VERNON HILLS, Ill. -
For one-billion-dollar credit union, old-fashioned select employee groups (SEGs) are anything but obsolete, and are a key driver of membership growth.
Eileen Cherry Clark, director of business development for Baxter Credit Union here, is looking forward to sharing the CU’s secret of ongoing success at the Credit Union Journal’s upcoming Grow Show.
Clark, who will speak on April 28th in Orlando, will focus on the topic “Dancing with the Stars, or Should I say SEGs?”
“So many credit unions pursue new SEGs with the belief that membership growth will happen automatically once the rollout is over,” Clark said. “Not true! Just like anything else to be successful, SEG development takes focus, dedication, internal resources and continually deepening and expanding the relationship web.”
In her session, Clark plans to share creative business development efforts and experiences in a motivational setting. Three points she plans to cover are: how to effectively develop SEGs, how to provide strategies to quickly grow SEG participation via no-cost communication channels, and how to deepen SEG relationships.
Baxter Credit Union has more than $1 billion in assets and services more than 130,000 members. Clark, who was promoted to the director of business development in August of 2007, said the key to Baxter CU’s success of quickly growing membership through various Select Employee Groups is due to “communication channels, relationships and noteworthy events.”
Clark compared the success of a credit union to the success of reality television show “Dancing with the Stars,” noting that both need the same recipe.
“To successfully grow SEGs, one must be prepared, plan your work and work your plan, have attention to detail, focus on the outcome, stay highly visible, be creative, have lots of energy, continually learn and improve, take constructive feedback, dress professional, have confidence in yourself, ongoing communication with your internal and external partners, and always, always, always be tuned in and in step with your SEG partner needs,” she said.
Prior to being named to her current position, Clark received numerous sales awards, including Top Loan Producer and Outstanding Member Service Excellence of the Year award.
With regards to the Grow Show, Clark said she is “delighted to be invited back to share her new experiences, thoughts and creative ideas on how to grow your SEGS, too.” (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com
