The excuse acceptor is no better than the excuse maker
Whether your community bank currently has a cross-selling and incentive plan or you’re beginning the process, one thing will remain constant… Excuses! Oddly enough, you’ll even hear excuses from “sales” departments like commercial lending, mortgage lending and Investment Services. Our experience shows that at the beginning stages of a cross-selling and incentive plan, about 30% of your employees will get on board and will be excited about the process. About 30% will work behind the scenes to tear down what you’re trying to build. The rest will wait it out to see who wins. During this time you’ll need to box in the 70% that aren’t on board and you start by tracking results (not activity) and understanding the litany of ridiculous excuses that will be coming your way. Pay attention to the excuses because you’ll quickly recognize the 30% of your employees that are actively going against your culture.
The following is a list of actual excuses for not cross-selling or being remarkable we hear on a weekly basis…
1. We’re short-staffed
Just because your branch is really busy on the last day of the month at 2pm on a Friday doesn’t mean you’re short-staffed. It just means you had a busy day and one that should have been expected and prepared for. Never forget the fact that banks have security cameras. If you get this excuse, try viewing the video to see what’s really going on in the branch. Invite the excuse maker to watch it with you just for laughs.
2. The weather/traffic/sick kids/dog sick
The point here is anyone that doesn’t want to do their job (yes, cross-selling should be part of the job) is going to find lame excuses if you keep buying into them. When hearing these excuses, you probably have an employee that lacks the mental capacity to think of something more believable. Consider cutting ties with this employee for simply not coming up with something more believable and creative.
3. Holiday time (summer, spring break, groundhog day, etc.)
We’ve heard for years that our customers are not doing any new banking business right now because it’s summer and the kids are out of school or they are about to go on vacation or it’s Christmas and they’re spending their money on gifts. There’s always a holiday or season that some will explain away as a reason for no cross-sells. The reality is that these seasons and holidays often create some of the best opportunities for cross-selling.
4. We need more training
They might be right because we can all use more training. But the real question is… do they have enough training? The answer is typically, yes. If the employee is personally using the bank’s products and services then they have enough training. If they’re not doing their personal business with your bank, then you have more serious issues than this excuse. Find out why they don’t want to bank with the bank they work for.
5. I don’t know anyone
Unless this employee has no family, friends or acquaintances then you just have an employee that has become really lazy in thinking of good excuses. Again, reason enough to cut ties.
6. My customers have everything they need
This employee had just admitted that he has no clue who his customers are. Ask him to list his top 10 customers in 3 minutes or less and then tell you their spouse’s name, kids names, what the customer does for a living or did before retiring, give a little information on the family situation and tell you about the customer’s hobbies or interest. If he can’t do this then he doesn’t know his customers and can’t seriously make this excuse. If a loan officer tells you this, pull her last 10 closed loan files and see how many of these customers have their checking and other personal business with the bank. That could get interesting!
7. I cross-sell… I just don’t track it because it’s my job
An effective cross-sell program will pay incentives. Tell this employee that the bank will happily not pay an incentive for her cross-sells, but you still want to track them. Attitudes usually change pretty quickly or she might just jump to excuse #8.
8. I don’t agree with cross-selling
He can disagree with it all he wants but he still has to do it. Talk to this employee about an attitude change, a philosophy change or an employment change. If your bank has a cross-sell program, opting out should never be allowed.
9. We need better training (see #4… they keep moving the bar)
We agree, some banks do need better training, but the reality remains the same in this case. This employee is just making stuff up to avoid cross-selling. This employee is an order-taker and a check collector. He just wants to come in, get paid and leave. He doesn’t care about your bank or your success as a manager or leader. It’s time for a change.
10. We need better brochures
Track it
