Sterling Miller

Many branch employees, especially tellers, continue to feel uncomfortable with the “sales” aspect of their job, even though they know that the most critical aspect of their job function in the current economy is to sell more banking products and services to customers.

Tellers are conflicted with their role of “salesperson” for a variety of reasons:they think that customers are in the branch for a quick transaction and to get out just as quickly; they think customers don’t want to discuss their personal financial business with a teller; they feel that there is no time to “sell” while customers wait anxiously in line; they feel that selling products or services is a violation of the customers’ trust;and of course, there is the awful fear of rejection!

It is interesting to note that these same tellers when surveyed, indicate that they enjoy the feeling of satisfaction when they help a customer solve a problem, or suggest a solution, a product or service, that makes the life of the member easier.

Herein lies the conflict: tellers feel good when helping a customer solve a problem, but don’t want to come across as if they are “selling” anything to anyone. Since no financial institution can survive without its customer base using more and more services, what is the solution? How can tellers be made to feel comfortable with their very critical role in the sales process?

The fact is that tellers don’t really need “sales training”. They need an intrinsic desire to interact with members in a friendly helpful manner, the desire to help members find solutions to financial problems, some of which they don’t even know they have, by knowing the basic benefits of each product and service. Most importantly they must have the ability to identify the needs of the member quickly, prompting the member by asking simple questions or making simple observations, even while a long line waits beyond.

Tellers must be familiar with the products offered by the credit union, how they work, and how they benefit the member. Only then can they listen for and prompt cues, and respond by educating the member about benefits during the short conversations they have while handling transactions.

For example, a simple and legitimate question to ask every customer would be “Are you a homeowner?”. For every customer that answers “Yes” the teller responds “We might be able to save you some money with a refinance. We just lowered our rates.” In just a few seconds the teller learned that the customer is a homeowner, and was able to mention a product, a mortgage refinance, that could save the customer literally thousands of dollars! It even feels good! Another example would be when the teller cashes a paycheck for someone who has been waiting in line.The teller says “I’m so sorry you had to wait. We have a free service that would automatically deposit your check into your account so you would have access to your money on payday without having to wait in line. It’s easy to sign up for.” Wow!  By paying attention to the transaction and what the customer was experiencing, the teller was able to point to the benefits of Direct Deposit, and just saved the member lots of time and aggravation.

This approach to conversation and prompting, then educating members about benefits, is a significant departure from the high pressure product-oriented “sales pitch” that makes tellers and customers so uncomfortable. It takes little time, offends no one, and if the member says “No thank you”, there is little reason for the teller to feel rejected. In fact, “no” isn’t a bad thing at all – it’s a seed planted for further cultivation.

Tellers are the cornerstone to the sales process and must participate in order for any financial institution to be successful, but sales trainingi s far less important than the teller’s desire to help a customer, and their ability to act.