employee training

“Not a problem,” the customer service person said to me on the phone as we were wrapping up my transaction. What!? Not a problem? For who—you!? Wait a minute. Who is the customer here?

Here you are: Sensational Mr. or Ms. Business Person. But the sad truth is, if your company is selling a product or service, it's probably viewed by customers as a commodity they can get anywhere.

Have you put off planning, budgeting and—dare I say it—dreaming? If so, you’re probably working too much in the business and not enough on the business.

Don't wait for a crisis. Plan now.

It’s an all-too-common malady: sales are flabby or fundraising goals are lagging, so leadership determines that a fresh new ad campaign is just the thing to make everything right.

When we start asking questions to diagnose the situation, we often discover something else: an internal problem.

Mergers and acquisitions are increasingly commonplace in the financial industry. So if your institution is joining or acquiring another, what do you do to ensure a perfectly blended culture that leads to consistent brand and customer experience at all branches?

Look no further than the '70s-era TV show, the Brady Bunch for inspiration. Here are 3 takeaways you can use to get started.

There’s a lot of talk about how retailing—and other traditional business—is dead. And there’s much hand-wringing and complaining about how those big online giants are unfairly hurting brick-and-mortar businesses. 

While some of this pressure on physical locations is unavoidable, many retailers are driving their customers right into the arms of their online competitors.

The starlet (insert name) was stunningly beautiful—until she opened her mouth and became a devastating disappointment to her fans. Her foot will be removed from her mouth with the help of a good PR agent.

Branders: it’s harder for you. You have numerous people who can make your brand look dazzling—or like Hollywood’s biggest trainwreck.

Or have you gotten used to me? Every employee at every institution should be sniffing out new ways to help me as a customer—and build the business.

I recently visited a bank that is making a deliberate shift to a sales culture.

A bank president recently told me he lets safe deposit box rent renewal notices slide because he hates to bug people over something so small, and he wants to be nice.

It made me wonder whether he’s nice or just afraid to risk irritating a customer over a relatively small fee.

You may think that because your website is updated and your new video takes your customers’ breath away that your brand refresh is spotless.

Employee behavior contrary to your brand promise will soil your brand overnight.

Watch any company’s recruitment video these days and you’re likely to see a foosball table, an espresso bar and a workout room. You may be wondering if you need those to attract great employees, too.

While games and fancy coffee are nice “extras,” they’re not the foundation of your culture. There are better ways to cultivate a winning internal brand.

Be honest: have you ever heard an employee (sincerely) say “OH cool—I’m so excited!” when you announced a staff retreat? For many, the thought of a day away from the office stuffed into a conference room to plan sounds like as much fun as a root canal.

Amazon Chairman Jeff Bezos has famously said, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

If you take this to heart, you need to understand all the people who talk about you when you’re not in the room.

Occasionally a slip-up can make your brand look bruised. More than one can make it smell rotten. Your competitors may find it as entertaining as a Marx Brothers sketch. You won't.

Here are some trouble spots to look out for—and what to do about them.

You're heard the expression "practice makes perfect." Esteemed music professionals will tell you a better motto is "practice makes permanent."  

Here are their words of wisdom for bankers who want their business to perform like rockstars.

Many community bankers struggle with getting all of their staffers to feel confident with business development. That’s because staffers are afraid of the *S* word.

Don’t tell them to SELL, teach them to LISTEN.

Use our “Business and Baby” rule as your internal rallying cry.

If you ever put your car in drive with your parking brake engaged, the car lets you know it right away. Ignore the warning at your own peril.

You know not to do it to your car. So why let it happen to your brand?

The moniker “teller” has been around in banking since time immemorial. And while it may feel comfortable to you, it sends unintended messages. It positions banker relationships as one-sided—with the bankers holding all the power—and the customer taking what’s doled out.

You can be better. Here are 3 ways to get started:

Old school sales guys will tell you sales is just a numbers game. Get enough prospects into the funnel and they’ll dump out X% of customers at the bottom. Easy.

News flash, Herb Tarlek: your lack of a system is as outdated as your plaid polyester coat.

Marketers are spending a lot of time talking about the customer journey. We’re not hearing the same talk about the employee journey, and that’s a shame. Because the customer journey with your brand will be bumpy at best if the employee journey isn’t thoughtfully mapped out and put into action first.

Last week, a hot, tired delivery man came into our office with some much-needed supplies. He delivered more than just packages. He delivered angry, ugly opinions about someone else’s brand.

Soon, Girl Scout Cookie Time will return. Over the years you’ve come to expect—and thoroughly enjoy—your purchase experience. Whether your favorite is Thin Mints or Samoas, you might think the cookies are a little pricey. And you also think they’re worth every indulgent bite.

Many organizations have spent a significant amount of time thinking—and talking—about what they will do.

“We will deliver excellent service every time,” or “we will always be at the forefront of innovation.”

But what won’t you do?