Independent Banker - May 2018 - 58

10 TIPS
FOR SMARTER
CROSS-SELLING
Throw your sales goals out the window. Help customers get what they want,
and your bottom line will take care of itself. By Beth Mattson-Teig
Cross-selling strategies are evolving as community banks work to connect with customers both
in person and online.
Many community bankers agree on the strategies that don't work: aggressive, high-pressure sales
tactics. The focus should be on having a conversation with customers, figuring out what they want
and making sure they get it, says Robin McDougald, a senior vice president and retail manager at
$1 billion-asset Texas First Bank, which is based in Texas City, Texas. " [The goal] is not to sell them
things they don't need just to meet a number. We focus on our customers' needs, and cross-selling is
a byproduct of doing what is best for them. "
Savvy community banks also recognize that declining foot traffic in branches means more crossselling
needs to take place in other channels. " Too many banks still sit back and wait for the customer
to walk in the door, and that doesn't work today, " says Lynn A. David, president of Community Bank
Consulting Services Inc., which has offices in St. Louis, Mo., and Midway City, Utah.
Here are 10 ways to help your team hone its cross-selling strategies.
1.
Practice with role playing
Take the initiative to talk to customers and ask questions. " Customers are coming into the
branch less and less. So, when they do, it is a golden opportunity to talk with them about
their financial needs, " says Sally A. Peters, president of Denver-based SA Peters Marketing and
Consulting Inc. Staff should fully understand all of the bank's products and services so they can
engage customers in a productive conversation, and recommend products and services that will help
them reach their financial goals.
Confidence and ease are key traits in staff members leading these conversations. " It all boils down
to communication and having the skills and the knowledge, " says Peters.
To improve communication skills, staff should practice conversations, role playing different
58 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q May 2018
Illustration: John Devolle

Independent Banker - May 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - May 2018

Table of Contents
Independent Banker - May 2018 - Intro
Independent Banker - May 2018 - Cover1
Independent Banker - May 2018 - Cover2
Independent Banker - May 2018 - Table of Contents
Independent Banker - May 2018 - 2
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Independent Banker - May 2018 - Cover3
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