What to do about employees that have opportunities to do referrals but they just aren’t. Everyone agrees that an approach that is passive, “do nothing” unless the client asks for it is not only bad for sales, it’s also bad service.
For the coach who is inspecting what they expect, the signs and symptoms of order-taking are easy to spot: They don’t get many referrals, loan file reviews show off-book business with no discussion notes, or we hear conversations that should (but don’t) lead to exploring unmet needs or dissatisfactions with a competitor.
As a coach, when we see order-taking, the first thing we need to determine is what is behind the behavior. We need to find out if it is a “Why” or a “How” that is holding them back.
If it is a “Why” then they don’t understand why it is important to be proactive. What’s missing is the core philosophy: Good Sales = Good Service. If we can connect the dots for them between being proactive and solving problems being good service then we can help them see the light. No one wants to give bad service. Ignoring potential client needs, dissatisfactions, goofy banking behavior, or insufficient financial planning has therefore got to be bad service. If we frame everything we want them to do as good client service it is really hard for them to say they don’t want to do it!
If it is a “How” then what they lack is knowledge, technique, or confidence. We need to coach spotting the opportunities (what to look for) and asking good questions (what to ask). The quick interview sequence gives them the structure to make it quick, conversational, and all about client needs. Everyone agrees that the only way to get proficient at these skills is through training, coaching, and practice (role-play).
So what if they know the “Why and “How” but still aren’t doing it? Here are a few possibilities:
- It is less work and easier to be transactional than proactive. Nobody wants to think that a staff member might be lazy. As a coach, the level of your expectations of them will set the level for acceptable activity. It is just human nature so set your minimum expectation higher.
- They may be order taking due to the “un-training cycle”. Left alone following training, new skills will be constantly worn down by interaction with the public. Coaching is that never-ending activity that holds back skill deterioration and advances proficiency.
- The “not enough time” excuse. Are they really saying that they don't have enough time to provide the best service for your clients? Or that they’ll only give their best service when they're not too busy? When is the next time they will see them? – especially if it is a loan situation. When we hear the “no time” excuse we need to hear what they are really saying: “I’m not skilled enough at the Quick Interview Sequence”. We need to help them develop proficiency to quickly get that potential additional need out in the open, figure out if they want to do something about it, set up the next step, and get back to the main reason for the visit. Practice, practice, practice.
- The misperception that we have already asked most of them for the business and we don’t want to offend them. The only way we can offend is if our conversations are “product focused” not Client focused.” No-one will get tired of us looking out for them and asking about: making them more money, saving them money, making their lives more convenient, providing security, and helping them get things they want.
- When you see staff that are order taking begin coaching by figuring out if it is a “why” or a “how” that is stopping them. Fill the skill or knowledge gap then hold them accountable for change.
Accountability comes from:
Expectation – Do they know what you expect?
Communication – Have they been trained and coached on the “How” and “Why”?
Observation – Inspect what we expect. Measure progress.
Correction – Coach on the fly and with file reviews.
Celebration – Cheer success.