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Winning More Customers Can Be EEEEasy

Over the past two years bankers have been very busy helping customers with a myriad of needs arising from the pandemic and the low interest rate environment.

Commercial bankers have been busy processing PPP loans.
Retail bankers have been busy educating customers about online banking.
Mortgage lenders have been busy refinancing customers at low rates.
Wealth managers have been busy helping early retirees unlock their investments.


Despite the difficulties of the pandemic over the past two years, it was relatively easier to win more customers as they were contacting the bank and seeking help to overcome challenges.

In 2022 however, customers are not contacting the bank as often. 

In fact, bankers are now being asked to rise out of their bank (or home) office and proactively engage with new prospects and win more customers.

It’s always easier to win more customers when they are walking in the door seeking your help, but outreaching to new prospects can be EEEEasy too.

For over 25 years I have been helping bankers win more customers and achieve sales excellence by embracing the 4E Sales Model:

  1. ENCOURAGE
  2. EXPLORE
  3. ENLIGHTEN
  4. ENERGIZE

Most potential new customers already have a banker and/or may not feel they have a need for your solutions. So why would they want to meet with you?

It is your job to encourage them to meet. Identify who you want to meet and consider what would motivate them to meet with you.

Contacting prospects so you can learn more about them and tell them all about your wonderful solutions is YOUR motivation to meet …. NOT THEIR motivation. 

Position yourself as a valuable finance adviser who clearly understands their challenges (be specific) and who genuinely wants to offer advice to make their life better. 

Now THAT sounds like someone I would be encouraged to meet.

Taking the time to truly learn all about your customer’s financial challenges and goals is the easiest way to win their hearts and minds. That’s how you build long lasting and mutually rewarding relationships.

But too many bankers ask too few questions with the sole purpose of uncovering a specific need that they can immediately solve. 

That may help you sell a bank product but it won’t help you win a customer.

After you encourage a new prospect to meet, let them know that you will be asking questions to explore all their needs so you can offer the best advice to achieve their goals more easily.

Develop a comprehensive list of questions with your colleagues from across the bank so you can explore all your customer’s needs better.

The best way to discourage a potential new customer is to “sell” them what they don’t need.

You undo all the goodwill you have earned in the first two steps if you simply give them marketing collateral that outlines all your features and benefits.

Be a finance professional or adviser. Don’t be a used car sales person.

Demonstrate a genuine desire to help by enlightening or educating your customer about specific ways, ideas or solutions to easily overcome their specific challenges or easily achieve their specific goals.

Create customized proposals that highlight the tremendous ways you can specifically help, rather than simply inform them about your features, benefits and costs.

As highlighted earlier, many potential new customers already have a provider and therefore it is important you energize them to make the decision to change.

If you have effectively executed the first three steps then they should already be excited about the idea of starting a relationship with you. So make it easy for them to move forward. Be clear about the next steps and how you will guide them.

But you may still face some objections. Please don’t be disheartened. Stay enthusiastic. You know you’re the best person (bank) to help them achieve their goals. 

Objections are usually an excuse to not make a difficult decision (like changing banks). Simply regard the objection as a request for more information so they can make that decision more easily and confidently.

Consider all the ways you can energize the customer to take action (make a decision) and predetermine any obstacles you can enthusiastically overcome.

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It really is EEEEasy to win more customers if you are willing to get out of your comfort zone and try new activities.

Remember, if you do what you have always done, you WON”T get what you always got. You will get less, because your competition may be trying new things.

Times have certainly changed. That’s an understatement. Are you willing to change? 

And the change does not have to be dramatic. If you want to continually achieve sales excellence then I encourage you to continually learn new/better ways to do the things you have always done.

It’s not difficult. I promise you, it’s EEEEasy.

Click the image below to watch Joe’s latest video blog.

This video is an excerpt from one of Joe Micallef’s popular virtual presentations. Joe will share his 5E script for better engaging customers during difficult times so you can gain more meetings.

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Article written by Joe Micallef – Sales Strategist & Coach – Grow UP Sales. For more advice on how to win more customers please email joe@growupsales.com or visit the webpage www.growupsales.com

If you found the content valuable then please feel free to share this article with your broader network. Let’s help more bankers and salespeople achieve a better quality of life.