By Robin Kolvek
Without question, the sales industry has changed immeasurably in the last decade.
Remember the good ole days when you simply had to hide in the kitchen until the pesky Kirby rep vacated your front steps? Ah, seems like yesterday.
Now you’re forced to hide all those targeted online ads that look, well, exactly like that vacuum you’ve been eyeballing. How did they know?!
Big data has empowered the sales, marketing and advertising industries with a wealth of information about their prospective buyers. Not only do they know who you are and what you shop for, but they can analyze your behavior patterns to predict what future actions you will take. Large corporations can easily justify (and absorb) the upfront investment in expensive analytics software because it clearly pays a healthy dividend.
You see, the artistry of “salespersonship” is not dead, despite what some may believe. Sales is engrained deeply in the credit union industry at every level, from member service all the way to the boardroom. CEOs don’t cut deals or forge strategic partnerships by dumb luck—they’ve learned to position themselves so well that prospects don’t even know they’re being sold. They’re salespersons of the highest order.
The Mastery Behind Sales Masters
These sales masters don’t seek out one-off opportunities or flash-in-the-pan wins; they look at members and wonder how they can help create real long-term value, not a fleeting emotion. They work to build trust and, in turn, great reputations by delivering consistently on their promises. Their skill sets did not manifest overnight, but rather are akin to compound interest, growing exponentially over time.
The key to their success can be traced to early mentorship by effective sales managers and CUSO leaders in an environment geared toward collective success and prosperity. They learned early on that their motto must be, “When the members win, we win.” They don’t over-manage, under-lead or solely focus on bottom-line numbers. Rather, they strive to build enduring, meaningful member relationships and create a sustainable environment in which other team members can evolve.
The Most Powerful Tool
It’s no secret we operate in a rapidly growing, highly competitive business climate challenged constantly by larger institutions with more resources and investment capital. In order to scale up to meet shifting market demand, CUSO sales managers must continue to mold and mentor novice team members into the next generation salespersons of the highest order.
After all, the credit union industry was built on a foundation of human capital—the most powerful sales tool in world driven and consumed by endless data points.
Robin Kolvek is SVP of business development at EPL, Inc. For info: www.eplinc.com.