Build a Results-Oriented Small Business Community Bank Sales Team!

A One-Day Role Playing Workshop

Here are some of the problems community bankers report to us about their small business calling program and what account officers experience in their efforts to get results both in retaining existing customers and converting prospects to customers:

1. They are uncomfortable when making business development calls.
2. They are having difficulty in finding prospects or making appointments.
3. They don’t have or can’t find time to make calls.
4. They make ineffective sales presentations (because they don’t close the deal).
5. Prospects and customers put off the banker in making a decision to buy another service or make a change in their current banking relationship.

What is the reason you hear when you ask why you are not doing a better job in keeping business or getting new business?

Here’s a five-step process than may help you to get more results when your officers make business development calls:

Step 1:

Profile and interview calling officers to determine what is holding them back. We have found the following statements to be true:

1. People tend to buy from salespeople who have behavioral styles similar to their own.
2. Salespeople tend to sell to customers who have a behavioral style similar to their own.
3. Salespeople who aware of their own behavioral style and learn to “blend” with their customer’s style are able to increase their sales results.

In determining an officer, customer, or prospect’s behavioral profile the first step is to determine if they are more direct (active and outgoing) or indirect (reserved).

If they are more direct, are they more competitive and dealing (then they are a “D” with a dominance need), or are they are more talkative and interactive (then they are an “I” with an interacting need)?

If they are more indirect, then determine if they are more listening and doing (then they are a “S” with a steadiness need) or are more observing and thinking (then they are a “C” with a cautiousness need).

Step 2:

Provide training on the fundamentals of business development. Training that will in part teach them:

1. How to prospect for new and potential business customers.
2. How to make specific objectives for each call.
3. How to identify customer and prospect needs through interviewing techniques.
4. How to undertake negotiations to close the sale.

Step 3:

Prepare and inspect the sales efforts:

1. Identify what size businesses the Bank wants to target.
2. Does the Bank have the right products to serve the target market?
3. Develop prospect and customer call lists – remember the “10 most wanted in each category” and publicize them!
4. Set goals and develop a measurement system.
5. Hold the individual officers accountable.
6. Install an automated contact management system like “ACT! 2000”.
7. Monitor for results – praise success and counsel failure!

Step 4:

Set up a mentoring program – either in-house (if qualified mentors are available) or by hiring an outside company who will:

1. Assist the individuals with letter writing to obtain appointments.
2. Assist the individuals with call planning and follow-up.
3. Assist the individuals with writing proposals to obtain business.
4. Continue the training process by providing experience and weekly “hand holding” until each officer is comfortable with the process.
5. Work with individuals to set up and maintain their contact management system.

Step 5:

Review, encourage, and continue to be involved in the success of the program by doing the following:

1. Hold weekly sales meetings.
2. Review results by individual officers.
3. Review current pipeline by individual officers.
4. Have each officer discuss the top prospects they are going to call on during the next week.
5. Have officers review their calling experiences from the previous week.
6. Continue training as needed.

Identify the 6 keys to a successful program

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