is, if its right for your bank, the desired results will likely follow.....