I started as a teller at Mountain America Credit Union in 2000. Over the years I worked as a trainer, then an outbound agent and eventually managed the outbound sales department. That last role changed my direction. Our team was getting great results, and what I loved most was that we were finding better ways to help members reach their goals. Word got around, and other credit unions started calling to ask how we did it.
In 2015, I left a job I loved to start SalesCU. It was a real leap of faith. I quickly learned that credit unions needed more than a call center playbook. They needed a culture where people start conversations, ask good questions and feel confident guiding members to the right solution.
Creating value in members’ lives is what credit unions are all about. It is why they were created, and it is what their members expect. When credit union employees combine their heart for service with the skills to deliver real value, amazing things can and do happen for their members. That is what makes the work we do at SalesCU so rewarding.
Starting Conversations without Losing Trust
Employees worry about sounding pushy, and many don't know what to say next once the transaction is done. The two feed each other. If I'm afraid of damaging trust and I don't have a way to start the conversation, the easiest move is to process the transaction and say have a great day.
What I tell people is that the trust is already there. Members chose a credit union. What puts it at risk is skipping the conversation, because then we never learn what they're trying to accomplish.
Timberland is a good example. Their lenders often defaulted to conventional auto loans, mostly because they weren't comfortable with the alternative. Once they learned to explain both options clearly, members could decide for themselves. Their Google rating climbed from 3.8 to 4.8. I think members noticed that someone finally asked and explained.
Building a Culture of Sales as Service
It starts with leaders believing sales is service. If a manager treats sales as a number to hit, employees feel it and treat it the same way. Confidence comes from knowing you're helping, and that comes from asking good questions and understanding what the member wants to accomplish.
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Creating value in members’ lives is what credit unions are all about. When credit union employees combine their heart for service with the skills to deliver real value, amazing things can and do happen for their members.
Then it takes coaching, and it has to be consistent. People need room to practice, get feedback and try again without feeling judged. One shift that works is tracking value conversations instead of only transactions. When Timberland's leadership did that, the focus moved from what they sold to what they learned about the members. Employees stopped feeling like they were pushing something and started feeling like they were solving something. Leadership consistency is what keeps that going.
Why Technology Needs the Human Touch
When goals don't create accountability, training doesn't stick and incentive plans don't move the needle, many credit unions turn to what I jokingly call SaaS, Software as a Solution. I mean the belief that a new CRM, core system, loan origination platform or digital banking solution will finally get employees to start sales conversations.
Don't get me wrong, these systems are powerful. Many prompt employees with relevant products and services while they help members in the branch, on the phone, on video or through digital channels.
But they don't turn someone into a salesperson. In the hands of trained, motivated employees, they amplify what those employees already do. In the hands of order takers, the prompt is one more screen to click through.
Here's the reassuring part. The technology is only getting better at surfacing opportunities. So training will focus even more on the human side: building curiosity, confidence and the habit of acting on those prompts, in whatever channel the member chooses. Software can identify an opportunity. It takes a coached, engaged employee to have the conversation.
Curiosity over Salesmanship
Remember that sales is service. I started as a teller, so I know what it's like to be at the beginning and wonder if sales is for you. You don't have to be a natural salesperson. You have to be curious about the person in front of you.
Ask what they're working toward, then listen. When you understand a member's goals, the right solution usually becomes clear and recommending it feels like helping, not selling. The results follow from that.
Keep practicing, too. Sales skills are learned, and every conversation is a chance to get a little better. Done well, those skills will help members reach their goals and they'll help you grow in confidence and income as well.
