Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Sales

When I started my career here at Verity I had no aspirations of getting into sales. My conception of salesmen was not a flattering one. Pushy, money hungry, and self-serving were the dominate traits I pinned on salespeople, as had been my experience with many. The good salespeople that I encountered went unnoticed, mainly because they did not fit my paradigm. To me they were customer service reps., just doing what they could to help me find what it was I wanted, and not trying to push something I didn’t. Little did I know these people were at the top of their profession; selling people what they needed and not scaring them away by being too aggressive.
It wasn’t until I began working as a teller at Verity, and giving our members advice on the most advantageous accounts for them, that I discovered that sales can be a noble profession. Gaining knowledge of all the accounts we offer is something that is stressed to all of our tellers and with that knowledge tellers are encouraged to inform members of the best accounts for their unique situation. I found that this was an area I excelled in, and best of all I’m proud of the advise I give members. Recommending a money market account to a member who has thousands of dollars in a savings account is in the best interest of that member; their money has the same liquidity as a savings account, but earns almost twice the interest.
My accomplishments did not go unnoticed, and in less than a year I was promoted to Relationship Associate. Now my main responsibility is to open accounts for current and new members. By asking member’s questions about what characteristics of an account are most important to them and then suggesting an appropriate account, I am providing a beneficial service and always feel great about helping people maximize their banking experience.

1 Comments:

Blogger Trey Reeme said...

I've never heard of the position of Relationship Associate in any financial institution - what a great call!

You're right - people don't want to be sold; they want to make good decisions and see their options - advice that can only be given as part of a relationship (and not a sales pitch).

There's a pretty good book out there called "Moving the Sale Forward" - it's about building relationships in a non-salesy sort of way. If someone walks away from you without taking the MMA over the Savings Account, I doubt you're kicking yourself, saying, "I lost a sale." You've done all you can to educate your member and let them choose for him/herself.

Great post, Joe! As a reformed salesperson myself, I know that building relationships withouth the stress of "sell, sell, sell" leads to a good night's sleep.

Wed Sep 20, 10:32:00 AM PDT  

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